For Henry Cejudo, it is “all or nothing”: win over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 this weekend and pursue the 135-pound and 145-pound belts or retire.
Cejudo will be facing Dvalishvili on the main card of UFC 298. The fighter is hoping to bounce back from his recent loss to Aljamain Sterling in May last year. In case his fight becomes a success, “Triple C” plans to hold two belts again by targeting the featherweight and bantamweight gold. Both champs of the class weights, Sean O’Malley and Alexander Volkanovski, are set to defend their respective belts, but Cejudo doesn’t care who is wearing them when he gets the shot. For him, what matters is to steal it in the future after making his win over Dvalishvili.
“My goal, and I’m probably going to get a lot of s*** for this, but the goal is still 145 pounds,” Cejudo shared during UFC 298 media day. “I’ve already conquered, and I’ve already defended my 135-pound weight. Yeah, I lost my last fight through split decision, but I’m not wavering from the goal of going up.
“I just feel like a win over Merab, and then getting the winner out of ‘Chito’ versus Sean, and then I want [Volkanovski] or whoever has that belt at 145 pounds, and I feel like I’ve earned it. I feel like with my accolades and the merit that I’ve been able to do in combat sports, I don’t think you can deny me.”
At 37, there’s very limited time left for Cejudo, who seems to know it. With this, another loss is not an option for the former champ, who said that he would retire in case he fails this weekend.
Cejudo already first exited the cage after his win over Dominick Cruz in May 2020. Nonetheless, after three years, he fought again but lost to Sterling. Yet, this time, it seems the move will be permanent.
“This is all or nothing,” Cejudo said during UFC 298 media day. “I sat with the team, and I was like, ‘It’s either gold or bust.’ I either win it all, or I’m not going to have it at all, and I’m out. I’m done. I am putting that timeline, that pressure on me, because I do take this sport serious.”
