Cejudo's manager doesn't believe in client retirement: 'He should fight in the summer'

H. Cejudo poses with fly and rooster belts. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @HenryCejudo

After another great victory and performance for Ultimate, held at the beginning of May, by UFC 249, the bantamweight champion (up to 61,2kg.), Henry Cejudo, surprised spectators by announcing, still in the octagon, his early retirement from MMA. The news took many people by surprise, however, his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, believes that the athlete will not fulfill his desire and return to active duty this year.

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“First of all, people understand my relationship with Dana White and the UFC. I don't talk about money publicly. I think Dana is right. I think Henry has been talking about retiring. Do I think he will leave the sport? Definitely not,” said Ali, in an interview with 'TMZ Sports'.

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Abdelaziz then took the opportunity to compare Henry's situation to that of another client, the lightweight champion (up to 70,3kg), Khabib Nurmagomedov. One of the biggest names in Ultimate today, the Russian has already publicly declared his desire to retire, stating that he is saturated with his training routine and commitments.

“Let's talk about Khabib. Whenever he fights, he says: 'I think I've done it'. Two weeks later he says, 'Who do you think I should fight next?' These guys are at their peak. Henry is reaching the top. How will you retire in your prime? Furthermore, the UFC 249 It did very well on pay-per-view. Could things change a little? Yes of course. But in the end, it's between us. Between me, Henry and the UFC”, said the businessman.

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Finally, Abdelaziz assured that he does not take his client's statements seriously, even suggesting the period in which the fighter will be seen in the Octagon again.

“Henry has everyone at his feet right now. I don't think he's going to retire. You'll see him fighting this summer (the season in the United States runs from June to September). That’s what I think,” he concluded.

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In his last commitment, Cejudo defeated one of the biggest names in the history of bantamweight, Dominick Cruz. On that occasion, the fighter delivered the first knockout of his opponent's career.