Fans can expect emotional moments at UFC 323 this weekend as former two-division champion Henry Cejudo closes out his career under Dana White’s promotion. After briefly retiring in 2023 following four fights, Cejudo has struggled and currently holds a 0-3 record since his comeback. Back in February at UFC Seattle, things took a turn when Cejudo suffered a nasty eye poke during his bantamweight bout against Song Yadong, which cast doubts over his return.

Now, in what promises to be the final chapter of his career, he will face rising star Payton Talbot in a symbolic passing-of-the-torch matchup. Cejudo will step into the cage for the last time, and he will not be alone, as his key team member will also retire alongside him. All in all, it promises to be a memorable night..

Henry Cejudo’s coach to retire alongside him at UFC 323

Henry Cejudo has built much of his remarkable career at his Arizona-based MMA gym, Fight Ready MMA. There, the former two-division champion forged his legacy after his Olympic career, training under coaches like Eric Albarracin and head coach Santino DeFranco, who, along with other instructors, refined his skills. Now, with UFC 323 approaching, Santino DeFranco will retire alongside Cejudo.

“He is an Olympic gold medalist and a two-division UFC champion,” Santino DeFranco confirmed. “You know, he wants to go out on top. He wants to go out with a win… Yeah, actually after Henry’s camp—that is it for me as an MMA coach. This is his last dance. It’s my last dance.”

In the UFC’s latest Embedded Vlog series, episode 1, head coach DeFranco made it clear that they are stepping away together, calling their MMA journey with “Triple C” amazing and expressing pride and gratitude for the path they shared. Meanwhile, Fight Ready MMA, which rebranded from Lion’s Den Gym in 2011, has trained fighters such as Kaitlin Young and several other UFC-level athletes over the years.

Although Henry Cejudo has worked with Fight Ready MMA since the start of his career, the MMA world was taken by surprise last February when he “fired” his wrestling coach, Eric Albarracin, in a video announcing that Albarracin was no longer his UFC coach. The clip briefly put the Arizona native’s team in the spotlight, but it was later revealed to be a prank.

Henry Cejudo and coach pull off epic team prank that surprises fans

Henry Cejudo’s return to fighting has been marked by losses to young, elite fighters such as Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili, prompting questions about the success of his comeback. Many people thought his comeback bid was a gamble that might hurt his reputation, a fear that was particularly noticeable before his UFC 298 match against Merab Dvalishvili in February 2023.

Henry Cejudo seemed to dismiss his wrestling coach, Eric Albarracin, in a UFC Embedded video; Albarracin had been working with him since his wrestling career began. There were questions raised by critics regarding ‘Triple C’ and their actions in the situation. Yet, it was later uncovered that Cejudo and Albarracin were simply pulling a prank on the MMA world.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan. Come on, do you think they would ever break up? Come on, man,” Albarracin said while standing next to Henry Cejudo at the fighter hotel in a video posted to Instagram. Henry Cejudo wrapped his hand around his coach’s neck and said, “Just so you guys know, this is the greatest combat coach of all time. This is an unbreakable bond.”

Cejudo’s strong connection with his coaches highlights the foundation of his MMA journey. Could the former UFC champion follow in their footsteps and become a coach himself after retiring from competition? Share your thoughts below.