Merab Dvalishvili was quick to try and recruit Eric Albarracin after Henry Cejudo decided to let him go.
Cejudo (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) parted ways with longtime coach Albarracin ahead of his pivotal bantamweight clash against Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) at UFC 298 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.
Cejudo gave Albarracin the news during the UFC’s “Countdown” preview show, explaining that the drop was in effort of reducing the size of his team. Dvalishvili, who has been releasing numerous funny skits, jumped at the opportunity to try and lure in Albarracin, who could only laugh.
Albarracin and Cejudo have been working together before Cejudo even started his professional MMA career. The former UFC dual-champion will look to rebound from his close title loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288, and has hinted at potential retirement if he falls short against Dvalishvili. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili is on a nine-fight winning streak.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
