Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo Wrestling
MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS
High School:
- 1st Place AIA Arizona State Championship (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006)
- 1st Place Fargo Nationals (2006)
Freestyle:
- 1st Place Summer Olympics (2008)
- 1st Place Pan American Championships (2006, 2008)
- 1st Place US Olympic Team Trials (2008)
- 1st Place US Senior National Championship (2006, 2007, 2008)
- 1st Place Pan American Games (2007)
- 1st Place Pan American Championships (2007)
- 1st Place US World Team Trials (2006, 2007)
Weight (wrestling):
- 55 kg
Team (wrestling):
- Coronado High School
Henry Cejudo Biography
Henry Cejudo was born on February 9, 1987, in Los Angeles, California, United States, he is the son of Mexican immigrants - Jorge Cejudo and Nelly Rico.
Henry's early childhood was far from normal. His father, Jorge, was an alcoholic and an abusive figure whose behavior led Cejudo's mother to constantly move residence with her children in trying to flee Jorge's behavior.
When Henry was 6 years old, his mother settled in Phoenix, Arizona, after which, Jorge was finally deported from the US for his wrongdoings, giving a semblance of peace and stability to Cejudo household, albeit, one with serious financial dificulties.
Wrestling appeared in Henry's life as an escape from the troubles of day-to-day life, a sport he started by the influence of his older brother Angel Cejudo - a high school wrestler who was undefeated in Arizona, with four (4) AIA state titles and who went on to compete in freestyle, internationally.
Following the footsteps of Angel, Henry also became a four-time Arizona state champion during high school, after which he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to become a resident athlete at the United States Olympic Training Center. This way opting to pursue an international career rather than competing in the collegiate circuit.
In October 2005, 18-year-old Cejudo made his senior-level debut at the Sunkist Open, earning highly praised wins over NCAA champion Jason Powell and three-time All-American Tanner Gardner. The following year Henry won the US National Championship at 55 kilograms, then becoming the first high schooler to qualify for the US World Team Trials since the organization (USAW) was established in 1983.
With a rampant career in the senior circuit, Cejudo made it all the way to the 2008 Summer Olympics, a tournament he won, making Henry the youngest American to win Olympic Gold in wrestling history (21). A record he held for 8 years, until 2016 when it was broken by Kyle Snyder (20).
After 2008 Henry Cejudo took a break from the sport, making fewer appearances in competitive wrestling before announcing his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut in 2013. In 10 months, the American natural born fighter amassed 7 wins in the cage as a professional, making his way to the UFC - MMA's most prestigious promotion.
Competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Henry Cejudo quickly became one of the flyweight division's title challengers, conquering the belt in August 2018 against Demetrious Johnson - who had held the title for 12 straight fights and was regarded by many as the Pound 4 Pound best competitor in the sport.
Cejudo defended the UFC flyweight title against T.J. Dillashaw on January 19, 2019, going on to challenge the bantamweight division next, in June that year against Marlon Moraes, then becoming a 2 weight-class champ. Cejudo successfully defended the bantamweight title in May 2020 against Dominick Cruz and announced his retirement from MMA, ending one of the most successful careers in the history of combat sports.
Henry Cejudo Double Leg Finish Tutorial