Henry Carlos Cejudo, born on February 9, 1987, is an American former professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He is renowned for his accomplishments in both wrestling and MMA, making him a celebrated figure in combat sports.
Wrestling Career: An Olympic Champion
Cejudo's wrestling career is marked by significant achievements. He competed at 55 kilograms and, at the time, became the youngest American Olympic gold medalist in wrestling history by winning the 2008 Summer Olympics at age 21.
When Cejudo was four, his mother fled to New Mexico with her children before his father, who was jailed after threatening to kill his whole family and subsequently getting into an altercation in the street, was released. His father was deported when Cejudo was six years old and died when Cejudo was about 20 years old. After a couple of years in New Mexico, the family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. Inspired by his older brother Angel Cejudo, who was an undefeated four-time AIA wrestling state champion with a record of 150 wins and zero defeats who represented the United States internationally, Henry also became a four-timer. His freshman and sophomore year titles were won in Arizona, before he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to become a resident athlete at the United States Olympic Training Center. He won the Colorado state championships (CHSAA) as a junior and senior, and was named ASICS "National High School Wrestler of the Year" in 2006.
Cejudo made his senior level debut on October 23, 2005, at the Sunkist Open, at the age of 18. He earned notable victories over NCAA champion Jason Powell and three-time All-American Tanner Gardner before finishing fifth. On April 15, 2006, he won the US National Championship at 55 kilograms, qualifying for the US World Team Trials and becoming the first high schooler to do so since the organization (USAW) was established as the sport's governing body in 1983. At the World Team Trials, he defeated an eventual accomplished wrestler in Franklin Gómez in the opening match of the Challenge Tournament before making it to the best-of-three finals.
Cejudo started off the most successful year of his freestyle career in March 2, with a Pan American title. He failed to secure his third consecutive US National title after he was pinned by Matt Azevedo, not before defeating recent All-American Obe Blanc. At the US Olympic Team Trials, he started off by comfortably downing two opponents to make it to the best-of-three. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Cejudo opened up with a win over Radoslav Velikov, the 06' World Champion; after losing the first period 0-1, he bounced back with 3-2 and 4-3 periods. In the next round, he faced Besarion Gochashvili from Georgia; the same results as his opening bout popped up, after losing the first period 1-3, he came back with scores of 3-2 and 3-0 to defeat Gochashvili. He then wrestled Azerbaijan's Namig Sevdimov, whom he took out after once again losing the first period (3-5) and winning the next two (3-2, 4-3).
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At the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials, Cejudo downed Obe Blanc before being defeated by the top-seed Nick Simmons, failing to make his second US Olympic Team. While already an undefeated MMA prospect, Cejudo made a brief return to the sport at the "Agon V: Iowa against the World" event by wrestling Tony Ramos (who would go on to win the US Open weeks later) on April 4, 2015, weeks after his win over Chris Cariaso at UFC 185.
Transition to MMA and UFC Success
Over the next year, Cejudo amassed a record of 6-0 with three wins by TKO, one by submission, and two by decision. Cejudo was briefly linked to a bout against former title challenger Joseph Benavidez on September 5, 2015, at UFC 191. However, the fight did not take place at the event. On September 16, 2015, Cejudo announced that he would refuse to fight in Nevada after the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended and fined Nick Diaz following a failed drug test at UFC 182.
In May 2016, the UFC announced that Cejudo would be one of the coaches, opposite Joseph Benavidez on The Ultimate Fighter 24. In the first defense of his UFC Flyweight Championship, Cejudo was initially scheduled to face UFC Bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw on January 26, 2019, at UFC 233. However, after that pay-per-view event was canceled, the fight was moved a week earlier to headline UFC Fight Night 143 on January 19, 2019. It was the first title fight to showcase the new UFC legacy belt.
Cejudo was scheduled to face José Aldo on May 9, 2020 at UFC 250. However, Aldo pulled out on April 8 due to visa issues. Cejudo faced Song Yadong in the main event on February 22, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 252. An accidental eyepoke by Song at the beginning of the fourth round rendered Cejudo unable to continue. In his second retirement fight, Cejudo faced Payton Talbott on December 6, 2025 at UFC 323. He lost the fight via decision and announced his second retirement afterwards.
Cejudo made an appearance on the May 27, 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite alongside fellow MMA fighters Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort to support Mike Tyson in confronting members of Chris Jericho's Inner Circle.
Read also: Scottish wrestler John Henry
Double Champ Status
He last competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Flyweight Champion and Bantamweight Champion. Cejudo is the fourth UFC fighter to hold titles in two different weight classes simultaneously, and the second to defend titles in two different weight divisions. Henry Cejudo defeated Marlon Moraes on Saturday to become the latest double champ. Cejudo accomplished the feat on an injured ankle he suffered during open workouts leading up to the fight.
Henry Cejudo's accomplishments include:
- Won the UFC Flyweight Championship.
- Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship.
- Won the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship.
- Defended the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
He has also received several awards and nominations, including:
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Wilson Reis
- Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. T.J. Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes
- President's Choice Performance of the Year Nominee vs. Marlon Moraes, President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee vs. Marlon Moraes & Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Nominee vs. T.J. Dillashaw
- Ranked #4 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #4 Upset of the Year vs. T.J. Dillashaw
- Top 10 Fighter of the Year, Ranked #3 Upset of the Year vs. T.J. Dillashaw & Ranked #6 Fight of the Year vs. Marlon Moraes
- Upset of the Year vs. T.J. Dillashaw
Gold Medal Wrestling Techniques
Grapplers who are just starting off may view takedowns as simply singular moves. This is understandable, especially if you are just learning how to hit moves like the single leg or the double leg and you are overwhelmed by the giant moveset combat sports contains. Takedowns are not meant to be a “one and done” move. After all, the match isn’t stopped in wrestling or jiu-jitsu just by hitting a takedown (unless it’s an overtime period based on scoring the first point). You need to know how to follow up on the takedown for your given objective.
This concept can be illustrated perfectly with a double leg takedown to a turk finish. Before discussing the turk finish, it is important to know how to hit the double leg takedown. Cejudo lowers his stance, drops his lead leg in between his opponent’s legs, and makes contact by wrapping his arms around their legs. While it is not explicitly shown in the video, you can get to this position by clearing the opponent’s hands or hitting a duck under to get below their center of gravity. Cejudo’s finish is not your typical blast double across the mat. Instead, he cuts the corner on his opponent by rotating around the leg opposite of his head.
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As Cejudo emphasizes in the video, the turk is not as simple as just lifting the leg up and threading through after hitting the double leg. Doing so will place you below the opponent’s knee which gives them room to belly down and work for an escape. Cejudo’s solution to this is to lift the outside leg and prop it against his lifted knee. This allows you to make deeper access to your opponent’s thighs and limits the mobility in their joints. He continues by driving forward with the knee and shifting to the other side, which brings the inside leg high above the upper thigh.
While the turk itself is a useful finish after a takedown, it is not the finish to a match. Think of it as the logical part two of a three-part scenario. You can use the turk to hold your opponent in position as you capture back points by draping your arm across the opponent’s shoulder. If you are looking for the pin, you can go under the head and pin your head against their shoulder for a standard headlock pin. The double leg takedown is not the end of the match, only the beginning. Knowing how to follow up with the turk, as shown by Henry Cejudo, is an important feature of dominant wrestling.
With Gold Medal Wrestling By Henry Cejudo you get to see the techniques that helped Henry become one of the BEST combat athletes alive! In the 4 part series you will learn Gold Medal technique and how to DRILL the technique like an Olympian.
Henry Cejudo Teaches Demetrious Johnson "The Inside Trip": Technique Of The Week
Legacy and Future Endeavors
"And I feel like now, with fighting, I'm really good friends with a lot of these legends, and I see that there's a lot of opportunities that they could do where they can make a better living." "I’m getting ready to build my dream home. I'm buying a multi-million-dollar lot. If I wasn't, if I was broke, I wouldn't be able to be in this position. But before he can devote more of his time to help fellow veteran fighters, Cejudo plans on slowing the momentum of a rising young prospect. He’s 10-1, and he’s coming off an impressive win over Felipe Lima at UFC 317 last summer. Talbott has been tipped for big things in the UFC’s bantamweight division. “I know Payton. Payton’s come to my house and we’ve spent time together, but this is the game that I’m in.
Bec Rawlings signs with Bellator. The “Queen of Bare Knuckle,” Bec Rawlings, has signed with Bellator this past week. The former TUF competitor struggled in the Octagon, but saw her popularity blow up in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship promotion. She’s now signed to compete in MMA again under Bellator. “Bec was a great addition to BKFC, we wish her the best in competing in MMA again,” says the BKFC president, Dave Feldman. Khabib’s long-awaited next title defense has finally been announced. Rightfully so, Khabib will take on the interim champ, Dustin Poirier, in a unification bout in Abu Dhabi.
Cejudo is considered by some to be the greatest combat athlete of all time. He embodies the American Dream, rising from humble beginnings to achieve Olympic gold and UFC championships.
