“Triple C” out!
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) two-division champion and certified king of cringe, Henry Cejudo, suffered a unanimous decision loss to rising prospect Payton Talbott in his retirement fight at UFC 323 this past weekend (Sat., Dec. 6, 2025) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The former “champ-champ” was also transported to the hospital afterward for precautionary reasons
.Indeed, Cejudo has officially retired — for real this time — and received a nice sendoff package
from the promotion to cap his legendary career. Today, Cejudo posted on social media to reflect on his final fight, which honestly turned out to be tremendously fun.
“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
Onto the next chapter. Triple C is OUT.”
Cejudo (16-6) leaves the sport on a four-fight skid, having not won since returning from his first retirement — though, in fairness, all of those losses came against elite competition, including two former champions.
And while things ended the way they often do in MMA — rough — there’s no denying Cejudo’s greatness. He’s an all-time talent and a guaranteed future UFC Hall of Famer.
He was the first Flyweight to defeat Demetrious Johnson, stopping his historic reign to capture the title (watch highlights) and then defending it against T.J. Dillashaw in 32 seconds (watch highlights). The Olympic gold medalist later claimed a second belt by stopping Marlon Moraes and then defended it against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 before shocking everyone with his first sudden retirement.
Sure, he was cringe, corny, and loved every second of it — but it doesn’t change the fact that he single-handedly saved the Flyweight division and, at his peak, was one of the best fighters on the planet.
So long, Henry Cejudo — and thanks for the memories.
