Henry Cejudo considers retiring again after his UFC 288 loss to Aljamain Sterling.
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo recently lost to Aljamain Sterling in the UFC 288 event. Following his defeat, Cejudo was uncertain about his future in the UFC and contemplated returning to retirement. He expressed his confusion to Joe Rogan during an interview. Without a gold belt around his waist, Cejudo was unsure of what his future in the UFC would look like, leading him to consider retirement once again.
Cejudo’s loss was by a split decision, and it was a close match. In the Octagon interview, Cejudo admitted that he had been out for a while and Sterling had managed to stay active. Cejudo’s frustration about the lack of matches was apparent as he reflected on his performance. He admired Sterling’s grappling and striking skills and expressed surprise when the decision was announced.
Cejudo, who is popularly known as “Triple C,” retired from the UFC in 2020 after successfully defending his bantamweight title. However, he later hinted at a possible return to the ring when he teased a showdown against current UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno.
The 34-year-old, who won Olympic gold in wrestling at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, has had an impressive professional MMA career. Triple C has a record of 16 wins, three losses, and has won gold in both the flyweight and bantamweight divisions. His short-lived retirement in 2020 already saw him contemplating a return, and it remains to be seen if he will retire for good this time.
Cejudo’s fans will have to wait and see if he decides to return to the ring or bids farewell to the UFC for good. Retirement is a tough decision for athletes, and when they are at the top of their game, they often struggle to walk away from the sport that gave them everything.