White said that Cejudo had already retired once, so there was no reason for him to have a Joe Rogan interview after the UFC 298 loss. Why do you think this interview happened? Why did White say something like this? Continue reading to find out!
After losing a majority decision to Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday at Honda Centre, Cejudo did what he had promised: he took off his gloves. Cejudo, however, was not granted an in-cage interview following the fight, so he was never able to discuss his fighting future in the immediate aftermath.
If Cejudo lost, White had no intention of handing him the mic. He didn’t think Cejudo should have taken up Dvalishvili’s spotlight by retiring in May 2020.
Dana White stated to reporters after the UFC 298 fight that Henry Cejudo had already retired and made it clear by dropping his gloves. He emphasized that the focus should be on Merab’s victory that night, as Merab fought and decisively defeated the former world champion and No. 3 ranked fighter. White also mentioned that if Cejudo wished to retire again, he could do so either at the press conference or elsewhere, but the spotlight should not be on Cejudo that night.
The lengthy layoff, in White’s opinion, damaged Cejudo. Cejudo had won six straight fights, including championship victories over Dominick Cruz, T.J. Dillashaw, and Demetrious Johnson, until he announced his retirement in May 2020. However, since announcing his retirement in May of last year, Cejudo has lost consecutive fights against Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling.
Dana White expressed his opinion, stating that in combat sports, taking three years off is not advisable. He mentioned that it hasn’t proven beneficial for anyone, and noted that while Henry Cejudo looked impressive in the first round, he seemed to tire out in the second round. White observed that Merab, on the other hand, appeared to grow stronger as the fight progressed.
Do you think Henry Cejudo deserved the mic after the UFC 298 loss? If you think he didn’t, then why so? Do let us know about your thoughts in the comment section!
