Former two-division UFC champion and self-proclaimed king of cringe, Henry Cejudo, ended his career this past weekend at UFC 323 after dropping a unanimous decision to rising contender Payton Talbott inside T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
Cejudo was transported to the hospital afterwards for precautionary checks, but the bigger headline remains: the legend has closed the book on an iconic run.
On Monday, Cejudo took to social media to reflect on his final performance, and in true Triple C fashion, he kept it honest, emotional, and a little dramatic.
“Well that’s not exactly how I envisioned the fight playing out – but it wasn’t the worst ending either,” Cejudo wrote. “The streets are saying I went out in a blaze of glory and after those last 10 seconds I’d have to agree. I gave it everything I had.
“Thank you UFC for giving me this life and the ability to extend my athletic career beyond wrestling. I can confidently say I accomplished everything I set out to when I stepped into the octagon in the gold shorts all those years ago.
“Thank you to my team. Coaches, teammates, management, and most of all my family. You are the reason I was able to go out there and give this game my very best. I never did it for a paycheck – I did it for you #UFC323”
Cejudo leaves the sport with a 16–6 record and on a four-fight skid, but context matters. Every loss came against elite opposition, including former champions. His greatness remains untouched.
This is the same man who snapped Demetrious Johnson’s historic flyweight reign, folded T.J. Dillashaw in 32 seconds, claimed a second belt against Marlon Moraes, and stopped Dominick Cruz before his first shocking retirement. Cringe or not, he saved the flyweight division and dominated at the highest level.
“One last shoutout to the man that made all of this possible. Thank you, Dana for building this sport into what it is and positively impacting hundreds of millions of lives across the planet. You turned nothing into something and deserve all of the respect in the world. Glad I could put on one last war for this company,” Cejudo added.
Love him or hate him, Cejudo made history every time he stepped in the cage. Triple C walks away with gold, glory, and a legacy cemented forever.
