Former Champ Henry Cejudo Withdraws From UFC 292 Due to Shoulder Injury

Some important news...

Unfortunately, I won't be able to compete on Aug 19 at UFC 292. I have a tear in my right shoulder that requires rehab.

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I wish I could've got in there w/ Chito, but I won't be able to make a full recovery in time.@jimmybars

📽️: https://t.co/Ar7JQbsQPL pic.twitter.com/06ZEoKE7b4

— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) June 29, 2023

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return show in Boston has taken a big hit on the main card.

On Thursday, Henry Cejudo announced that a shoulder injury will be keeping him from competing at UFC 292. The ex-two division champ stated that he will require around six to eight weeks for recovery, and does not plan on getting surgery if he can help it. The promotion has not currently indicated if a replacement will be sought to face Marlon Vera on that Aug. 19 show at the TD Garden in Boston.

“August 19th is the 15-year anniversary when ‘Triple C’ won his Olympic gold medal,” Cejudo noted, “and August 19th was also scheduled to fight ‘Chito’ Vera. Guys, but I am here to make an announcement, that unfortunate, due to my right shoulder, I won’t be able to fight.”

In his last time out, Cejudo suffered a close split decision loss to Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight strap. That marked the first time since 2016 that “The Messenger” had tasted defeat, although he did take off nearly three years from active competition from 2020 to 2023. In 2018, Cejudo claimed the flyweight belt from Demetrious Johnson, and he defended it once against T.J. Dillashaw. Although he planned on chasing Dillashaw up to 135 pounds, Dillashaw vacated his belt after failing drug tests for EPO. In June 2019, Cejudo became one of the only fighters in UFC history to simultaneously hold two titles, as he beat Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight strap. After a single defense of that new throne against Dominick Cruz, he retired.

Cejudo continued, “Guys, I’ve already torn my left shoulder where I was out for about a year, I don’t want it to tear further than what it already is. That being said, there is a tear in there guys, the cat is out the bag. It is actually a 50% tear, but the way it’s torn, it’s like…a filet, so it’s not detached [completely], there is like a tear in there. So, I got stem cells through Dr. Rey, he is like ‘the quickest that you can do and if you do the therapy correctly, you’re looking at anywhere between six to eight weeks.’ I stretched it out to as much as I possibly could because I love that ‘Chito’ Vera matchup.”

The former two-division kingpin hinted that this scuttling of the Vera fight could lead to other matches being put together by the UFC. Cejudo had his eyes on another top bantamweight contender, while also mentioning a flyweight he would not be opposed to encountering.

“At the end of the day, the guy that I still want, no. 1 contender, his name is Merab [Dvalishvili]. So that’s what I’m looking forward to, and who knows, guys, there could be a special matchup between me and Brandon Moreno if you guys think about it…,” Cejudo concluded.

UFC 292 will take place at the TD Garden in Boston on Aug. 19, with a pair of championships serving in the marquee. The main event comes at bantamweight, as Sterling defends his crown against Sean O'Malley. The co-headliner will see Weili Zhang attempt to make the first defense of her strawweight belt against Amanda Lemos. Other fights expected to receive main card status included a 135-pound contest pitting Rob Font against Yadong Song, and a welterweight banger when Geoff Neal faces Ian Garry.