The former two-division champion has made a significant change in his preparations ahead of his upcoming bout against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 in Anaheim, Calif. Henry Cejudo has decided to part ways with his longtime coach, Eric Albarracin.
Albarracin, who has been a crucial figure in Cejudo’s career since his wrestling days, was among several individuals Cejudo chose to remove from his team in an effort to streamline his preparations. The announcement of this decision came to light during the UFC’s “Countdown” preview show.
Addressing Albarracin directly, Cejudo expressed gratitude for their journey together but explained his decision to make changes for the current camp: “You were with me for my last Olympic trials, and you’ve been there for me, but as of right now, 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, who continues to train at Fight Ready in Arizona, emphasized his desire to simplify his team structure and focus purely on business for his upcoming fight. “Sometimes you get too close to somebody, and people just get too comfortable… Right now, what I want to do in this fight camp is keep it strictly business,” he stated.
This move comes as Cejudo, aged 36, prepares to return to action following his unsuccessful bid for the UFC bantamweight title in May 2023 against then-champion Aljamain Sterling. It marks his first fight since retiring in May 2020 after securing the bantamweight title with a victory over Dominick Cruz.
