Henry Cejudo appeared confident before his title eliminator fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298, but there are rumors that his camp preparations were far from ideal. Many are now questioning if his confident demeanor was a facade to cover up the struggles he faced during training.
Unfortunately, Cejudo lost to Dvalishvili by unanimous decision, and it was evident that the Georgian wrestler dominated the match. This raised concerns about whether Cejudo’s performance was hindered by the alleged issues during his fight camp and if he may have missed out on his prime years between his 2020 retirement and his return in 2023.
Sean O’Malley has spoken out about the situation, suggesting that Cejudo may have had a subpar camp leading up to UFC 298 and might have been carrying an injury into the fight.
O’Malley shared, “On the day of the fight, I was hearing rumors that Henry didn’t have a great camp. Henry couldn’t spar, he couldn’t train as much as he wanted to. That being said, it’s like you can’t have a fight with a guy like Merab where he’s not 100 percent. Merab is a machine. I’m on a 10-game winning streak, and I’m feeling great.”
He added, “Well, I wasn’t surprised when I heard that. Little by little, Henry has grown up, too. When he’s done, he’s done.”
Drawing from his own experience, O’Malley disclosed that he had also struggled with injuries during his training camp for his fight with Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288. Despite this, he managed to secure victory with a clean knockout early in the second round.
It’s evident that Cejudo’s striking was ineffective against Dvalishvili, and his injury likely affected his ability to keep up with wrestling exchanges. This situation highlights the increased likelihood of injuries as athletes age and undergo rigorous training. The reminder that 37 is considered too old for success in the lightweight division has been emphasized in recent weeks.
Expressing disinterest in continuing his career without the opportunity to compete for the championship, Cejudo’s potential retirement raises questions. While it would be disappointing to see him depart under these circumstances, his previous retirement in 2020, when he held two belts, represented an impressive high point in his career. It’s rare for a fighter to attain such heights and then do so again, making the possibility of Cejudo achieving it twice unlikely.
