LAS VEGAS – Henry Cejudo says he will ride into the sunset once again following UFC 323.
The former UFC two-division champion confirmed that his bout Saturday at UFC 323 (pay-per-view, ESPN2/FX/Disney+, ESPN+) will be the final fight of his career. Cejudo (16-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) faces Payton Talbott (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) on the main card of the final pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena.
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“This is it for me, guys,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a media scrum. “This is it for me, unless Dana (White) gets me a big fight with some other Mexican, then I’d be willing to do it. Other than that, I think I’ve done everything at the highest level since I was 11 years old. From cutting weight at that damn time, and there’s just a lot of satisfaction in my life. I’m ready to move on too. I have a couple kids that want to play with their Dad 24/7.”
Cejudo, 38, has already hung up the gloves once, after he became the first to stop Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. However, “Triple C” dusted off the gear for a return to action three years later to fight for the title he never lost. Unfortunately for the two-time Olympic gold medalist, Aljamain Sterling retained the title by split decision at UFC 288. Cejudo has fought twice since then, both times failing to return to the winner’s column after a unanimous decision loss against current champion Merab Dvalishvili and a frustrating technical decision loss after an eye poke against Song Yadong.
The former champ teased retirement in October, but didn’t appear fully committed to walking away from the sport again. Since things haven’t gone his way as he attempted to recapture championship glory, and he’s just days away from entering a fight as an underdog against a young rising star in Talbott, the decision appears clearer.
Now Cejudo says it’s about going out there to compete at his best for a true result, something he believes wasn’t afforded to him when he faced Song in February.
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“It’s not about anything else but giving what I have, and what wasn’t given to me in my last fight,” Cejudo said. “That’s all. Fair shake. You know, despite whatever the outcome could come. Payton is good. Payton is a humble dude. He came out to be mentored by me for a couple of days, coming out to Arizona. So, that says a lot about him.”
Cejudo went on a magical run from 2017-20. He avenged a title loss to Demetrious Johnson to win the UFC flyweight title, and defended it against T.J. Dillashaw before moving up to bantamweight to claim the vacant bantamweight crown – a title he defended only once before walking away the first time.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Henry Cejudo announces UFC 323 will be retirement bout
