Henry Cejudo Retires After Loss to Payton Talbott

HIGHLIGHTS

• Henry Cejudo retired after a unanimous decision loss to Payton Talbott (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in an entertaining three-round bout
• Dana White promised Cejudo a $50,000 bonus on the spot during an emotional post-fight exchange through the Octagon fence
• Cejudo retires at 16-6 as the only fighter ever to pair a UFC title with an Olympic gold medal

Henry Cejudo’s legendary UFC career came to a close on Saturday night in Las Vegas at UFC 323. The former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion was soundly beaten in an entertaining scrap with rising star Payton Talbott. Cejudo went the distance, but Talbott battered him en route to a clean sweep on all three judges’ scorecards (30-27×3).

Talbott Was Too Big, Young and Skilled

Talbott’s size, youth, and pace were obvious from the start of the fight.

At 27 years old with an 11-year age advantage, Talbott used his reach to pick Cejudo off at range, hurt him early, and consistently won the striking exchanges throughout.

Cejudo had moments. His leg kicks found a home, and he managed some entries and clinches that showed flashes of the wrestling pedigree that made him an Olympic gold medalist. But he struggled to chain takedowns or maintain top position when he got there.

In fact, Talbott showed off much-improved wrestling securing two takedowns against Cejudo.

The story of the fight became a 38-year-old legend absorbing damage and pushing forward against a younger, longer puncher who simply had more in the tank. Even in defeat, Cejudo showed the heart that defined his career—he never stopped coming forward, never stopped trying to find solutions.

In the cage after the final horn, Cejudo told Joe Rogan that Talbott is “the future” and that this was a fitting way to close his career. That kind of grace in defeat speaks to who Cejudo is beyond the persona.

Dana White Gives Cejudo a Special Bonus

The moment that will stick with fans happened immediately after the fight.

Cejudo dropped to his knees, exhausted, and spoke with Dana White through the fence. He half-jokingly asked for “50 Gs”—a reference to the standard Fight of the Night bonus.

While White didn’t grant him a bonus for the fight, per se, he did promise him a bonus on the spot seemingly as a sign of appreciation for his efforts and outstanding career.

That special bonus, separate from the standard post-fight awards, underscored how much the promotion wanted to send him off with visible respect.

It was a good call.

Cejudo’s Legacy

Cejudo retires at 16-6, but that record doesn’t tell the full story.

He remains the only fighter in history to hold both a UFC championship and an Olympic gold medal. His 2008 freestyle wrestling gold in Beijing came at just 21 years old.

His UFC résumé includes beating Demetrious Johnson to end one of the greatest title reigns in MMA history, stopping TJ Dillashaw in under a minute, and capturing the bantamweight title against Marlon Moraes to briefly hold two UFC belts simultaneously.

His final run—losses to Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, Song Yadong, and now Talbott—showed clear physical decline. But that’s the cruel reality of combat sports. Father Time remains undefeated.

Cejudo stressed before UFC 323 that this retirement is “real” and that Dana White would cut him rather than let him unretire again. Given the finality of that statement, this appears to be a true last chapter.

Cejudo’s persona has often turned fans off. He’s been called the King of Cringe and other unsavory titles, but I remember watching his career from the moment he got to the UFC up to now and there is one moment that stood out to me more than any other. I was Octagon side at the United Center when Cejudo took on Moraes at UFC 238 in Chicago. Moraes looked great in the first round and it appeared he might have an edge.

I watched Cejudo turn it up a notch and essentially mow Moraes down after getting off to a fast start. I knew then he was a dog and that fighting spirit was evident throughout his career and in his last UFC fight on Saturday night.

What’s Next for Talbott?

Beating a former double champion over three dominant rounds—while barely 11 UFC fights into his career—pushes Payton Talbott from prospect to ranked threat.

His physical advantages at bantamweight are obvious. The reach, the activity, the willingness to take chances—all of it was on display against Cejudo. Going 15 hard minutes with a legend and shutting him out on the scorecards proves that style can hold up against elite experience.

The scary thing for the bantamweight division is that he appears to be getting better.

Most analysis now frames Talbott as a likely future title challenger if he continues to tighten his takedown defense and fight IQ. The UFC clearly invested in him by giving him this kind of legend-name showcase on a pay-per-view main card. He delivered.

Here is a look at all of the results from Saturday’s card.

UFC 323 Main Card Results

UFC Bantamweight Championship – Fight of the Night Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili (c) – unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

UFC Flyweight Championship Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja (c) – TKO (injury) at 0:26 of round 1

Flyweight Bout Tatsuro Taira def. Brandon Moreno – TKO (ground-and-pound) at 2:24 of round 2

Bantamweight Bout Payton Talbott def. Henry Cejudo – unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Light Heavyweight Bout Jan Błachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov – majority draw (29-28 Błachowicz, 28-28, 28-28)

UFC 323 Prelims Results

Women’s Flyweight Bout Maycee Barber def. Karine Silva – unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Lightweight Bout Fares Ziam def. Nazim Sadykhov – TKO (strikes) at 4:59 of round 2

Catchweight Bout (188 lbs) Brunno Ferreira def. Marvin Vettori – unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Lightweight Bout Jalin Turner def. Edson Barboza – TKO (combination strikes) in round 1

Lightweight Bout – Performance of the Night Manuel Torres def. Grant Dawson – TKO (uppercut to ground-and-pound) at 2:25 of round 1

Lightweight Bout Chris Duncan def. Terrance McKinney – submission (anaconda choke) at 2:30 of round 1

UFC 323 Early Prelims Results

Light Heavyweight Bout – Performance of the Night Iwo Baraniewski def. Ibo Aslan – KO/TKO at 1:29 of round 1

Middleweight Bout Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Antonio Trocoli – submission (standing guillotine) at 1:09 of round 1

Featherweight Bout Mairon Santos def. Muhammad Naimov – TKO (punches) at 0:21 of round 3