Less than a month after announcing his retirement from combat sports for a second time, Henry Cejudo is making his comeback. He will be participating in the RAF 6 event. RAF has quickly become a hotspot for UFC veterans and retired fighters.

Stars like Bo Nickal, Belal Muhammad, and Yoel Romero have already dived into RAF, and now they are enticing Henry Cejudo into its fold. While ‘Triple C’ has yet to begin his journey in the RAF, this move feels like a natural progression. As a result, the Olympic gold medalist and standout NCAA wrestler is now returning to the mats to take on a UFC Hall of Famer who has never tapped in his career.

Henry Cejudo’s next challenge in RAF finally unveiled

This week, UFC veteran Ben Askren, while speaking with TMZ Sports, teased Henry Cejudo’s next opponent in RAF, though he initially kept the name under wraps. Now, the mystery has been solved: former UFC bantamweight star Urijah Faber (35-11-0) will step into the RAF mats.

“🚨 @RAFWrestlingUSA announces Henry Cejudo vs. Urijah Faber for February 28th in Tempe, Arizona 🤼‍♂️,” wrote Combat Sports Today on X.

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Former WEC featherweight champion and two-time UFC title challenger Urijah Faber, even after retiring from MMA and the UFC years ago, has continued to compete actively in grappling and jiu-jitsu matches. In addition, he co-owns and runs the California-based promotion Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat Promotion, which helps develop UFC talent.

The last time fans saw Henry Cejudo fight was at the UFC 323 event. He lost to Payton Tallbot. Now, the former Flyweight and Bantamweight champion will be making his RAF debut.

Although both ‘The California Kid’ and Cejudo competed in the UFC bantamweight division, they never faced each other in the octagon. Their upcoming wrestling showdown in Arizona is already drawing major attention.

Urijah Faber, a former NCAA standout, has avoided being submitted in nearly two decades of MMA competition. Cejudo enters the matchup after a tough stretch, having lost four consecutive fights in his last UFC appearances.

Even so, Triple C’s dominance in wrestling, both at the 2008 Olympics and in the UFC’s flyweight and bantamweight divisions, still makes him the stronger fighter on paper. Although he has yet to step back onto the mats, he is already being targeted by an ex- UFC star for an RAF wrestling match.

Undefeated Dagestani prospect sets his sights on a showdown with Henry Cejudo

UFC never officially announced who they removed from their roster, but Dana White confirmed Muhammad Mokaev’s release himself during a post-fight press conference. Apparently, White and the UFC matchmakers grew frustrated with Mokaev’s antics, which made handling the undefeated Dagestani star difficult.

Mokaev was removed in the summer of 2024. Since then, the Dagestani-British fighter has been competing in Brave FC and taking part in grappling events across the Middle East, where he has won seven consecutive matches.

Even so, Mokaev aims to return to the U.S. to face former UFC champions like Henry Cejudo and Merab Dvalishvili under the RAF banner, which has quickly become the go-to destination for grappling and wrestling-focused UFC stars.

Mokaev wrote on X, “I saw @RAFWrestlingUSA doing some amazing events, and I would love to compete against Henry Cejudo or Merab 😎 What do you think, guys? These are the two best bantamweight wrestlers in MMA right now.”

What do you make of Henry Cejudo’s next move? Can the former two-division champion turn the page and recover from the disappointment of his last MMA bouts? Share your thoughts below.