Overview
- Following a decision defeat to Payton Talbott at UFC 323, Cejudo confirmed his exit from MMA and signed off with, “Onto the next chapter. Triple C is OUT!”
- Cejudo’s Instagram message thanked the UFC, his coaches, teammates, management and family, and he publicly praised Dana White for building the sport.
- Coverage notes Cejudo’s legacy as a two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist, with a reported final record of 16-6 and a four-fight skid to close his career.
- Talbott told Ariel Helwani that Cejudo’s calf kicks blunted his explosiveness, and he joked that a botched celebratory butterfly twist left the worst mark on his face.
- The mentor-to-contender dynamic featured prominently, as Talbott said Cejudo’s post-fight praise nearly brought him to tears; one outlet reported Talbott landed 134 significant strikes and scored a knockdown.