Dana White reflects on Henry Cejudo’s ‘ridiculous’ decision to retire: “He was in his f*cking prime!”

Dana White believes that former UFC champion Henry Cejudo should’ve stayed retired.

‘Triple C’ is set to return to the cage this Saturday night at UFC 298 in California. For Henry Cejudo, the bout with Merab Dvalishvili will be the second of his comeback. Last May, the former dual-weight champion ended a three-year retirement to return to the cage against Aljamain Sterling.

However, the former Olympic wrestler was handed a loss by ‘The Funk Master’ by decision. Now, heading into his UFC 298 clash with ‘The Machine’, Henry Cejudo is in a bit of a weird spot. While he still appears to be a top bantamweight, he might not be back for long. With a loss on Saturday, Cejudo has revealed plans to retire once again.

For UFC executive Dana White, the decision for Henry Cejudo to retire for the first time was a mind-boggling one. Speaking in a recent interview with Kevin Iole, the promoter was asked about ‘Triple C’ and his recent comments. There, White reflected on Cejudo’s decision to retire for the first time, following a knockout win over Dominick Cruz in May 2020.

In the promoter’s eyes, Henry Cejudo probably should’ve stayed retired after hanging it up the first time. Speaking in the interview, Dana White maligned the fact that the former champion retired at the top of his prime. He even compared the decision to Merab Dvalishvili’s decision to not fight Aljamain Sterling for the title last year, labeling both choices massive “mistakes”.

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Dana White reflects on Henry Cejudo’s decision to retire in 2020 at UFC 249

“Yeah, 100% [it’s a huge fight for both guys.] I mean, I think it was ridiculous that Henry Cejudo retired.” Dana White stated in a recent interview with Kevin Iole, when asked about the UFC 289 bantamweight clash. “When you retire, you should stay away and never come back. This guy retired when he was in his f*cking prime, he looked good. This is a big fight for both of these guys.”

He continued, “Merab sat out, and didn’t take a fight because his friend had the title. All that stuff. So, I think you’re looking at two guys that, in my opinion, have made some mistakes in their careers. Saturday night’s a big deal for both of these guys. This whole f*cking card is incredible, I love this card.”

For Henry Cejudo, Saturday night’s bout will be a bit of a different one. During fight camp, he fired longtime coach Eric Albarracin, who had been with him since the Olympics. While the trainer was later seen with Merab Dvalishvili, it seems that Cejudo is still on good terms with his ex-coach. Earlier this week, the former champion reunited with Albarracin, and hinted that he would be in his corner after all.

What do you make of these comments from Dana White? Do you agree with the UFC promoter’s comments about Henry Cejudo?