Askren Mocks Cejudo After RAF Georgia Collapse

Ben Askren has questioned Henry Cejudo's training regimen after the former two-division UFC champion gassed out in a shocking loss to Merab Dvalishvili at Real American Freestyle Georgia earlier this month.

Cejudo held an 8-0 lead over his former UFC rival before collapsing down the stretch, allowing Dvalishvili to earn a decision win on the wrestling mats. The Olympic gold medalist has competed in several RAF events since retiring from mixed martial arts at UFC 323.

Askren Questions Cejudo's Prep After Third-Period Fade

Speaking on the MightyCast podcast, Askren suggested Cejudo may have underestimated the preparation needed for the bout. "I had a lung transplant so I think I've got an excuse for getting really tired, but my man got really tired," Askren said, per MMA Fighting. "He needs to have a good excuse for that because he got so tired he was having a hard time standing on his feet in the third period."

Askren, who recently returned to competition at RAF himself, theorized that Cejudo relied too heavily on past credentials. "I think, here's my guess, Henry says, 'I don't need to train. I'm an Olympic champion. I'm going to go put him away.' And he did, in fact, almost put him away," he said.

Cejudo's conditioning failure at RAF Georgia marks a stumbling block in his post-UFC wrestling career, raising questions about his approach to training outside the cage.

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• BJPenn — Ben Askren mocks Henry Cejudo for ‘gassing out’ in RAF Georgia loss