Henry Cejudo

About Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo is a professional mixed martial artist, former Olympic gold medalist, and a freestyle wrestler from the United States. He has held championship titles in two different weight classes simultaneously in the UFC, which is a rare accomplishment. His success in wrestling and MMA has led many to consider him one of the greatest combat athletes of all time. He won his Olympic gold medal in wrestling at the age of 21, making him the youngest American to ever achieve this feat. Throughout his wrestling career, he won several other major titles, including the Pan American Games championship, as well as multiple national and continental championships. Cejudo announced his retirement from professional fighting in May 2020, but in April 2022, he announced that he would be returning to the sport. Despite his retirement, Cejudo's legacy in MMA and wrestling remains significant. His accomplishments have inspired many young athletes to pursue careers in combat sports. He is one of the few fighters in the history of the UFC to have held multiple titles in different weight classes, and his ability to defend both titles has solidified his place as one of the greatest fighters of all time. With his upcoming fight scheduled for May 6, 2023, fans of Cejudo will be eagerly awaiting his return to the octagon to see if he can add to his impressive list of achievements.

Henry Cejudo Early Life & Family Background

Born on February 9th, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, Henry Cejudo is an American of Hispanic descent. Henry Carlos Cejudo is his real name.  He is the second youngest of seven siblings born to Mexican immigrants Jorge Cejudo and Nelly Rico. Due to his father's drug and alcohol abuse, Cejudo's family frequently moved around the Los Angeles area, before fleeing to New Mexico when Cejudo was four years old. His father was later deported when Cejudo was six years old and passed away when he was around 20 years old. The family eventually settled in Maryvale, Phoenix, where they lived in poverty despite his mother working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Cejudo's challenging upbringing was further compounded by the fact that he never slept in his own bed until he was provided one by USA Wrestling while participating in a residency program at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado. Despite the obstacles, Cejudo demonstrated early promise as an athlete, competing as an amateur boxer and winning the annual state Copper Gloves boxing tournament in 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. Today, as of 2023, he celebrates his 36th birthday, reflecting on his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a world-renowned MMA artist and freestyle wrestler, inspiring others with his resilience and determination. Aquarius is his zodiac sign as per his birthdate and he follows Christianity religion. Among his six siblings; Angel Cejudo, Gloria Cejudo, and Alonzo Cejuda are the name of his three siblings.  

For his education, Henry had attended the Coronado High School, a public school in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and the Maryvale High School in Phoenix. In 2010, he joined the Grand Canyon University, a private for-profit Christian university in Phoenix. He graduated from there in 2015 with a degree in theology.

Henry Cejudo MMA Career

Wrestling Career

• Henry Cejudo was 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. Following in his brother's footsteps, Henry also became a four-time champion, winning his freshman and sophomore year titles in Arizona before moving 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. In the same year, he won the Fargo National title in freestyle and claimed the silver medal for the United States of America at the Junior World Championships. 
• From 2005 to 2007, Cejudo made his senior-level debut at the Sunkist Open and earned impressive victories over accomplished wrestlers such as Jason Powell and Tanner Gardner. He won the US National Championship at 55 kilograms, becoming the first high schooler to do so since the organization's establishment in 1983.
• Although he lost the best-of-three finals to Sammie Henson at the US World Team Trials, he quickly bounced back with a Pan-American title. 
• In 2007, he captured a bronze medal at the World Cup and won his second US National title by defeating Nick Simmons and Vic Moreno. He also earned his second Pan American title before making the US World Team and competing at the World Championships, where he was eliminated in the opening round and placed 31st.
• In 2008, Henry Cejudo had the most successful year of his freestyle wrestling career. He started off by winning a Pan American title in March but failed to secure his third consecutive US National title. However, he redeemed himself by earning a spot in the US Olympic Team after a hard-fought series with 04' Olympic Silver medalist Stephen Abas. 
• At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Cejudo won his opening bout against the 06' World Champion, Radoslav Velikov, and went on to defeat Besarion Gochashvili and Namig Sevdimov. In the finale, he faced Tomohiro Matsunaga and won the first and second periods to become the youngest American to win Olympic Gold in wrestling history at age 21. He then took a break from his freestyle wrestling career.
• After taking a break from wrestling, Cejudo made a comeback in 2011, winning a Sunkist Open title and a silver medal from the Henri Deglane Challenge. 
• At the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials, he was defeated by Nick Simmons and retired from wrestling, putting his shoes in the middle of the mat. Despite retiring, he made a brief return to wrestling in 2015, where he lost to Tony Ramos. 
• In 2018, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member. Although he flirted with the idea of making another Olympic run in 2016, he ultimately did not pursue it.

Mixed martial arts career

• In January 2013, Henry Cejudo made public his plan to start training for a career in MMA, according to his Twitter page. Although he wrestled at 121 pounds, he fought at 135 pounds in his first MMA bout, which he won by TKO due to punches against Michael Poe for the Arizona-based World Fighting Federation on March 2, 2013. 
• Cejudo went on to win six more fights, three of which were TKO victories, one was by submission, and two were by decision, over the next year. Before joining the UFC, he was recognized as the top-ranked bantamweight prospect in the MMA Prospects Report 2013.
• Cejudo joined the UFC on July 25, 2014, becoming the third Olympic gold medalist wrestler in the company's history. His first scheduled fight was supposed to be against Scott Jorgensen on August 30, 2014, at UFC 177, but Cejudo had to withdraw due to medical issues on the day of the weigh-ins. Following this and his history of missing weight, Dana White stated that Cejudo had to move up to bantamweight or leave the UFC. 
• He eventually made his UFC debut against Dustin Kimura on December 13, 2014, at UFC on Fox 13, winning the fight by unanimous decision. He then went on to defeat Chris Cariaso at UFC 185 on March 14, 2015, and Chico Camus at UFC 188 on June 13, 2015, both by unanimous decision.
• Cejudo was initially expected to face Joseph Benavidez at UFC 191 on September 5, 2015, but the fight did not take place at the event. Instead, he fought Jussier Formiga on November 21, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 2 Finale, winning the fight by split decision. 
• After this, Cejudo announced that he would refuse to fight in Nevada due to the Nevada State Athletic Commission's suspension and fine of Nick Diaz following a failed drug test at UFC 182. However, he ended his Nevada boycott to face UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson on April 23, 2016, at UFC 197 for the Flyweight title. Cejudo lost the fight via TKO in the first round, being dropped with a variety of strikes.
• In May 2016, Cejudo was announced as one of the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 24, opposite Joseph Benavidez. They faced each other on December 3, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, which Cejudo lost by split decision. 
• He was expected to face Sergio Pettis on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211, but he pulled out of the fight with a hand injury. Cejudo returned to the octagon on September 9, 2017, at UFC 215, where he won via TKO in the second round against Wilson Reis, earning his first Performance of the Night bonus. 
• He then faced Pettis on December 2, 2017, at UFC 218 and won by unanimous decision.
• In August 2018, Henry won the UFC Flyweight Championship in a rematch against Demetrious Johnson via split decision to become the UFC's second Flyweight champion and first Olympic gold medalist to capture UFC gold. 
• He defended his title for the first time against T.J. Dillashaw in January 2019, winning via TKO in the first round. Later in June, he won the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship against Marlon Moraes via TKO in the third round, making him the fourth fighter to hold championships simultaneously in two weight divisions in UFC. 
• In December 2019, Cejudo relinquished his Flyweight title in order to focus on the bantamweight division. 
• He retired from professional fighting after his win against Dominick Cruz in May 2020 at UFC 249, where he won via technical knockout in the second round. However, there was skepticism regarding his announcement, as some believed it was a contract negotiation ploy. The UFC officially vacated the UFC Bantamweight Title and removed his name from their rankings based on his retirement announcement.
• Henry Cejudo made a comeback to the octagon after a hiatus of almost three years to fight Aljamain Sterling, nicknamed as 'Funk Master', for the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 288 held on May 6, 2023. Unfortunately, Cejudo lost the closely contested fight through a split decision. 
• Henry Cejudo, along with MMA fighters Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort, made an appearance on the May 27, 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite to support Mike Tyson in confronting members of Chris Jericho's Inner Circle. 
• Two months later, Cejudo revealed that he was in talks with AEW about signing a contract while also considering competing in amateur wrestling. 
• In September 2020, Cejudo's manager Ali Abdelaziz, fellow fighters Justin Gaethje and Colby Covington, and UFC President Dana White, all joined him at a rally for President Donald Trump.
• His professional mixed martial arts record is 16 wins and 3 losses, with 8 wins by knockout and 8 wins by decision. 

Henry Cejudo Awards and Achievements

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

• UFC Bantamweight Championship (One time)
• One successful title defense
• UFC Flyweight Championship (One time)
• One successful title defense
• Seventh multi-divisional champion in UFC history
• Fourth simultaneous multi-divisional champion
• Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Demetrious Johnson 
• Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Wilson Reis, T.J. Dillashaw, and Marlon Moraes 

MMAjunkie

• 2018 Upset of the Year vs. Demetrious Johnson 
• 2019 June Fight of the Month vs. Marlon Moraes 

MMA Fighting

• 2018 Upset of the Year vs. Demetrious Johnson 

MMA Weekly

• 2018 Upset of the Year vs. Demetrious Johnson 

MMADNA.nl

• 2018 Upset of the Year 

Freestyle wrestling

• National Wrestling Hall Of Fame 2018 inductee
• 2018 inductee Distinguished member

2011

• 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Henri Deglane Challenge
• 1st place, gold medalist(s) Sunkist Kids International Open

2008

• 1st place, gold medalist(s) Summer Olympics (55 kg)
• 1st place, gold medalist(s) Pan American Championships (55 kg)
• 1st place, gold medalist(s) US Olympic Team Trials (55 kg)
• 2nd place, silver medalist(s) U.S Senior National Championship (55 kg)
• John Smith Award winner 

2007

• 1st place, gold medalist(s) Pan American Games (55 kg)
• 1st place, gold medalist(s) Pan American Championships
• 1st place, gold medalist(s) US World Team Trials (55 kg)
• 1st place, gold medalist(s) U.S Senior National Championship (55 kg)

2006

• 1st place, gold medalist(s) Pan American Championships
• 2nd place, silver medalist(s) US World Team Trials (55 kg)
• 1st place, gold medalist(s) U.S Senior National Championship (55 kg)

Henry Cejudo Married and Wife

Henry Cejudo is a devoted husband to his wife, Ana Karolina. The couple got married on September 16, 2021, in a beautiful ceremony held in Arizona. Ana Karolina is a well-known model and Instagram influencer who collaborates with several popular brands and businesses, including Wella Professionals Brasil, Sebastian Professional Brazil, and NIOXIN. Despite her busy schedule, Ana Karolina is a supportive partner to Henry, attending many of his fights and cheering him on from the sidelines. The couple shares a deep love and respect for each other, and their relationship has become a source of inspiration for many of their fans.

Henry Cejudo and Ana Karolina announced their relationship in November 2020, and just a few months later, they announced their engagement. The couple welcomed their daughter, America Maria, into the world in November 2021, cementing their bond as a family. They reside in Arizona, where they prioritize their family life and spend quality time with their loved ones. With the support of his wife and family, Henry Cejudo continues to excel in his career and inspire fans around the world with his talent and dedication to his craft.

Henry Cejudo Net Worth

Henry Cejudo is a highly accomplished MMA fighter with an estimated net worth of $2 million in 2023. This impressive net worth is largely due to his successful career in combat sports, which has earned him numerous championship titles and high-profile fights in the UFC. In addition to his income from fighting, Cejudo also earns a significant amount of money from endorsements, with several top brands vying to partner with him. Despite his impressive earnings, Cejudo is known for his modest lifestyle and is not known to flaunt his wealth.

As one of the most talented fighters in the UFC, Henry Cejudo's annual salary is in the thousands of dollars, with each fight earning him a substantial amount of money. While his net worth is still considered relatively modest compared to other top athletes, it is a testament to his dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to his craft. As he continues to build his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the world, there is no doubt that Cejudo's net worth will continue to grow in the years to come.

Henry Cejudo Height & Weight

Henry Cejudo is a highly skilled mixed martial artist known for his exceptional talents in the octagon. Standing at a height of 5 feet 4 inches, he is relatively small compared to many of his opponents. However, his impressive physical attributes, including his lean physique and muscular build, have helped him become a dominant force in his field. His body weight consist of 57 KG. Additionally, his piercing dark brown eyes and black hair complement his overall appearance, making him a striking figure both inside and outside of the ring. He maintains his body a lot by doing frequent exercise and he has got a healthy body as of now.