Long before he became an Olympic gold medalist and two-division UFC champion, Henry Cejudo was a young kid navigating through the struggles and challenges of west Phoenix.
Growing up in Arizona, Cejudo attended 13 different schools that molded him into the person he is today and helped shape a disciplined mindset that still drives him.
Cejudo grew up in Phoenix’s Maryvale area, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with nearly a fifth of the residents living below the poverty line. He is a first generation American raised by an immigrant mother, Nelly Rico, who helped shape his path.
“Coming out of Maryvale, man, it’s not your typical neighborhood,” said Cejudo, who is preparing to face Payton Talbott (10-1) at UFC 323 on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas. “You know, you got to be from there to understand.”
He credits a huge part of his early success to his older brother, Angel Cejudo, who is a wrestling coach for Fight Ready MMA and a four-time state wrestling champion at Maryvale High School.
“He’s a hero, man,” Cejudo said. “He introduced me to the sport, showed me the way that everything is in the sport, you know, being courageous. … Angel, even until today, man, he’s the guy that I look up to more than anybody.”
After winning a pair of state championships at Maryvale High School, Henry was given the opportunity to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado alongside Angel.
The decision paid off. Henry, at 21, became the youngest Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history at the time when he defeated Japan’s Tomohiro Matsunaga to capture the freestyle gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
He is also the youngest distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame after his induction in 2018 at age 31.
After numerous accolades in wrestling, Henry took a three-year break and then made the transition to mixed martial arts. He won his pro debut on March 2, 2013, in Tucson, fighting in the World Fighting Federation.
In just his third career fight on April 19, 2013, Cejudo won the vacant World Fighting Federation bantamweight championship at the Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler.
Cejudo took pride fighting in his home state of Arizona, especially early in his MMA career.
“Arizona is home, dude, so I’m getting a chance to fight here in front of all my loved ones,” he said. “I’ve had hundreds of people show up to my fights … from families and friends. It’s just cool, man, to see a product to become the best in the world, to come out of this city. To me, it’s special.”
His MMA career has taken off since his early professional fights in Arizona as Cejudo now has a 16-5 record and is one of the 11 fighters in UFC history to win a championship in two different weight classes.
The former flyweight and bantamweight UFC champion adopted the nickname, “Triple C,” to highlight his three championships, one in the Olympics and two in the UFC ranks.
His Dec. 6 fight is surrounded by intrigue as the two fighters have conflicting styles and Talbott is 11 years younger than Cejudo, 38.
With the end of his career approaching, Cejudo is eager to take on the challenge.
“A real fighter fights anybody, anytime, anywhere,” Cejudo said. “I’ll take on any challenges. That’s what the UFC wanted. Their plan’s to build somebody, because I’m on my way out. And my plan is to spoil the party.”
With his MMA career winding down, Cejudo emphasized how the next chapter of his life will be even busier and filled with more business endeavors. He plans to get into real estate, work on social content and spend more time with family.
Part of that next chapter also includes giving back to the wrestling community in Arizona. Cejudo hopes to spend more time helping out his brother Angel, who’s also the coach at Valiant College Preparatory, an accredited 6th-12th grade private academy for wrestlers that draws athletes from across the country.
“I want to hop in the wrestling community a lot more often with my brother,” Cejudo said. “Out at Valiant College Prep on 32nd Street and Van Buren. … I’ll probably be busier than ever because now it’s just business, strictly business.”
Cejudo’s producer, Dylan Rush, said the workload hasn’t slowed down, even as Cejudo reaches the tail end of his fighting career.
“It’s crazy, it’s like two different lives,” Rush said. “Because one, it’s fight camp. When we’re in fight camp, we’re not traveling, we’re at the gym everyday. … But when he’s not in camp, like after this last fight, we travel all the time.”
As Cejudo prepares for his upcoming fight, his legacy in Arizona is already cemented. It’s not just through championship medals and belts, but the blueprint he hopes to leave behind.
“Follow your own path,” Cejudo said, relaying his message. “You could be big, tall, short, fat, but when you have the ability, man, you recognize those strengths.
“It could take you to places that you never thought were possible.”
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