Getty General view of the UFC 238 Octagon at United Center on June 8, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
UFC’s reigning bantamweight champion is ending his brief retirement, according to his manager. Henry “Triple C” Cejudo last fought on May 9 in the co-main event of UFC 249 against Dominick Cruz. Triple C turned in an impressive performance, defending his bantamweight strap for the first time by finishing Cruz in the second round.
After Cejudo was announced as the official winner, he was interviewed by UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. In a shocking statement, Cejudo said that he was retiring from the sport.
During the interview, Triple C said, “I’m retiring tonight Joe. I’m 33 years old, I’m happy with my career. Again, Uncle Dana, I want to say thank you for everything. You’re the man.”
He also said, “Triple C’s out. You guys don’t have to hear my a** no more.”
Here is a video of Cejudo’s retirement:
Triple C out. 🏆🏅🏆
Follow the Heavy on UFC Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Cejudo’s Manager, Ali Abdelaziz, Said That Cejudo Is Ending His Brief Retirement
Triple C’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, was recently interviewed by TMZ Sports when he said that he didn’t believe Cejudo was hanging up his gloves. Abdelaziz said, “Henry has everybody on their knees right now. I don’t think he’s gonna retire. You’re gonna see him fight by the summer.”
Cejudo has a lot of options for his next opponent, but one fighter Abdelaziz doesn’t want his client to compete against next is former bantamweight champ, T.J. Dillashaw. Cejudo and Dillashaw shared the Octagon in January 2019 when Triple C was the flyweight champion.
Dillashaw, who was the reigning bantamweight champion at the time, dropped down to flyweight to challenge Cejudo for his strap. Dillashaw was unable to capture gold in a second weight division, however, as Triple C finished Dillashaw with strikes in the first round of their fight.
After their bout, Dillashaw tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and was subsequently stripped of his bantamweight title. He is currently serving a two-year suspension.
Abdelaziz Does Not Want Cejudo to Fight Dillashaw Again
Since their fight, there has been some interest in seeing the two men compete in the bantamweight division. Abdelaziz is not interested in a second fight between the two competitors, telling TMZ Sports, “Henry will never fight T.J. I don’t think any clean athlete should ever fight T.J. Dillashaw. The man cheated for a long time.”
He continued, “If you cheated this long, you think you’re gonna come back and get a title shot? It doesn’t even make sense. Henry for sure will never fight him. I know that for sure. Cause he beat the man while he was on the juice. Why’s he gonna fight him?
READ NEXT: Greg Hardy Hears Commentator Daniel Cormier at UFC 249, Changes Strategy