Henry Cejudo recently confirmed that he will return for one final UFC fight before officially retiring from competition. He opened up about his personal life, his mindset since returning, and what’s driving his decision to fight again.
Cejudo originally retired in 2020, while in his prime as the reigning UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion. At the time, many fans and analysts criticized the decision, especially since he had expressed interest in fighting Alexander Volkanovski. That potential bout would have given him a shot at becoming the first three-division UFC champion.
After a three-year hiatus, Triple C returned in 2023, facing Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight championship he vacated. Although Cejudo delivered a competitive performance, he lost a split decision. He remained active afterwards, but lost two more bouts to Merab Dvalishvili and Song Yadong, respectively.
In a recent documentary produced by Red Corner MMA, Cejudo confirmed that his next fight will be his last. He spoke candidly about his personal life and how it changed his outlook on fighting.
“I do a lot, man. Travelling, real estate, kids, wife. Like, bro, when I was married to the game, I was married to the game,” Cejudo said. “[I] never really saw myself fighting with kids. Now when they know what’s going on, that was never part of my plan. And I think that’s part of the reason why I just want to fight one more time.”
Henry Cejudo Reflects on Recent Loss to Song Yadong
Cejudo also addressed his controversial loss to Yadong at UFC Seattle, which ended under unfortunate circumstances. During the 3rd round, Cejudo was accidentally eye-poked, significantly affecting his vision for the remainder of the fight.
Cejudo took the full allocated recovery time, but it was clear that his vision was still compromised. He finished the round, but told his corner that he couldn’t see, prompting the referee to stop the fight.
Because the 4th round had started, the judges’ scorecards determined the winner. Yadong was awarded a technical unanimous decision, marking Cejudo’s third straight loss.
Reflecting on the moment, Cejudo shared his regret and admitted he would have handled the situation differently in hindsight.
“I was trying to be composed as much as I could and not show [Yadong] too much that I’m seeing two,’ Cejudo said. “I don’t know which one to hit. If that was to happen to me again, I would just close one eye and just fight.”
Henry Cejudo Reveals Venture He Wants to Pursue Outside of MMA
Despite recent setbacks, Cejudo remains active outside of MMA with several personal ventures. He’s well known for his ‘King of Cringe’ persona, but his latest ambition shows more of a heartfelt side.
Cejudo revealed to Red Corner MMA that he is developing a children’s book titled: ‘Little Henry’. He emphasized the importance of having a positive role model and wants to help children build confidence through uplifting messages.
“I want to start children’s books. ‘Little Henry’, it’s gonna be called,” Cejudo said. “I’ve never been insecure, but people are. And I think what you do is you feed them into that little insecurity with the message.”
He added:
“The most important thing as a father now is inspire that next generation.”
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