Just before Henry Cejudo goes to battle with Merab Dvalishvili this weekend at UFC 298, the former two-division champion has made a massive change to his corner.
In a segment from the UFC’s “Countdown” show, Henry Cejudo relieved longtime coach Eric Albarracin of his duties.
“I just want to let you know that for this camp, dude, I’m getting rid of specific coaches, and that’s you included,” Cejudo told Albarracin at the gym with cameras rolling.
“Sometimes you get too close to somebody and people just get too comfortable,” Cejudo said in a subsequent confessional scene. He did not elaborate further on the circumstances of the firing nor indicated how far along they were into training camp when the change was made.
The relationship between Henry Cejudo and Albarracin predates “Triple C” capturing titles in the UFC’s flyweight and bantamweight divisions. The Pan American silver medalist helped guide Cejudo from the 2012 Olympic trials to a hall of fame worthy career in mixed martial arts.
The decision comes after a failed attempt to reclaim the bantamweight championship following a three-year hiatus versus Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in May.
Henry Cejudo’s Loss is Merab Dvalishvili’s Gain
Merab Dvalishvili responded to the shake-up in his opponent’s camp by posting a humorous attempt to hire Albarracin on social media.
“We have Henry Cejudo’s coach here with us. And now he’s going to teach how to beat Henry Cejudo,” Dvashvilli said to the camera as Albarracin laughed along.
The clip then transitioned to a stylized edit of the public firing before showing Dvalishvili holding his arm around Albarracin while loudly stating, “I love my coach.”
Henry Cejudo and Merab Dvalishvili are scheduled for the main card of UFC 298. The event takes place this Saturday, February 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. It will be the first non-title bout for Cejudo since a decision win over Sergio Pettis in 2017.
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