Former UFC champion Cejudo edges split decision over Walton in Misfits Boxing debut

Henry Cejudo took a split-decision victory over Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton at the James L. Knight Center in Miami on Saturday, making a successful debut for Misfits Boxing despite having no professional boxing experience heading into the bout.

The former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist was originally scheduled to face influencer boxer Deen the Great, but stepped in as a late replacement when Deen pulled out. Walton, the 20-year-old actor best known for his role in Euphoria, proved a credible opponent, using his youth, reach, and length to keep Cejudo on the back foot in the early exchanges.

Cejudo, 20 years Walton’s senior, gradually found his rhythm, reading the television star’s timing and exploiting gaps with sharp hooks while making Walton miss. The contest was competitive throughout all four rounds, but two of the three judges scored it 3-1 in Cejudo’s favour. The third judge saw it differently, awarding Walton three of the four rounds.

After the final bell, Cejudo acknowledged how close the fight had been and offered Walton a rematch — this time with a full training camp to prepare. But his attention quickly shifted to the man who was supposed to be standing across from him.

“Man, there was somebody I was supposed to fight! Deen The Duck, where are you?” Cejudo said in the ring. “There’s no Deen The Great. This dude ducked. It’s time for me to put his ass down.”

The callout sets up a potential future matchup between Cejudo and Deen the Great, should the influencer boxer accept the challenge.