Throughout its 30 year history, the UFC has produced many incredible champions, however, very few have ever achieved the same level of success that Henry Cejudo has garnered. In his prime, the former Olympic wrestling gold medalist was easily the premier fighter in the sport, becoming the fourth simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history. However, at the height of his powers, Cejudo opted to retire from the sport and was not seen again for another three years, and upon his return, hasn’t been able to reclaim his place at the top.
A pound-for-pound great makes his return this Saturday
Looking to get back on track towards UFC gold, Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will lock horns with reputable Chinese striking whizz Song Yadong at UFC Fight Night 252 Seattle, Washington.
Coming off of a competitive unanimous decision defeat to once bantamweight apex Petr Yan at UFC 299 last year, Yadong (21-8-1, 1NC MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) himself is seeking to inch closer to title contention with a win over a legend in Cejudo.
Unwilling to step aside willingly for his younger opponent, the previous flyweight and bantamweight king has his own sights set on recapturing the throne he never lost. While the best days of his career appear to be over, Cejudo is still determined to prove that he has what it takes to become the UFC Bantamweight Champion for a second time.
A tumultuous childhood breeds a future wrestling great
Born on February 9, 1987, Cejudo was brought into a large family, including six other siblings and his parents. His early years were marked with considerable strive, though, as his family had to constantly move around the state because of his father’s drug and alcohol abuse. To protect her children, Cejudo’s mother moved her and her children to New Mexico to escape her husband after he had made threats of violence against them. Staying there for a few years, the family then relocated to Phoenix, Arizona.
Cejudo’s formative years in The Grand Canyon State were anything but grand, with him and his family living in poverty while his mother worked several jobs to provide for her children. Though this time in his life presented many harsh challenges, it was during his childhood living in Phoenix that Cejudo discovered his lifelong passion for wrestling.
Inspired by his older brother, Angel, who once held a record of 150-0, Cejudo took up the grappling art at age 11. Over the next seven years, the future UFC great racked up a bevvy of incredible titles, such as gold medals at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Pan American Championships, two U.S Senior National Championships and a US World Team Trials title. None of these accolades compared to the crowning achievement of his life up until that point when he entered the 2008 Summer Olympics, winning the men’s freestyle wrestling gold medal. This made Cejudo the youngest American wrestler to win gold at the Olympics, accomplishing the feat at only 21-years old.
Transitioning into MMA
Following his retirement from wrestling in 2012, Cejudo made the decision to transfer his skills into mixed martial arts. Strapping on the 4oz gloves for the first time in 2013, “The Messenger” won his debut match in less than two minutes, knocking out Michael Poe in round one. The former Olympian then competed four more times that year, earning the World Fighting Federation Bantamweight Championship. He then competed at Legacy FC 27 opposite Elias Garcia in 2014 in his first foray into flyweight, winning by unanimous decision but ultimately missing weight for the contest by almost two pounds.
Undefeated at 6-0, Cejudo was proving to be a force on the regional scene, a force that the UFC recognized and signed on to compete at UFC on Fox 13, where the unblemished prospect faced Dustin Kimura, returning back to bantamweight. Capitalizing on his freshman trip to the fabled Octagon, Cejudo won his promotional debut by unanimous decision. Moving back down to 125-lb, he followed up this performance by taking his next three tilts in a row, with the biggest victory in this stretch of dominance coming against Brazilian standout Jussier Formiga.
Vying for the championship and becoming a coach
Rocketing up the flyweight rankings in such a short time, Cejudo found himself contending for his first UFC title when he squared off with one of the greatest fighters to ever do it, Demetrious Johnson. As stellar as he had been in his run toward the strap, the skilled Johnson ended up being too much for the lesser experienced Cejudo. Falling victim to a barrage of knees to the mid section in the first round, “The Messenger” was quickly finished by TKO, resulting in his first defeat in MMA.
In the aftermath of the Johnson setback, Cejudo was selected as a coach on the 24th season of The Ultimate Fighter, which would award a title shot against his previous opponent, Johnson. Featuring a cast of flyweight champions from all over the globe, Cejudo was billed to battle opposing coach Joseph Benavidez at the end of the show. The pair eventually collided at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, where Benavidez took home a competitive split decision win to hand Cejudo his second defeat in a row.
Johnson runback and becoming a UFC champion
Now on the first losing skid of his career, Cejudo spent the entirety of 2017 working himself back into a championship opportunity, picking up two consecutive triumphs over Wilson Reis and future Bellator star Sergio Pettis. These two victories brought Cejudo back to the forefront of the title picture, earning another chance at Johnson at UFC 227 in 2018. Looking far more comfortable and confident in his rematch with “Mighty Mouse,” Cejudo proceeded to give the 11-time defending Johnson the toughest test of his championship reign, outgrappling him and delivering some solid blows. In the end, it came down to the scorecards, and by the slimmest of margins, Cejudo exacted his revenge by dethroning Johnson by split decision to become the new flyweight king.
In the first defense of his 125-lb strap, Cejudo was tasked with overcoming UFC Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw at UFC on ESPN+ 1, who was moving down in an attempt to capture a second belt. Despite the height disadvantage, Cejudo absolutely blasted the invading Dillashaw, lighting him up with hard shots to the 135-lb apex, including a bludgeoning head kick. In just 32 seconds, Cejudo crushed his challenger, knocking out Dillashaw in mind-boggling fashion to retain his belt.
Attaining two-divisional champion station
Not content with staying in his lane, the flyweight champion took a page out of his last foe’s book and also moved up in weight, vying for the vacant bantamweight strap versus Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 after Dillashaw was suspended due to testing positive for EPO. Initially, Cejudo was overwhelmed by the imposing Moraes, having no apparent answer for the Brazilian’s impeccable striking game in the early rounds. However, showcasing his excellent ability to adapt, Cejudo began to take over in round three, pelting Moraes with stiff punches. With only nine seconds left in the round, “The Messenger” brought down his adversary with even more pinpoint strikes, claiming the bantamweight championship and his place in combat sports history.
For his next trip to the cage, Cejudo opted to vacate his flyweight belt in order to pursue a career at 135-lb. Making his first appearance as the newly-annointed bantamweight king, he clashed with divisional great Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in 2020. Utilizing a series of leg kicks to throw off the legendary footwork of the California native, Cejudo eventually found his mark in the second round, flooring Cruz with knees and punches to retain his strap. Making easy work of the consensus best bantamweight of all time, many thought Cejudo was gearing up for a massive run as champion. However, the Olympic gold medalist shocked the MMA world by announcing his retirement, citing a desire to become a real estate agent and spend more time with his family.
Return and feud with Serra-Longo Fight Team
Spending three years on the sideline, Cejudo had been linked to several high-profile bouts, but nothing ever materialized. That was until it was officially announced that he was going to return from retirement to compete against then reigning bantamweight apex Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in 2023. Even after being gone for so long, Cejudo offered up a serious challenge to “Funkmaster,” proving to be his equal in the grappling department and even holding his own in the stand up at points. The fight came down to the wire, which was reflected on the judge’s cards, with Sterling barely eking out the split decision victory.
Still eager to recapture his place as the best 135-lb competitor in the world, Cejudo took a scrap opposite Sterling’s teammate and current UFC bantamweight kingpin, Merab Dvalishvili, at UFC 298. Almost ending the bout in the first round with a hard right to the Georgian’s chin, Cejudo looked to be nearing a spectacular comeback against a man who was riding a nine-fight win streak. However, Dvalishvili wound up surviving the onslaught and began to take over as the contest wore on. Demonstrating his trademark wrestling prowess, the 135-lb contender unleashed a grueling pace on the aging Cejudo, outpacing him enroute to a unanimous decision triumph.
Current status
Having not seen the win column for almost five years, Cejudo now stands at a precarious crossroads in his career. Should he come up short against Song Yadong this weekend, the prospects of another stride toward the championship may all but be gone forever. In what is shaping up to be the most important fight of his late run as a mixed martial artist, Cejudo will need to summon any lasting embers of greatness he has left to inch himself ever closer to championship once again.