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Henry Cejudo Gets Real About His ‘Hard’ Sparring Before UFC 323
Henry Cejudo recently offered fans a glimpse into his sparring and training sessions ahead of UFC 323. He admitted that it has been difficult as he hopes to end his losing skid. The former two-division UFC champion’s candid insight provides a rare look at his process in reaching peak form.
Cejudo, 38, faces highly touted bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott, 27, at UFC 323 next Saturday. There is a lot a stake for ‘Triple C.’ He has already hinted that it could be his final fight, so he will want to end his legendary career on a high note.
Cejudo was candid about his thoughts on sparring. He spoke about the difficulties of pushing through, even while dealing with an illness, and stressed the importance of sharpening both his skills and cardio. The former two-division UFC champion said his championship mindset is what allows him to keep push forward.
“Champions train when they don’t want to. I don’t want to spar, you know? But I got to,” Cejudo said during Episode 3 of The Last Dance on his YouTube channel. “I gotta do the work, I gotta get that hear rate to [expletive] hit zone six.”
He continued:
“Not a bad day, man. [Expletive] under the weather a little bit but like I said, we gotta pull through. It was a good round here,” Cejudo said. “[It] lets me know that even though we’re sick, we’re still in good shape. We’re about halfway through the camp now. So, these are [expletive] hard, hard sessions.”
Henry Cejudo’s Sparring Partner Praises His Sharpness
Henry Cejudo’s sparring partner praised the former two-division UFC champion after their sparring session. He said Cejudo was sharp physically and mentally, which is a positive sign ahead of his upcoming fight.
Following their sparring session, Cejudo’s training partner shared his immediate reaction. He highlighted ‘Triple C’s cardio as a noticeable improvement, noting that it allowed him to maintain a relentless pace and apply pressure.
“[Cejudo’s] cardio is much better, so he’s pushing the pressure on me all three rounds,” he said on episode 3 of The Last Dance. “Old Henry’s back.”
He continued:
“[Cejudo] was on me the whole time. Pressuring, hitting me. His cardio is real good.”
Cejudo’s Coach Explains His Training Methods
Cejudo’s coach also chimed in and explained his training methods ahead of the Payton Talbott fight at UFC 323. He revealed that his approach to involves increasing the duration of sparring rounds rather than immediately simulating a full fight.
During Cejudo’s The Last Dance, his coach outlined the benefits of this training routine. He mentioned that it allows the former two-division UFC champion to maintain consistent pressure throughout his each round.
“You don’t get the workload out of it, you don’t get the effort, you don’t get the energy. Nobody can hold that [five five-minute round] pace for that long,” Cejudo’s coach said. “We start with two-minute rounds and three-minute rounds and now four-minute rounds cause then we know we’re pushing for all of that time. So often fighters coast and [Cejudo’s] not coasting here. He’s pushing and going.”
Giancarlo Aulino Giancarlo Aulino is sports writer who covers UFC for Heavy.com. He began writing for Heavy in 2025 after providing MMA coverage for Sportskeeda. Giancarlo is an experienced journalist and interviewer, having covered soccer clubs Toronto FC and York United FC as a full-season reporter, and also producing sports coverage for Toronto radio station VIBE 105.5FM.
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