The numbers told one story when Henry Cejudo‘s hand wasn’t raised at UFC 323. The Octagon told another. Bloodied, exhausted, and staring down the end of a career that spanned Olympic glory and two-division championship belts, Cejudo didn’t look like a man asking for sympathy. He looked like someone making peace. And in an unscripted moment inside the cage, he spoke to Dana White.

According to multiple reports and footage circulating online, the fighter simply said, “It’s Time… 50Gs.”

The request referenced the $50,000 bonuses handed out for standout performances. Cejudo was lobbying for recognition. And the UFC boss didn’t hesitate. “Hey, I’ll give you $50k anyway,” White replied.

The exchange went viral almost immediately. MMA journalist Adam Martin summed it up on X: “Henry Cejudo asked Dana White if he can get 50k for FOTN. Dana White said he will give Henry 50k anyways. Awesome stuff from the boss. #UFC323.”

In a sport often criticized for its harsh business realities, the moment landed differently. But that was not all.

According to manager Ali Abdelaziz, the promotion paid Cejudo his show money and win money as well. That’s a commendable gesture towards an all-time great.

Cejudo had made his intentions clear days earlier. “This is it for me,” he told reporters heading into UFC 323. Outside of a dream scenario involving another major Mexican superstar, he believed his journey was complete.

According to ‘Triple C’, “I think I’ve done everything at the highest level since I was 11 years old. From cutting weight at that damn time, and there’s just a lot of satisfaction in my life. I’m ready to move onto… I have a couple of kids that want to play with their dad 24/7.”

For a former flyweight and bantamweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, that résumé was airtight. Add in the fact that he was the man to end Demetrious Johnson‘s historic reign atop the flyweight division at UFC 277, and it makes sense why he felt that it was time to walk away.

Cejudo had first retired in 2020 after stopping Dominick Cruz. He came back, chased legacy, fell short, and now left on his own terms, bruised but clear-eyed.

After the fight, cameras even caught him telling White, “It’s time. I just showed it.”

Not bitterness. Not regret. Just acceptance.

Payton Talbott, meanwhile, gained something invaluable. A dominant win over a former two-division champion on a massive stage.

Henry Cejudo gets his wish from Dana White as Payton Talbott retires ‘Triple C’

Against the rising Payton Talbott, Cejudo fought like a man unwilling to coast to the exit. He switched stances early, fired kicks, and chased takedowns despite a clear size disadvantage. Talbott absorbed the pressure, circled smartly, and even turned the wrestling tables with an inside trip takedown in the opening round.

When Cejudo finally found the top position in Round 2, he worked aggressively, passing guard and threatening from the back, but Talbott kept escaping. By the third round, the fight had turned grim.

Cejudo’s face was bloodied. Talbott was smiling.

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Body shots landed. Knees clipped. Late in the round, Talbott even pointed to the canvas, daring the former champion to empty the tank one last time. Cejudo did. He survived, but survival wasn’t enough. All three judges handed Talbott a clean sweep. He didn’t merely beat a retiring name; he tested, broke, and respected a former king. That matters in a division as deep as bantamweight.

With that being said, UFC 323 will log this fight as a unanimous decision loss for Henry Cejudo, but history will remember something else entirely: the sight of a champion recognizing the end, asking once, and being heard. In a sport where careers often fade without closure, Cejudo created his own path to the exit.

The $50,000 wasn’t about Fight of the Night or sympathy points. It was a quiet acknowledgment of what he gave the sport, from Olympic gold to ending Demetrious Johnson’s reign, to chasing greatness twice and knowing when the chase was over. Dana White’s answer didn’t rewrite the result, but it did underline a rare moment of mutual respect.

Payton Talbott walks away with the biggest win of his career, having proven he belongs among the bantamweight elite. Cejudo walks away with something different as ‘Triple C’ didn’t need another comeback this time. He got the ending he asked for.