Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo will not be retiring after all.
After his devastating loss to Merab Dvalishvili, Cejudo appeared to plead with UFC officials to allow him to retire and lay down his gloves in the center of the Octagon but he was denied his request.
UFC CEO Dana White revealed why he wouldn’t give Cejudo his moment during the UFC 298 postfight press conference.
“Henry Cejudo already retired, he did the whole drop the gloves thing. Tonight was Merab’s night. Merab went in there and fought the No. 3 guy in the world, a former world champion, and he won easily”
In a video posted on his Youtube channel, Cejudo says that he refuses to retire after back to back loses
“I just cannot let it roll like this. I just cannot,” Cejudo said. “As much as it hurts. Again, guys, I take the L. But I cannot take the L knowing the way that I pretty much went out. I don’t mind the losing aspect of it. Maybe just the way that I did go — the being winded side, the not trying to knock this dude out because I was tired — I think that’s the stuff that really bothers me. So as of today, guys, I was getting ready to announce my [retirement] — a couple of days ago, I literally did a whole video on my retirement, thanking my family, thanking my friends, thanking everybody who has been there.”
Cejudo says he consulted with many MMA legends before deciding to come back for another fight considering he lost to of the two best fighters in his division.
“But as time sets in and gives me a chance to talk to a lot of the legends — I called Daniel Cormier, I talked to Quinton ‘Rampage,’ I talked to a lot of guys who I respect who have been there before. And you know what, Henry? Look at your situation. You went out and you fought the No. 1 guy in the world [Aljamain Sterling], you lost a split decision. You went out and you pretty much fought the best guy in the world [Dvalishvili], because when this guy gets an opportunity to fight Sean O’Malley or ‘Chito’ Vera, it’s going to be easy work for him. Because I thought the same thing as Sean. I was like Sean, ‘This dude is f****** sloppy, this dude is X,Y, and Z.’ But it’s different when you actually get in there.
“It’s different when you have a pace, and a guy that doesn’t necessarily have that knockout power or that accuracy, but just has that go in him, and that’s what makes him dangerous. It’s not necessarily his wrestling. It’s his threshold, it’s the ability of him continuing to keep picking up the pace, and keeping it at that pace where he doesn’t drain his own wad. He got me. I take the L. But I cannot let it sit like this. I just cannot, man.”
It’s unclear who Cejudo could fight against if he did end up fighting.