Henry ‘Triple C’ Cejudo is one of the greatest UFC fighters to fight in the octagon. Cejudo was an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He then went on to rule the sport of MMA by winning not one but two championships in the UFC simultaneously.
Henry Cejudo, the former flyweight and bantamweight champion of the UFC, was recently matched up against Merab ‘The Machine’ Dvalishvili at UFC 298. It was the bantamweight bout on the main card of the second UFC Pay-Per-View of the year. But the fight did not go as Triple C would have wanted it to go.
Not only did the Georgian Merab Dvalishvili absolutely dominate the fight, but in the latter two rounds of the three-round fight, Dvalishvili literally toyed with Cejudo. All in all, it was a disappointing showing from the future UFC Hall of Famer, Cejudo.
Merab just carried Henry Cejudo like a fucking baby 😭 pic.twitter.com/1PZOXFZ7a2
— 𝒥𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒶 𝓂𝑒𝓃𝒶𝒸𝑒 (@Mydolo_lonely) February 18, 2024
Henry Cejudo started the fight well by landing a couple of shots in the first round, which rocked the #2 bantamweight in the division. But as the fight progressed, it became evidently clear who was going to win the fight. But the fight might not just stand to be a bad showing from the former champ but also quite probably his last fight in the octagon.
Did Henry Cejudo retire at UFC 298?
In the build-up to his fight against Merab Dvalishvili, Henry Cejudo opened up about his decision to retire if he lost against Merab Dvalishvili. During the media day for UFC 298, Henry said, “This is all or nothing… 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.”
Cejudo further talked about his mindset of putting it all on the line for this fight. He said he was putting pressure on himself because he took the sport seriously. He then said that he had completed everything there was to do in the sport, and there was nothing left for him to prove to anyone.
When further asked about his decision, Henry Cejudo answered, “Yeah, 100 percent, [I will retire],” Cejudo said. “It’s big-time pressure. Because I know I’ve got to fight. You’ve got to put these clauses on you. I’m not going to continue to fight just to fight. I’m too competitive… If I can’t have that, then I don’t want anything. Keep it all.”
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Furthermore, after losing his fight against Merab Dvalishvili, a dejected Henry Cejudo was seen taking off his gloves in the Octagon. He did not even stay back for the post-fight Octagon interview and walked right off the mat. And it seemed as if it was indeed the last time in his career that he was on the UFC mat.
Whatever decision Henry Cejudo decides to take, he will forever remain one of the greatest UFC fighters ever. But there will still be fans who want the Triple C to somehow spark a comeback in the UFC.