“Gold or bust!” Henry Cejudo DOUBLES DOWN on retirement if he fails against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298

Henry Cejudo makes a startling statement about his fighting career ahead of bantamweight bout against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298.

“Gold or bust!” Henry Cejudo DOUBLES DOWN on retirement if he fails against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298

Merab Dvalishvili will face off with Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 (Image via: IMAGO)

Henry Cejudo would not fight again if he lost at UFC 298. He will face Merab Dvalishvili in a potential bantamweight title eliminator. Earlier, ‘Triple C’ mentioned not having fun fighting down the ladder. He recently reiterated his bold statement at the UFC 298 media day. Here is what happened:

Henry Cejudo is a former UFC bantamweight champion. He has aimed to solidify his legacy with a successful win in his upcoming fight at UFC 298. On the media day ahead of his fight, Cejudo said: 

To top all that off, this is all or nothing. I sat with the team and was like, 'hey, guys, 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 and that pressure on me because I do take this sport seriously.
Henry Cejudo via UFC 298 media day
YouTube video

Henry Cejudo reiterated his commitment to retire if he fails to succeed at UFC 298. Cejudo emphasized that he would retire if he did not secure victory in this fight. This makes UFC 298 a very important fight for the former UFC double champion. Cejudo’s declaration garnered attention at the media events. This has contributed to an intense buildup surrounding UFC 298.

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Henry Cejudo is a former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion. He will fight Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298. Dvalishvili is one of the most prolific takedown artists in the UFC. Henry Cejudo made a comeback in 2023 after an extended hiatus for a title shot against Aljamain Sterling. However, he lost that fight via split decision. Cejudo will likely retire if he loses to Merab.

Merab Dvalishvili responds to Henry Cejudo’s statement

Merab Dvalishvili responded to Henry Cejudo’s plan to retire if he loses at UFC 298. Dvalishvili said that Henry Cejudo only wanted the title, which made him dangerous. Merab and Cejudo are both wrestlers. However, Merab comes from a Sambo background that has become a successful tool to succeed in the UFC.

Fight fans react to Henry Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Henry Cejudo vs. Merab Dvalishvili (via MMA News)

Dvalishvili said that if he defeated Cejudo, he would fight for the title, and Henry would have to keep fighting other guys until he became the champion. He agreed with Cejudo’s plan to retire if he lost, stating that he had too many responsibilities to fight other contenders for another title shot.

Dvalishvili and Cejudo will fight this February. They will feature at UFC 298 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The fight will take place under the featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

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