Losing a loved one is perhaps the most difficult thing any human can go through. And when they are taken away before their time, as Gloria Cejudo, sister of former UFC champion Henry Cejudo was, it tends to hurt even more.

Gloria, who dedicated her life to helping others, passed away on September 15, 2023, after losing her battle with cancer. An adventurous soul, she crossed off everything on her bucket list twice, according to her family, who wrote a heartwarming obituary about her.

Gloria Cejudo: Henry Cejudo’s sister – How did she pass away?

After a valiant two-year battle with gastrointestinal cancer, Gloria Cejudo passed away last year in a hospital in Tijuana Mexico, the birthplace of her parents, surrounded by her loved ones. A philanthropic spirit, the Grand Canyon University alumni used to work as a counselor at Southwest Keys which helped children, including victims of human trafficking. She was close to her family, especially her brother Henry, who credited her for being a second mom to him.

In her obituary, the family spoke about her love for adventure and travel, which saw her embark on a world tour at a young age as well as her love for Crossfit and skydiving. To support other patients in their battle with cancer, her family had asked for donations to be made to the Miracle Hope Foundation in lieu of flowers.

The news of her death led to an outpouring of sympathy, with Donald Trump Jr., Alexander Volkanovski, and Aljamain Sterling expressing their sorrow to the family. However, her death affected one other UFC fighter, who saw her as a sister and role model as well.

When close friend Tracy Cortez dedicated a victory to Gloria Cejudo

UFC heartthrob Tracy Cortez got emotional after her win over Jasmine Jasudaviciu at UFC Noche in September last year and dedicated her win to “big sister” Gloria. Cortez started her MMA journey at the behest of her elder brother Jose, who himself passed away from cancer, leaving Tracy shattered.

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The Cejudo family helped Tracy overcome her grief and pursue her MMA career, which brought her closer to the family. And her grief was apparent in her press conference appearance after the Jasudaviciu victory.

“She was a big sister. Cancer’s a nasty disease. I wanted to honor her and perform the best that I can and I want to dedicate this fight to her,” a tearful Cortez told reporters at the UFC Noche post-fight press conference.

Clearly, Gloria Cejudo’s death was a great tragedy not only for her family and friends but for her community in general, who lost a loving, selfless member who worked with the most vulnerable people to try and make their lives better.

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