Henry Cejudo uses a front headlock against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 (Photo/Jasen Vinlove, USA Today Sports)Henry Cejudo doesn't need to say it, but he often does.
He calls himself the best combat sport athlete of all-time. And it's hard to argue with him.
His results and performances certainly back that up.
No other Olympic gold medalist has won a title in the Ultimate Fighting Championships except Cejudo. And he has won UFC world titles in both the 125-pound and 135-pound divisions.
Cejudo added another glowing achievement to his already impressive resume Saturday night when he scored a second-round stoppage over past champion Dominick Cruz to retain his UFC bantamweight title.
And then in a surprising post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Cejudo announced he was retiring.
Cejudo now owns wins over three outstanding UFC champions -- Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw and Cruz. He has a 16-2 record and has won his last six fights. Anybody who says Cejudo hasn't fought anybody good has no idea what they're talking about.
Henry is a tremendous fighter. The guy looks to be at his peak as an MMA athlete at age 33. He's slick, strong and explosive. He's a dynamic athlete who is lightning-quick in attacking or countering an opponent. He can box and kick, and of course his wrestling ability is unmatched.
Henry is superb technically in numerous facets of mixed martial arts. He's a supremely confident guy who is strong mentally and highly intelligent. He believes in his training and knows how to execute a game plan. And he has a strong work ethic he developed in wrestling.
There was talk after Henry's retirement announcement Saturday night that he was frustrated he wasn't being paid more by the UFC.
One of the reasons Henry retired from wrestling after the 2008 Olympics was the money. Or lack thereof. Wrestlers were being paid then, but barely enough to live on and nowhere near what they make now. Cejudo's bonuses for winning in Beijing were around $65,000. Four years later, Jordan Burroughs earned a $250,000 bonus for striking Olympic gold.
It's not all about the money, but a fighter of Cejudo's caliber needs to be rewarded with a big payday. If Henry still wants to fight, the UFC needs to step up and pay him. He's definitely earned it.
Maybe he comes back and moves up to 145 pounds and tries to win a UFC world title in a third different division.
Cejudo is fighting at an extremely high level and it looks like he could excel in mixed martial arts for many years to come.
But it's his life and his decision. And people should respect that.
I'm not a huge fan of some of Henry's antics outside the ring. He definitely likes to stir the pot on social media and in interviews to create animosity with other people he is fighting. But numerous UFC athletes do that in one way or another. He takes on a certain persona and I think his behavior has turned off a number of fans, but I think they still want to watch him fight.
The Henry Cejudo I worked closely with during my days at USA Wrestling, and have known since 2006, is a friendly, personable and genuinely good dude. He's someone I consider a friend and have a good relationship with. The guy you see on social media is different from the person I know. But I guess that's how the fight game is played.
My advice to Henry would be to let his performances do the talking. That's what he did when he wrestled and he's still hugely popular with fans of that sport.
If he does stay retired, he should be saluted as one of the best fighters in the sport before he takes his rightful place in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Henry Cejudo is one of the best combat athletes of all-time. There is no disputing that. When he steps into the UFC Octagon, he's a gifted fighter who is something special to watch.
And he hasn't forgotten where he has come from. He remains a huge supporter of wrestling and is still a great ambassador for the sport.
Shortly after he said he was retiring from the UFC on Saturday, talk began on social media that maybe Henry would make a run at the Olympics in freestyle wrestling next year.
Wouldn't that be something to see? He's obviously in peak physical condition and it's not unfathomable to think he could make a run at an Olympic spot. I certainly wouldn't count him out.
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
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