Former 2-division UFC champ Henry Cejudo set for pro boxing debut

Henry Cejudo, the former two-division UFC champion, has announced his professional boxing debut against content creator Nurideen "Deen the Great" Shabazz on September 26 in Miami, with the bout streaming live on DAZN Boxing through Misfits Boxing.

The 39-year-old Olympic gold medalist retired from MMA for the second time after a knockout loss to Payton Talbott in December 2025. Since then, he has returned to professional wrestling, competing under the Real American Freestyle banner. Cejudo is scheduled to face Merab Dvalishvili in a wrestling rematch at RAF 12 on August 22 in Cleveland, giving him just five weeks to prepare for his boxing debut if he emerges uninjured from that bout.

Cejudo's wrestling return began in February with a win over Urijah Faber at RAF 6, followed by a loss to Dvalishvili at RAF Georgia in July. His boxing opponent, Shabazz, is a 25-year-old familiar to Misfits audiences who made his promotional debut in 2022. Shabazz has primarily competed in exhibition bouts and most recently fought at Misfits Mania in December, losing a unanimous decision to Amado Vargas.

The matchup marks a notable venture into professional boxing for "Triple C," who has spent most of his combat sports career in mixed martial arts and now wrestling.