UFC 298 Countdown previews the bantamweight bout between Merab Dvalishvili and former UFC bantamweight and flyweight …
>> Anik: This is an inspiring young man, Henry Cejudo. In 2008 he was the Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. He does not like being number two. >> Narrator: The feature bout of UFC 298… >> Rogan: The kind of athlete that you have to be to do that, you can get great at everything. >> Narrator: …will showcase a living legend… >> Rogan: He has a goal and it’s a lofty goal. [commentators]: Oh! >> Anik: Another knockdown for Cejudo! >> Rogan: It’s to go down in history as the greatest combat sports athlete of all time. >> Anik: And there’s the shot from Cejudo right in on the leg and nothing he can do about it. >> Narrator: …an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling… >> Rogan: That wrestling–that’s top of the food chain. >> Narrator: …who transitioned to mixed martial arts… >> Rogan: Oh! >> Cormier: That was lightning fast that right hand. >> Rogan: Like a piston! >> Cormier: Holy smokes! >> Narrator: …where he simultaneously held UFC flyweight… >> Cormier: UFC champion… >> Anik: Oh! >> Cormier: …and Olympic gold medalist. Something no one has ever done. [Cejudo triumphantly yelling] >> Narrator: …and bantamweight belts. >> Anik: Oh! >> Rogan: Big, big shots from Henry! >> Marc Goddard: Stop! Stop! Stop! [Anik and Rogan]: That’s it! >> Anik: Get him a second belt! And that very well might be the greatest combat sports athlete of all time. [body thuds to the canvas] [Anik and Rogan]: Oh! >> Anik: Big knee from Cejudo and a right hand! That is it! And still! >> Narrator: But when Henry Cejudo returned from a brief retirement last year… >> Cormier: He is one of the smartest people in the game. [Anik and Rogan]: Oh! >> Rogan: High kick lands. >> Anik: Big right from Cejudo. >> Cormier: He will have to use all of those skills tonight if he wants to become the champion again. [leg kick lands with a thwack] >> Rogan: Oh! Outstanding pressure by Triple C. [end of round air horn blasts] >> Narrator: …who would face the bitter… >> Buffer: And still… >> Narrator; …and unfamiliar taste of defeat. >> Buffer: …undisputed… >> Rogan: You got to wonder where Cejudo is mentally at this stage of his career, but you know that he has a fury inside of him. [gentle instrumental music] He is so unbelievably dedicated and focused. >> I hate second place, but I know the mistakes that I made. Well, Cap I didn’t want to talk to you and the whole 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. I should have included you. Sometimes you are too close to somebody and people just get too comfortable. >> 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. >> This is why this man is the G.O.A.T. coach. The most unselfish human that you will ever meet– captain Eric Albarracin. And right now what I want to do in this fight camp is keep it strictly business. >> You guys want to start? >> Yeah, so two-a-days on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and that’s it. >> You’re doing it way different than we’ve ever done it before. If you’re having coaches available, you have a buffet every single day. >> 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. This is how I feel comfortable for this fight and this cocktail. The more simple, the less people that I have here– even if it’s good [bleep], the better for me, because I’m sick of hearing just different people’s perspective. We have something in lock, let’s just lock and [bleep] load and just go. [gentle instrumental music] >> Narrator: A fully revamped fight camp has Cejudo firing on all cylinders… [timer chimes] and is topped off by the return of a fellow wrestling great… Henry’s older brother, Angel. >> Just bring your elbow back to your side. Reach. Bring your elbow back to your side. Yeah, that’s it. The biggest thing with him is getting back to those trial and errors. What’s working. What’s not working. Getting him out of his comfort zone. Okay, right here–right away, start reaching for a thigh. Now you see how you are up like this? You’re trying to use speed. Don’t worry about speed, keep your hips down. Yes. There you go. So we’re going to do our best to work together. Go and grab that leg right there. There you go. Now move this way. Take your time. Don’t go fast. Make it a controlled wrestling match. Be a little bit more in tune and be align with each other’s philosophies of training. [dramatic rapid percussive music] Hips down the whole time. Grab. There. That’s it. See, he can’t move anymore. He’s stuck. If you run too fast, he’s gonna start flinging away from him. Trap him like [bleep] you’re mine now. Then you are going to avoid long scrambles. All those scrambles, you’re going to take control of the situation. Train it again. That’s pressure. That’s weight. Reach. >> Cejudo: I want to be pushed. I want to be challenged. >> Angel: Yeah. >> And I want to retain that belt once again. [music heightens then ends] [gentle hip hop music] >> Narrator: Standing in Cejudo’s way of redemption… [man rapping] ♪ You can’t downplay greatness ♪ ♪ And can’t stop what’s about to come ♪ >> Narrator: …is a relentless powerhouse known aptly as “The Machine”… [Dvalishvili grunts] …because when locked in with the Octagon with Merab Dvalishvili, bantamweights routinely crumble under his furious pace. [man rapping] ♪ Let me introduce myself to you ♪ ♪ I am the truth ♪ >> Anik: Arguably the most tireless worker in the sport. >> Rogan: That nickname “The Machine” is very accurate. [man rapping] ♪ I am the truth ♪ >> I have good cardio. I have all the technique. >> Brendan Fitzgerald: The cardio on him [chuckles] is just unbelievable. [man rapping] ♪ I am the truth ♪ >> Dvalishvili: I have takedown records in my weight class. >> Felder: His wrestling is relentless. >> And I’m only getting better. [man rapping] ♪ I am the truth ♪ >> Narrator: With wins over former title challengers John Dodson… [body thuds to the canvas] >> Rogan: He is beating John Dodson up. >> Narrator: …and Marlon Moraes… >> Cormier: Oh, he hurt him with a right hand! >> Anik: Big ground strikes! >> Felder: Marlon’s got no answer! >> Anik: That will do it! >> Narrator: …as well as former champions, Jose Aldo… >> Cormier: He’s just not allowing Aldo to get anything going. >> Anik: Merab’s conditioning really the stuff of legend. Puts other pro fighters to shame. >> Narrator: …and Petr Yan. >> Felder: He’s got that Khabib style that people are terrified of. >> Fitzgerald: He turns back Petr Yan in impressive fashion. >> Narrator: Dvalishvili rides a nine fight win streak into the February 17th clash with Cejudo… [man rapping] ♪ I am the truth ♪ >> Narrator: …a position made possible by the decisions to leave his Georgian life behind to chase the MMA dream. >> This hat right here made from goat hair. The Georgian people used to wear this in the mountains. It was very tough time when I was growing up. [bell tolls] Georgian economy was down and most people don’t have food and don’t have money… [birds singing] …but my parents a big motivation for me… because they always give me good directions in life. [kiss smacks] [speaking in foreign language] [cameras beeping and shutters clicking] [Dvalishvili laughing] >> They told me you have to earn everything. This is my house, it reminds me of everything. This is my motivation– my home country. It’s where I’m from. [native festive music playing] [speaking in foreign language] [group applauding] So to leave my family and emigrate to the United States wasn’t hard because I have a goal, I want to be UFC fighter and represent Georgian flag. [wind whooshing] [slow tempo dramatic music] >> Narrator: To prepare for Cejudo, Dvalishvili is enlisting the services of the last man to defeat him… >> Rogan: Aljo, this is his world. He is one of the very best at back control. >> Narrator: …long time friend and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. >> I think it definitely helps that I fought Henry to give Merab an inside look to kind of what I felt when I was in there. >> Rogan: He’s really done a great job in this round of constantly putting pressure on Aljamain, but Aljamain back up to his feet. Let’s see if he can turn it around. This is huge. >> Sterling: And it doesn’t hurt that Merab was also trying to imitate and mimic Cejudo for me. So he kind of has some of his mannerisms down of what to expect. >> Cormier: Merab’s a madman. >> Sterling: Man, this [bleep] works so hard! So hard! He pushes me, I push him! [dramatic music continues] >> Henry will be my third UFC former champion who I will beat and there will be no question that I should fight for the title. [dramatic music continues] >> Rogan: Henry Cejudo is in the ranks of greats. >> This is just personal for me, it’s just kind of like a vendetta. [Albarracin speaking in foreign language] >> Like a road to redemption… >> Anik: That’s it! Get him a second belt! >> Rogan: Henry Cejudo is an elite two division champion. >> …to get my belt back. I am the greatest combat athlete of all time! >> Now I prove again that I’m hungry! February 17th, I will be the one who will knock Henry out. >> Narrator: Bantamweights set the stage in Anaheim for a middleweight blockbuster between former champ Robert Whittaker… >> Rogan: This is a world championship caliber fighter and this guy keeps getting better. >> Narrator: …and the always dangerous Paulo Costa… >> Rogan: He is a marauder! He is a relentless destroyer! >> Narrator: …and a championship main event between featherweight king, Alexander Volkanovski… >> Cormier: The greatest featherweight champion of all time. >> Rogan: Just a truly special talent. >> Narrator: …and challenger Ilia Topuria. >> Cormier: Topuria is the real deal. >> Rogan: Straight up savage. >> Cormier: He has all the skill to be best in the world. >> Narrator: It all goes down at UFC 298 on February 17th. [music ends]