A few weeks back, Henry
Cejudo indicated that he would
call it a career if things didn’t go his way at
UFC 298.
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At media day on Wednesday, the Olympic gold medalist and former UFC
two division champion doubled down on that statement. If he beats
Merab
Dvalishvili at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on
Saturday, Cejudo would eventually like to make a run at
featherweight gold — event though the winner of their bout would be
perhaps the top contender at 135 pounds. A loss, however, would
lead to Cejudo retiring for a second time.
“My goal, and you guys are probably gonna give me a lot of s—t for
this, the goal is still 145 pounds,” Cejudo said. “I’ve already
defended my 135-pound [title]. Yeah, I lost my last fight by split
decision, but I’m not wavering from the goal of going up. I feel
like a win over Merab and then get the winner out of [Marlon Vera
and Sean O’Malley]. [Then] I want whoever has that belt at 145
pounds. I feel like I’ve earned it.
“And to top all that off, this is all or nothing. I told the team,
‘It’s either gold or bust.’ I either win it all, or I’m not gonna
have it all, and I’m out. I am putting that timeline, that pressure
on me, because I do take this sport seriously. I’ve done everything
there is do to. What the f—k, like what do I have to prove? Now
it’s a motivation more motivated by a little bit of anger. I’m
pissed at myself a little bit, but I’m still motivated.”
Cejudo ended a three-year retirement at UFC 288 last May, when he
fell to Aljamain
Sterling via split decision in a bantamweight title bout. “The
Messenger” knows what the stakes will be when he stands across from
Dvalishvili in the Octagon on Saturday night because his career
will be on the line.
“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. I want to be the best in the world. I want
that belt, and I really want that other one [at featherweight].
That’s kind of where I’m at.
“If I can’t have that, then I don’t want anything. Keep it all….”