Henry Cejudo Confirms He’ll Retire with Loss at UFC 298: ‘This is All or Nothing’

A few weeks back, Henry Cejudo indicated that he would call it a career if things didn’t go his way at UFC 298.

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….”