In the UFC 298 Countdown , Henry Cejudo let long-time coach, Eric Albarracin, know that he would like to work with other coaches for his upcoming presumed number one contender’s match against Merab Dvalishvili. After Cejudo’s Championship Match against Aljamain Sterling last May, some fans began to question whether Cejudo still had what it takes to become a UFC champ. “Triple C” acknowledged that he was not at his best against Sterling in the countdown:
“I hate second place but I know the mistakes that I made… What I want to do in this fight camp is keep it strictly business.” Cejudo is applying that same attitude to his coaching staff this camp, putting friendship aside – “Every fight should be a different cocktail and you have to be able to adjust and grab different coaches that can take you to wherever it is that you actually want to go.”
Henry broke the news to a stoic Albarracin in as respectful a manner as possible: “Well Cap (Eric Albarracin) I just want to talk to you and the rest of the team man. You were with me for my last Olympic trials. You’ve been there for me, but as of right now, I just want to let you know man– for this camp, dude, I’m getting rid of specific coaches, man, and that’s including you… This man is the G.O.A.T coach. The most unselfish human that you will ever meet– captain Eric Albarracin”
In his response Cejudo, Albarracin revealed that he believes that Henry’s decision to move on doesn’t change the fact that they achieved their dreams together stating, “The goal has always been the same–for you to be the greatest combat athlete of all time and… for me that was a dream come true.”
In the countdown, Henry is also seen planning out his training schedule with a team that does not include Eric Abarracin. He says that he feels “comfortable” with the way his camp is going. Will Cejudo’s plan of keeping his team small help him win his fight against Merab Dvalishvili this weekend at UFC 298?
