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This past weekend's UFC 249 event featured several shocking moments. Perhaps the most surprising twist of the night, though, was Henry Cejudo announcing his immediate retirement from the sport, following a successful defense of his UFC Bantamweight championship.
"Triple C" has enjoyed the most successful period of his career over the last couple of years, capturing titles in two separate weight divisions. Indeed, although he was supposed to have relinquished the belt, Henry Cejudo still reigned as the UFC Flyweight champion - in addition to being the Bantamweight king - coming into Saturday's pay-per-view event.
Many do not believe that Cejudo will go through with his retirement, but UFC president Dana White is not one of them. Speaking to ESPN after UFC 249, White revealed that Cejudo has mentioned retirement to him on several occasions in the past, and feels that the decision is a permanent one.
For now, at least, we must take Triple C at his word. The 33-year-old Olympic gold medallist has had some of the most memorable fights in recent company history. Here are five fights that have defined the UFC career of Henry Cejudo.
#5 Henry Cejudo vs. Demetrious Johnson I (UFC 197 - April 2016)
Henry Cejudo's first few years in the UFC were far from a complete success. Having signed with the promotion in July 2014, the 2008 Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling was due to make his first appearance at UFC 177 in a Flyweight fight against Scott Jorgensen.
However, Cejudo could not make the 125-pound weight limit for the bout and was pulled out of the fight on medical grounds. Dana White was furious, telling Triple C that he either needed to move up to the 135-pound Bantamweight division or leave the UFC.
Cejudo would move up to the higher weight class, where he was victorious on his debut. With the help of a dedicated nutrition coach, Cejudo then moved back to the Flyweight division and went on a three-fight winning streak.
Helped by a thin pool of challengers in the division, the winning run was enough to secure Cejudo a Flyweight title opportunity against the reigning champion, Demetrious Johnson, at UFC 197 in April 2016.
Unfortunately for Cejudo, the bout was a total disappointment, as he was stopped by Johnson with less than three minutes of the fight gone.
They say, though, that there is a lesson to be learned in every defeat. Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson would meet again.
#4 Henry Cejudo vs. Demetrious Johnson II (UFC 227 - August 2018)
The shallow depth of the UFC's Flyweight division meant that it would take Henry Cejudo just three fights to earn himself another crack at Demetrious Johnson's championship.
Cejudo even lost the first of that trio of bouts, suffering a split decision loss to Joseph Benavidez. A pair of victories in 2017, however, was enough to secure Henry Cejudo an opportunity against Johnson at UFC 227 in August 2018 - and it was an opportunity that Triple C did not waste.
Henry Cejudo edged a closely-contested fight by split decision, inflicting Johnson's first professional defeat in some seven years. Cejudo was a massive underdog heading into the contest but emerged as the champion.
It was widely assumed that a trilogy fight with Johnson was a given. The loss to Cejudo, though, proved Johnson's final fight with the UFC, as he was traded to ONE FC (in exchange for Ben Askren) just two months later.
As for Henry Cejudo, the new Flyweight champion was about to embark on a winning run that even he might have struggled to believe.
#3 Henry Cejudo vs. T.J. Dillashaw (UFC on ESPN+ 1 - January 2019)
Make no mistake about it, Henry Cejudo's first title defense was considered by most to be all about T.J Dillashaw's opportunity to become a double titleholder.
Dropping down to challenge Henry Cejudo for the Flyweight championship, then-Bantamweight king Dillashaw was looking to write his name into the history books. With a victory over Triple C, Dillashaw would have been just the third male fighter in history to hold two UFC championships simultaneously.
Henry Cejudo did not care about that script though, tearing it to pieces within moments of the start of the bout. In total, it took Cejudo only 32 seconds to stop Dillashaw with punches.
Unlike his upset victory over Johnson, there was no controversy this time. Cejudo had emphatically defeated one of the best fighters in the sport. A real star-making performance.
Immediately after the fight, Cejudo challenged Dillashaw to a rematch. This time, though, the proposed fight was to be for Dillashaw's Bantamweight title.
Cejudo's plans would be derailed, however, when Dillashaw tested positive for a banned substance in his post-fight drug test. Dillashaw received a two-year ban and was forced to surrender his 135-pound title following the failure.
As it turned out, Henry Cejudo would still receive his shot at Bantamweight glory a few months later.
#2 Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes (UFC 238 - June 2019)
Henry Cejudo headlined his first UFC pay-per-view card when he challenged Marlon Moraes for the vacant Bantamweight championship at UFC 238.
Following a shaky start, Henry Cejudo turned things around in grand style to stop Moraes at the end of the third round.
Cejudo's win meant that he now held a unique trio of accomplishments. He was the Flyweight, Bantamweight champion and also an Olympic medallist.
The scale of those achievements was not lost on Cejudo, who took the opportunity to christen himself with the nickname "Triple C" during his post-fight interview.
“I’m not champ champ, ladies and gentleman...My name is ‘Triple C’: Olympic champion, Flyweight champion of the world and now Bantamweight champion of the world. I am the greatest combat athlete of all time!”
Earning the right to call himself a triple champion significantly increased Henry Cejudo's stardom in the MMA world. Now an established as one of the sport's pound-for-pound best, aged just 32 at the time, Cejudo seemed set to be one of the promotion's biggest stars for some time to come.
#1 Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz (UFC 249 - May 2020)
Despite Henry Cejudo's exceptional recent run, former UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was still widely recognized as being the best 135-pound fighter in company history - before Saturday night.
Coming into UFC 249, Cruz had never been knocked out in his 24-fight MMA career. Cejudo superbly changed that fact in the second round of the pair's co-main event clash, though.
Seconds after being cut due to an accidental clash of heads, Cejudo hit Cruz with a big knee - which instantly put the challenger down. Cejudo followed in with a barrage of left hands, and the fight was stopped soon after.
While some questioned the timing of the stoppage, the ending of the fight was still stunning. It was not, however, quite as remarkable as the announcement Cejudo would make during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“I’m happy with my career...I’ve done enough in the sport. I want to walk away. I am 33-years-old. I have a girl now. I eventually want to start a family. Since I was 11-years-old, I sacrificed my whole life to get where I’m at today. I’m not going to let anyone take that from me. I’m retiring tonight, Joe. I’m 33-years-old. I’m happy with my career. Again, Uncle Dana [White], I want to say thank you. You’re the man. Triple C’s out. You don’t have to hear my a** no more.”
With that, it seems that Henry Cejudo is done with the sport of MMA. Cejudo offered little explanation of his decision after the event either, past suggesting that he had enjoyed his time off following recent shoulder surgery.
If this is the end for Henry Cejudo, he has undoubtedly secured his legacy as one of the all-time best fighters in the sport's lighter weight classes.
