Cejudo Linked With A Boxing Bout

Henry Cejudo is considering a move to boxing — and the conversations are already underway.

The Olympic gold medalist and former UFC two-division champion's manager has confirmed that talks are in progress for a professional boxing debut, representing a significant change of direction for a fighter who had been expected to return to Real American Freestyle competition following an injury-enforced absence.

Cejudo retired from MMA at UFC 323 in December 2025 after a four-fight losing streak since his 2023 comeback derailed what had once looked like a second act in the sport. He transitioned to RAF and showed enough in his debut to suggest the competitive instinct remained intact, defeating Urijah Faber via technical fall at RAF 06 in February. A planned April return against former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was scrapped after injury intervened.

The boxing conversation appears to have emerged from that period of enforced inactivity. At 37, with his MMA career officially closed and his RAF schedule disrupted, a new sport offers both an outlet and a new chapter for a competitor who has never shown much interest in walking away from competition entirely.

What the debut looks like depends entirely on the opponent and the platform. A carefully selected first opponent on a smaller card is a very different proposition from a marquee crossover event.

The RAF return against Dvalishvili remains unresolved. Whether that fight still happens or is set aside entirely in favour of the boxing path is unclear. What is clear is that Cejudo is not finished competing.