How’s Henry?!?
Manager Ali Abdelaziz is not making any excuses for Henry Cejudo’s loss at UFC 298.
That said, he’s still going to reveal that “Triple C” suffered a substantial injury ahead of the “Volkanovski vs. Topuria” pay-per-view (PPV) event, because his job as weasel manager is to protect his client and sneak in those asterisks in the wake of every high-profile defeat.
“Henry honestly, he went against all of our wills and he said, ‘I sign a contract, I’m going to fight,’” Abdelaziz told The Schmo (transcribed by MMA Junkie). “There’s no excuse. He fought. Not taking anything away from Merab because Merab did what he needed to do. (Cejudo) pulled his groin. Henry did not wrestle, didn’t spar for four weeks before the fight.”
Cejudo lost a unanimous decision to top contender Merab Dvalishvili.
“When is the last time we saw Henry Cejudo out of breath? Never. Henry Cejudo was out of breath in the middle of the first round, and he won that round,” Abdelaziz continued. “He didn’t tell me. He hid it from me. Dave, who’s the gym owner, who’s a big brother to him, told me, his coaches told me, and he just had a horrible camp to be honest with you.”
Cejudo has since walked back his second retirement and vowed to continue fighting.