TLDR
- Henry Cejudo says UFC 323 against Payton Talbott on December 6, 2025 in Las Vegas will be his final fight
- The former two-division champion has lost three straight fights to Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, and Song Yadong
- Cejudo previously retired in 2020 with both the Flyweight and Bantamweight belts before returning in 2023
- The 38-year-old would only return for a fight against a Mexican opponent, likely Brandon Moreno on Cinco de Mayo
- Cejudo wants to spend more time with his two children and is satisfied with his career achievements
Henry Cejudo announced he will retire from mixed martial arts after his bout against Payton Talbott at UFC 323. The event takes place on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 38-year-old former two-division champion told media at a UFC 323 scrum that this fight will mark the end of his career. “This is it for me, guys,” Cejudo said during the interview.
However, Cejudo left open one possibility for a return. He stated he would only come back for a big fight against another Mexican fighter, referring to Brandon Moreno.
Cejudo wants that potential matchup to happen on a Cinco de Mayo card. He made clear he has no interest in fighting on the UFC White House card.
The Olympic gold medalist first retired in 2020 after defeating Dominick Cruz while holding both the Flyweight and Bantamweight championships. He stayed away from the sport for three years before attempting a comeback in 2023.
His return has not gone according to plan. Cejudo lost a split decision to Aljamain Sterling in his first fight back.
He then suffered consecutive losses to Merab Dvalishvili and Song Yadong. The fight against Yadong ended in disaster when Cejudo was poked in the eye.
The eye injury was severe enough that the bout went to the scorecards after only three rounds. This gave Cejudo his third straight loss.
Family Priorities Drive Retirement Decision
Cejudo explained that his decision stems from wanting more time with his family. “I have a couple kids that want to play with their Dad 24/7,” he said.
The fighter has been competing at the highest level since age 11. He expressed satisfaction with his accomplishments in wrestling and MMA.
Cejudo won two Olympic gold medals before transitioning to mixed martial arts. Between 2017 and 2020, he enjoyed a legendary run in the UFC.
He captured the flyweight title by defeating Demetrious Johnson. Cejudo then defended that belt three times before moving up to bantamweight.
At bantamweight, he defeated Cruz to claim his second UFC championship. He held both titles simultaneously before his first retirement.
Final Fight Against Rising Prospect
Cejudo enters his fight against Talbott as an underdog. Talbott is a younger, rising prospect in the bantamweight division.
The two fighters have a connection beyond their upcoming bout. Talbott traveled to Arizona to train with Cejudo for several days.
“He came out to be mentored by me for a couple of days, coming out to Arizona,” Cejudo said. “So, that says a lot about him.”
When asked about his final fight, Cejudo said he wants to compete at his best. He was unable to do so in his last appearance against Yadong.
“It’s not about anything else, but giving what I have, and what wasn’t given to me in my last fight,” Cejudo explained. He wants a fair opportunity to perform regardless of the outcome.
The fight card takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 6, 2025.
