‘Worst retirement’ debated as Henry Cejudo’s 2020 decision pains MMA fans ahead of UFC Seattle

UFC legend Henry Cejudo's retirement back in 2020 followed by another comeback in 2023 created a lot of discourse in the MMA community.

‘Worst retirement’ debated as Henry Cejudo’s 2020 decision pains MMA fans ahead of UFC Seattle

Henry Cejudo's UFC retirement and comeback (via Imago)

Henry Cejudo was unstoppable and managed to become a two-division champion in the prime of his career. However, his shocking announcement regarding retirement caught fans off guard. After three years, ‘Triple C’ tried to come back, but it didn’t go as planned at all. 

At UFC 249, Cejudo beat Dominick Cruz via TKO to defend his bantamweight title. After that, he vacated the title citing that he had achieved everything that the sport had to offer him. According to Cejudo, leaving the sport on the top in 2020, and on his own terms added to his legacy. 

YouTube video

In the past, the sport has seen other fighters like former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov doing the same. Apart from that, Cejudo had been fighting at the top for years, and wanted to focus on his family and kids. However, there are various theories surrounding retirement that assume that it was a negotiation tactic.

It was speculated that the American fighter deliberately left UFC for a better pay and increase his bargaining power against the promotion. However, it backfired as CEO Dana White didn’t like this at all. In return, he made it very hard for the ‘King of Cringe’ to make his UFC comeback.

Fight fans react to Henry Cejudo’s bizarre retirement and comeback saga 

Throughout his retirement, Henry Cejudo started developing his online presence through social media and YouTube. Other than reviewing fights, the American fighter made sure to drop hints about a comeback. He even tried to create rivalries with top fighters for a potential grudge fight.

Henry Cejudo loses to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298
Henry Cejudo loses to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 (via X)

Finally, at UFC 288, Cejudo got the opportunity to fight Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title, which he lost via split decision. After that, he got humiliated by the current champion Merab Dvalishvili, which questioned his status as a top competitor.

There are fight fans who debated over Cejudo’s retirement arc. Some felt it was Nurmagomedov, who had a far worse retirement, missing out a much more greater legacy. Others pointed towards Tony Ferguson, who semi-retired only to go to the GFL. Check out some of the best reactions: 

Currently, Henry Cejudo is scheduled to headline the main event of  UFC Seattle in which he will face Song Yadong. Cejudo is confident about his comeback and has talked about his last title run in the promotion. It would be interesting to see how the fighter manages to perform in a do-or-die fight.

Related: Henry Cejudo’s wife: Who is Ana Karolina and how did she meet the UFC superstar?