Henry Cejudo’s four-fight second UFC run will end winless, as Payton Talbott managed to take a victory in Cejudo’s swan song at UFC 323.
Talbott managed to get the better of Cejudo in the first round, connecting on the more effective strikes while taking advantage of an aggressive Cejudo. Talbott even scored a pair of takedowns on Cejudo during the opening frame.
The former champion was clipped early in the second round, getting knocked down. Cejudo, however, swept for a reversal and got into top position. Talbott got back to his feet with about 90 seconds left in the round, throwing a flurry that included body shots that impacted Cejudo. Cejudo fought back with a wild flurry of his own, even though he was briefly dropped.
While Cejudo got top control again in the third, Talbott continued to fight his fight and land more shots to the body, going on to claim the unanimous decision win.
Payton Talbott Retires Henry Cejudo, Scores Decision Win At UFC 323
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Talbott not only gets the biggest win of his career, but he’s now won two straight since suffering his first career loss at UFC 311 earlier this year.
Cejudo, who debuted in MMA in 2013, made his UFC debut in December 2014, going on to be a key figure in the UFC’s flyweight division. After unsuccessfully challenging Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197 for the flyweight title, Cejudo defeated “Mighty Mouse” in their UFC 227 rematch.
Cejudo then claimed the bantamweight championship at UFC 238 to become the UFC’s fourth champ-champ. He’d initially retire after retaining the bantamweight title over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 but unretired in 2023, going 0-4, including tonight’s loss to Talbott, as well as an unsuccessful, controversial bantamweight title fight with Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288.
