IRVINE, Calif. – Henry Cejudo has teased the idea of a potential retirement if things don’t go well in his return, and his opponent Merab Dvalishvili is buying into those claims.
Despite having a track record of messing with the media and sending mixed messages, Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) fully believes that Cejudo (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) will retire from MMA if he loses to him Saturday on the main card of UFC 298. Dvalishvili thinks the writing is on the wall, and there’s just too many things pointing out that this is indeed Cejudo’s last chance to stay in title contention.
“I think he’s right,” Dvalishvili told reporters at the UFC 298 media day on Wednesday. “He’s talking from the facts because if he beats me, of course he’ll fight for the title because he was champion, and he lost against a great champion Aljamain Sterling by split decision, and he’s a big name and a very good fighter.
“If he lost, of course he’s not going to fight, just keep fighting and then get a No. 1 contender fight. It takes time, and now he has a family and money, and I don’t think he just wants to fight. He wants gold. So if he loses against me, of course he’s going to retire.
Cejudo retired in the past and then returned to fighting, which makes some people skeptical of his claims ahead of UFC 298. However, Dvalishvili was in a similar position when he fought former UFC champion Jose Aldo back in 2022.
“He knows he has to beat me, otherwise, he’s done,” Dvalishvili said. “He’s fighting to beat me and he wants the belt. Same thing when I fought Jose Aldo. He was on a three-fight win streak when he beat ‘Chito’ Vera and other contenders. If he beat me, he was supposed to fight for the title. But I beat him, and he didn’t want to go back down to the ladder and climb again. It’s the same thing again. Jose Aldo after me retired, and I think it’s the same thing for Henry.”
Considering the former champ’s position, Dvalishvili feels this fight against Cejudo will be extra tough given the stakes for his opponent.
“It’s either everything or nothing for him,” Dvalishvili said. “That’s his mentality and that’s why he’s dangerous.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
