Henry Cejudo retired after defending the 135 lbs belt against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in 2020. Now, five years later, the former two-division champion prepares to ride into the sunset once again at UFC 323 on December 6th. Cejudo’s first retirement came at the prime of his career when he felt he had achieved everything. But what could be the reason this time? Well, “Triple C” revealed it’s Dana White. 

Truth be told, Henry Cejudo’s comeback in 2023 has been a very bitter ride through and through. After losing to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288, the 38-year-old didn’t manage to bounce back. So it looked pretty clear that sooner or later, Cejudo would reveal that he planned to leave the UFC once again. Still, while there could be many reasons behind this decision, the ex-two-division champ believes it’s his family and Dana White that ultimately influenced him.

Henry Cejudo reveals Dana White would’ve cut him after UFC 323 

“To a lot of people, he still has it. Like Captain Eric trying to get me to fight 10 more times. But he’s not in me. He doesn’t understand that, because I still have that ability. But to me, there’s time, and plus, I got kids too. I don’t wanna put that fear in them knowing that their dad is fighting,” Henry Cejudo said at the UFC 323 media day. “I think Dana would cut me, dude, after this,” he added.

Now, ‘Triple C’ didn’t actually reveal why Dana White would cut him. But there are plenty of reasons. And it has to be acknowledged that their relationship wasn’t good to begin with. Even when Henry Cejudo retired as champion, he criticized White for paying him less than what he deserved. On the flipside, the UFC CEO wasn’t particularly happy about Cejudo retiring at his prime.

So, the rift between the two has been long-standing, which might be an influencing factor. However, it’s not just personal tension that could push Cejudo toward retirement this time. It’s also the legendary champ’s poor outing in his second run. At 38 years old, the Arizona native is on a three-fight losing streak, so that could also be why the promotion preferred he stay retired instead of pushing further.

Also, whether Henry Cejudo wins against Talbott or not at the UFC 323 main card fight, it’s pretty evident that he would have to get on a proper win streak to earn an opportunity to fight for the gold. With that in mind, White might have advised the former champ to stay back and enjoy retirement.

However, to keep the air intense, Cejudo called out Dana White and the entire company for not doing something about the eye-poke rule.

Henry Cejudo aims UFC and NSAC for eye pokes ruining fights 

This year, eye pokes becoming a bane for UFC fighters might be the hottest topic of discussion. After UFC 321 ended in disappointment with Tom Aspinall not continuing to fight Ciryl Gane after the Frenchman landed a vicious eye poke, the discussion has become more prominent and heated than ever. But as fighters have been called out for committing this foul, Dana White and company have also come under the radar for not taking stricter punishment. And now, Henry Cejudo has decided to take them on.

“Dana White, the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the referees and just make a f—— decision, man. If you guys can’t do it, like, dude, that’s bulls—. If we’re being warned in the back then alright dude, I’m gonna start taking my warning and I’m gonna start sticking my finger in their eye too,” Cejudo told Full Send MMA.

For the unversed, Henry Cejudo was also on the losing end of a fight against Song Yadong back in February after the Chinese bantamweight poked him in the eye in the third round. After going through a long recovery process, ‘Triple C’ was able to properly regain his vision, and based on that experience, he has gone all out, calling out White and company for not taking major steps.

That said, as Henry Cejudo is on his way to retiring once again, what do you think of his legacy, as it’s not as big as the last time when he retired with the belt? Let us know in the comments section below.