Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz has revealed that Henry Cejudo fought Merab Dvalishvili while injured.
Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Dvalishvili at UFC 298. After winning Round 1, Cejudo was visibly tired after being outgrappled by Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for the rest of the fight.
UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley said he heard Cejudo was hurt going into the fight, and Abdelaziz confirmed those rumors. Abdelaziz had high praise for Dvalishvili but thinks Cejudo should never have fought someone with such high output while compromised.
“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. “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. 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 said Cejudo tried to keep things to himself, but he eventually found out.
“He didn’t tell me,” Abdelaziz said. “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.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
