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The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Daniel Cormier Show - Henry Cejudo on becoming UFC double champion, winning gold medal at Olympics
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- [00:00]
Henry Cejudo
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:04]
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- [00:56]
Daniel Cormier
The volume and today's episode is brought to you by Total Wireless, the official wireless provider of UFC. They're in your corner with unlimited 5G data that will not slow you down. All right, guys, welcome to a brand new episode of the Daniel Cormier Show. Today we're. My guest is one of the most accomplished athletes that I've ever been around. But I don't want this to be the conversation. When people hear the name Henry Cejudo, they think about a lot of winning. They think Olympic gold, they think UFC titles. Honestly, they think Triple C, right? Because he's told us time and time again who Triple C is. But before all of that, right, there was a kid that grew up in chaos, right? His family fighting to survive. This kid learned discipline. He found pride, identity all through wrestling, all while not knowing that wrestling would change his life. So the story of Henry Cejudo is not just about fighting. It's about his family. He sacrificed a lot. There was insecurity, confidence in what happens when a person believes in themselves and then goes out and they build himself piece by piece. Now, of course, you're going to get to the legacy and we'll get to his fights, his Olympic gold medal and everything else. But first, I want you to learn who Henry is as a person, not the Persona. And all the other stuff that we have seen from Henry Cejudo, I want you to know Henry, the guy that I met as a young boy in Colorado Springs, because I think once you get to know that guy, you can understand Henry Cejudo much better. Guys, welcome in the great Henry Cejudo. I won't.
- [02:43]
Henry Cejudo
I won't be as annoying.
- [02:44]
Daniel Cormier
My boy, Henry Cejudo.
- [02:47]
Henry Cejudo
No. Thank you, D.C. dad. What a hell of an intro, dude. What a hell of an intro. You know, it's funny, dude, it's. Fuck. You're so good at this. I think ever since we, we. Ever since I met you, you've always had this talent of being able to communicate and even. And even Kevin Jackson. But I said, man, that dude, that dude, he got a mouthpiece on him. Yeah, he got a mouthpiece on him.
- [03:10]
Daniel Cormier
And I turned it into a job.
- [03:11]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. And you turn into. You turn it to millions. Can I say that? Can I say millions?
- [03:17]
Daniel Cormier
It's been, I've been blessed.
- [03:18]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, for sure, man. Well, thank you, man. Thank you for having me on. Yeah.
- [03:21]
Daniel Cormier
Henry, when you strip everything away, right, the Olympic gold medal, the UFC titles, when people want to know who Henry Cejudo is, like, how would you describe Henry Cejudo?
- [03:34]
Henry Cejudo
Ah, man, a little bit of cringe, a little, I think a little bit of what people see, but someone that's very, very self driven, someone that, that, that wants to manifest everything that he can think of and actually bring it to life.
- [03:50]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [03:50]
Henry Cejudo
You know, like, I'll never forget it, man, when, like going out to Olympic training center, being out there with you, because I was able to watch you in 2004, like, train for the Olympics, you know, So I remember seeing you, like, go through the whole night, so I was able to see the whole Olympic team or whatnot. And, and I knew that a lot of that stuff was, was possible, man, only if I got those opportunities, you know what I'm saying? So I, I think for me, as somebody that's somebody that's gritty, driven, ambitious, you know what I mean? Super competitive that sometimes so competitive that sometimes I can suck the fun out of it.
- [04:22]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [04:22]
Henry Cejudo
And sometimes having, having that pressure, being backed up with fighting or competing has also, It's. It's also what kind of makes me a little bit.
- [04:32]
Daniel Cormier
Did you. Did you learned. Did you learn to deal with that competitive aspect? Because it can be overwhelming. I, I live with that same person inside of me that makes me compete in everything. And you say cringe, but most around me get annoyed, right? Because we could be walking to an elevator and I'll try to get there first because I want to press the button. It's like this thing is, I, I don't understand, like, I don't know why it's like that, but ultimately it allows you to become who you became and who I became. But when do you think you learned to deal with that part of who Henry Cejudo is?
- [05:06]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, no, I think a lot of you want to go back to. To being the youngest in my family. Like, you know, it's one of seven. Raised by a single mother, you know what I'm saying? Like, I was. I was a kid that. That went. You know, I many times went to. Went to bed starving, you know what I'm saying? Growling stomach, like the whole nine. So I just feel like a lot of it was just maybe frustration, you know what I'm saying? Like, maybe a little bit of that maybe wanting to get out. It's. It's not a one. It's not a one part answer. It's so freaking complex that, you know, I think. I think only those bad experiences would actually makes you, you know, which are they really bad, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's a learning experience.
- [05:48]
Daniel Cormier
It really is.
- [05:49]
Henry Cejudo
But. But on the flip side, I. I wouldn't want my kids to go through that, you know what I'm saying?
- [05:54]
Daniel Cormier
Well, that's why you build a life that you have so that they don't have to. Right, right, right. And while you're going through those learning experiences as a kid. Right. That kid becomes the man. What part of you, that child that went to bed still lives inside, like, inside of you right now? Can you still pull back on that person today and go, I remember those feelings as a young kid that I still feel today. Henry Zuro, the guy that's accomplished as.
- [06:22]
Henry Cejudo
Much as you've accomplished, man, I wish I could feel that a little bit more, honestly. Dc, you know what I'm saying?
- [06:27]
Daniel Cormier
That hunger.
- [06:28]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. That hunger. Well, you know, that. That literally hunger.
- [06:32]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [06:32]
Henry Cejudo
Like, you know what I'm saying? I wish I could pull back a little bit. So even towards the tail end of my career, like, when you're full and you're satisfied, it does make it hard to be motivated. Like, your. Your goals start to change, you know what I'm saying? But if you bring them, put that chip on that shoulder once again, it's like, dude, I'm back. But unless you don't have that, for a competitor like me, it makes it so, so freaking hard. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? It makes it so, so freaking hard. Yeah.
- [07:01]
Daniel Cormier
And it was a part of your life from the very beginning. Yeah. When you were. When you started doing wrestling, you immediately kind of took to the sport. Before we get to wrestling, you talked about literally starving. Right. Your father wasn't around. He had some real issues.
- [07:17]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [07:17]
Daniel Cormier
In his life. So your mom is responsible for seven kids? Normal.
- [07:23]
Henry Cejudo
My mom didn't believe in birth control too, bro. Can you believe that?
- [07:27]
Daniel Cormier
I don't think many people did back in the day. Here is kind of banging it out.
- [07:33]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. I'm like, mom, I tell like, what the fuck? Like, I mean, I thank God I'm alive, but Jesus, dude.
- [07:39]
Daniel Cormier
And it was hard though. It was hard though. But she kept fighting. So my question to you is when you are living that life, right? An absent father. I got to be honest, man. I grew up in a place where there were a lot of no dads. I was lucky because I had one. Right. So I know how would work look like I knew what strength looked like. I knew it like a father figure. It was my stepdad.
- [08:05]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [08:06]
Daniel Cormier
Right. But he was there since I was a three year old boy.
- [08:10]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [08:11]
Daniel Cormier
He. He comforted me through my real dad dying. I always tell people strength, right? Strength is my stepdad. That's why I loved him so much. Because when I was a seven year old kid, my dad got murdered. My mom was losing her mind. That's his woman. I'm as a little boy in the bed, crying and weeping. He's sitting on the bed, rubbing me on the back, making sure that I'm okay. That's strength.
- [08:37]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [08:39]
Daniel Cormier
How. How were you able to see that, right. When you didn't have that peace in your life? Right. I know your mom was strong, but there are seven of you.
- [08:49]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [08:49]
Daniel Cormier
It's hard to really distribute all that energy to making you feel.
- [08:54]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. You know, Well, I. I think the right answer is you don't know what you don't know.
- [08:58]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [08:58]
Henry Cejudo
Like, you know what I'm saying? I just did it. No, but now that I'm older, bro, I can, I can have compassion for a guy like my dad. You know what I'm saying? Like the dude. Yeah. I really can, man, you know?
- [09:10]
Daniel Cormier
Have you spoken to your father?
- [09:12]
Henry Cejudo
No. And that's the last time I spoke to my dad. The last time I saw him was about maybe four, getting ready to turn five. And. And then the last time that I spoke to him, I think I was like in second or third grade. And then the, and then the last time that I heard of him, he died a year before the Olympics.
- [09:30]
Daniel Cormier
Come on, Henry.
- [09:31]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, yeah. People. A lot of people don't know that, that, that side of. That side of my story. And the ironic part about it is I was supposed to go out and actually see him because I started kind of having like you know, sometimes you like the premonitions, like, look, something's gonna happen.
- [09:45]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [09:46]
Henry Cejudo
Like what the. Like after the US Open, wanted to go out and actually see him and my family convinced me not to. This was like, probably in, you know, right before the U. S. Right after the U S. Open. So I was going to use my, you know, my earnings from the U. S. Open to go to Mexico City to actually go see him. Yeah. And I get a, we get a, we get a call. Hey, man. Or an email. I don't know what it was. There's a. Hey, man. Your dad's. Your dad's heart failure, maybe an overdose or whatever that may be.
- [10:14]
Daniel Cormier
Doing drugs for a long time.
- [10:15]
Henry Cejudo
Doing, doing drugs for a very, very long time. Like, it was so bad to see that he, like, he would drink my mom's perfumes. Come on. Yeah. Like drink my mom's perfumes ever. One time we were kids and we didn't have much, but when he was conscious, like we had Christmas presents, took them, sold them.
- [10:36]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [10:37]
Henry Cejudo
New rug in our apartment, this is back in south central la. Took the new rug, sold it like the whole nine, you know what I'm saying? So it's the nitty gritty side of things. But I also go back and I think of his life and what happened to him. Like he was homeless as a kid. Like he was roaming the streets as a nine, eight year old kid, like just fucking trying to survive.
- [10:58]
Daniel Cormier
What chance did he kind of have? That's hard, man.
- [11:01]
Henry Cejudo
Exactly, man. So I'm just like, yeah, I'm not one of those guys that's gonna, that I don't or things like that, like. But I feel for the dude.
- [11:08]
Daniel Cormier
I, I think you develop empathy when you become a father also.
- [11:11]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [11:11]
Daniel Cormier
As you age, you go, man, I know how hard that must, that's. It was hard for me as a kid. I would never do that to my kids. But I can try to look and see from their side because it really is. And I've had people very close to me deal with the same type of addiction. It really is a sickness once that once drugs and alcohol get a hold of you, it's a fight that most people can't win. And obviously you guys dealt with that at a very, very young age.
- [11:42]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Yeah. And you know, luckily, sports, bro. My mom was a very prideful lady. So my mom kind of played more of a father figure because she was so hard on us that I almost feel like I missed the, like I missed the mom, you know, like that, that it was tough Love. Like, you know what I'm saying? But it was like, dude, like, I feel like a dad. A dad?
- [12:00]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [12:00]
Henry Cejudo
I needed a mom.
- [12:01]
Daniel Cormier
I need a. Somebody that's, like, soft and, like, little.
- [12:03]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Because my mom was like, hey, get up. Like, you know what I'm saying? Hey. Like, she was like, I already knew as a little kid. Like, dude, this is. These are the realities of life. Like, you up, like, you're going to prison. You do this, that you're going to pay the consequence. So I never really got that, like, Fairy Tale Story, the Disney stu, you know, watching movies and things like that. So I was able to grow up at a very young age, like, super quick. Yeah. And we talked about it last time that, like, I don't think that's. You know, I thank God for what's happened to me and what I've been able to accomplish, but I don't want that for my kids.
- [12:37]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [12:38]
Henry Cejudo
Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, no, be a kid, man.
- [12:40]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [12:40]
Henry Cejudo
I know what it's like to have a mom and a dad and three meals a day and things like that. Like, it's not like. It's just. You know what I'm saying? So this is so part of the reason why even, like, retirement, like, dude, I don't want them to go through those feelings of like. Of being scared and having fear and.
- [12:58]
Daniel Cormier
And that we're not gonna be okay.
- [12:59]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. You know what I'm saying? It's like. Like maybe that's some of the stuff that kind of could still kind of haunt me a little bit.
- [13:05]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [13:06]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? Like, you cannot teach your kid too much of life too early like we did. Yeah. Because it's. It's not right.
- [13:14]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah. No, kids. Kids aren't really equipped to deal with the realities at a young age. How early did you realize that money was, like, an issue? Because if I'm being honest, growing up in Louisiana, not many of us had much, so it didn't feel like we were worse off than anyone else. But I didn't grow up in a city like South Central Los Angeles, where it's like a major city. Where do you. When do you think you realize, like, God dang, man, this is. This is not normal that I'm going to bed hungry.
- [13:51]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Well, it was in. So we left South Central. We had to leave our. Our dad because he started getting a little too crazy. I remember he was saying is like. And my mom kind of. Kind of playing reverse psychology and she. I remember one time he's like, hey, I'm gonna. I'm gonna kill your fucking kids. Really? And then my mom was like, all right, well, let's do it. You kill one, and I'll kill another one.
- [14:11]
Daniel Cormier
Come on, Henry.
- [14:12]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Yeah.
- [14:12]
Daniel Cormier
What the do you know?
- [14:13]
Henry Cejudo
But this is what. This is what I'm trying to tell you. Like, this is how my mom has. But she was like, this dude is crazy. Like, we gotta get the out of here. He went in jail, and we pretty much booked it, so we ended up going Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the border town. So to answer your question, as a little kid, I knew that stuff was real because, you know, all my family were. Were. You know, they all came to this country legally. And I remember, like, we lived in, like, literally, a freaking crack house, dude, in the middle of. In the border town of New Mexico. And obviously, Mexico, I'll never forget it, because at that time, my uncles were. They were in high school, and they would fucking. I was a little kid playing outside dirt. Like, you would think, like, this house is, like, legit abandoned.
- [14:56]
Daniel Cormier
Really?
- [14:57]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, like, legit abandoned. Like, oh, throw a rock at it. Like, break a window type of thing. And I remember I would play out in the dirt, and all of a sudden, I'll see my uncle running, and then I'll see a dude with the green jumpsuit, like, behind him. And then. And. And then, like, you know, obviously my siblings were, like, a little older than everybody, and we would cheer.
- [15:17]
Daniel Cormier
My.
- [15:17]
Henry Cejudo
My uncle. I was like, like, run, Chucho, run. Immigration, dude. So I'm seeing this as a little kid.
- [15:25]
Daniel Cormier
Jesus.
- [15:25]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? So, boom, my uncle gets caught, and I'm just like, oh. Like, it was like, whoa. But I was like, you know, as a little kid, like, oh, okay. He's just. It's like, to me, those were the bad guys. You know what I'm saying? Like.
- [15:38]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah, because your uncle was.
- [15:39]
Henry Cejudo
Because my uncle was fucking. Uncle's my uncle. But then, you know, within a few days that he was back home fucking cooking beans.
- [15:45]
Daniel Cormier
Getting back.
- [15:45]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. We're talking about, like, in the early 90s.
- [15:48]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah. So he just come back.
- [15:49]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Like, it's back then. It was just, like, getting back.
- [15:51]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [15:51]
Henry Cejudo
So they already knew, like, what we lived. It was kind of, you know, it was rugged, but there was like. All right, dude. There's a lot of. There's a lot of people that are undocumented.
- [16:01]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [16:01]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying?
- [16:02]
Daniel Cormier
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- [17:21]
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- [18:11]
Henry Cejudo
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- [18:41]
Daniel Cormier
Did you ever feel embarrassed?
- [18:43]
Henry Cejudo
Oh, yeah.
- [18:43]
Daniel Cormier
About where you were from and how you grew up? Like, when you were with your friends, when you started going into school and being around other kids, or were most of the kids in the same situation?
- [18:55]
Henry Cejudo
I always felt like there's like, you know, you're. I felt like I was just. Maybe, man. There's always. We had it. We had it pretty bad. Like, it was to the point where I'll never forget it, bro. I was in fourth grade because, mama, we. You know, I ain't have toys. I didn't have any, nor did I even want that. I just. I love playing, breaking stuff, you know, Dennis the Menace type things. And I remember one time, bro, like, there was a kid that came up to me, he's like, hey, Henry, this is fourth grade, dude.
- [19:22]
Daniel Cormier
Kids are nasty, bro. Don't break my heart, bro. Please don't break my heart.
- [19:26]
Henry Cejudo
No, check down, because this is like a real. This is like a real story. That dude's like, hey. He was like, hey, Sylvester. Hey. This is Sylvester's lock for his bike, 15777. He's like, hey. Because he's not going to school today, he asked me to take it. Take his fucking bike.
- [19:45]
Daniel Cormier
He told you to steal it?
- [19:46]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, he told me to steal it. So then, like, he told me in the beginning of the school. So then all Dale was like, dude, I don't have a bike. And I'm just like, bro, I can't wait to steal this dude's bike. And I knew him. That's how bad it was. You know, me were like homies or things like that. Oh, my God. I end up. I end up stealing this bike with, like, with my friend. But I, you know, I was. I was the main character, you know, took it. I freaking took it next, you know, bro, like, you know, I'm hiding, bro, like, from the house, cuz. I'm just like, whoa. What? What the hell did I just do? It's like a. I just hijacked this thing. Yeah. Took it, took it to my house. We had no furniture. Put it, like, in the closet, whatnot. And all of a sudden, like, everybody started to find out, hey, Henry took the bike. I was just like. I started getting scared. And then the next day, the cop shows up.
- [20:36]
Daniel Cormier
Oh, my God.
- [20:36]
Henry Cejudo
They end up grabbing the bike. My same uncle was freaking illegal staying at the house.
- [20:41]
Daniel Cormier
Oh, my God.
- [20:43]
Henry Cejudo
Tripping out, dude. You know what I'm saying? And then. But my mom felt for me that she didn't even hit me.
- [20:52]
Daniel Cormier
Really? Yeah, because she couldn't give you anything.
- [20:55]
Henry Cejudo
Within two months, she was like, man, like, within two months, we got her income tax and she bought me a bike.
- [21:00]
Daniel Cormier
Come on. Yeah.
- [21:01]
Henry Cejudo
And I was just like, damn. Like, mom, you didn't. He didn't hit me.
- [21:05]
Daniel Cormier
It's almost like, dude almost rewarded me.
- [21:07]
Henry Cejudo
She almost like. No, she's like. She almost like, dude, like, you know, you wanted. You wanted that bike that bad that after stealing it, she ended up buying me one.
- [21:17]
Daniel Cormier
That's crazy.
- [21:17]
Henry Cejudo
And I was just like, I'll never forget it because we went. We went actually on the city bus to actually go get it. So it meant a lot to me.
- [21:23]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [21:24]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? Like, literally, the J. Hey, which one do you want? You know, I was like, whoa, that one. But that's too much. Okay, so what's the budget? That. Okay, I'll take that one. You know, to me, it meant the world to me. Yeah. You know what I said? But to that extent, to where your own parent could have compassion for you, because knowing that, you know, everybody else is in their bike, you know, roaming, and I'm over here just, you know.
- [21:50]
Daniel Cormier
Playing in the dirt.
- [21:50]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Just running, running, running. Playing with everybody, but running rather than actually in bikes.
- [21:55]
Daniel Cormier
It sounds like your mom was the main character in your story. So what did she represent for you? Like, it sounds like at times there was. She could give you pressure. Right? Pressure of get up. This is life. She was safety. Right. Because in that moment, she provided a safety and a comfort for you to, you know, get your bike. And almost like a hope. Right. That you could be something greater. So when you think back on all that your mother did, what did you. What did she represent to you in your upbringing?
- [22:29]
Henry Cejudo
Honestly, just the attitude of no excuse. You know what I'm saying? The attitude of no excuse, get up. You know what I'm saying? Like, do it. You know, you could be the. You could be the greatest thing on earth, or you can be the biggest slum, and it's your decision.
- [22:45]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [22:45]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? Like. Like, that's what it is. I could lie to you and tell you, oh, it was love, it was kindness. No, no, it was like, hey, you. You make your bed, man. How are you? How do you want to live your life?
- [22:57]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [22:58]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? Like, it was kind of little iron fist, tough love. No. Yeah, but iron fist, like, hey, bro, like, you do this, this is.
- [23:07]
Daniel Cormier
This is what's going to happen.
- [23:08]
Henry Cejudo
This was going to happen. So. And then also too, I think. I think living in these. I think living in those circumstances too, like, you know, you start to. You. You start to understand that. That you don't want that to be forever.
- [23:22]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [23:23]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? Like, no, I gotta. I gotta get out.
- [23:25]
Daniel Cormier
I gotta find something.
- [23:27]
Henry Cejudo
I gotta find something to. And then. And then, obviously, everything changed when I watched the Olympics.
- [23:33]
Daniel Cormier
Wrestling, which.
- [23:34]
Henry Cejudo
With the ironic. No, not even, bro. 96 watching boxing. No. Michael Johnson tracking field, when I saw him win that Olympic gold medal with his infamous goat shoes. I was nine years old, dude. And that shit changed my life forever, man. There was an inspiration that came within me when I saw this dude win. I was just like, whoa. It wasn't even about the gold medal. It was like, what the fuck? I want to know what that dude is. I want to know what it feels like to be the best in the world.
- [24:05]
Daniel Cormier
Had you wrestled yet?
- [24:06]
Henry Cejudo
No, No, I had no idea. I had no idea that wrestling even existed.
- [24:10]
Daniel Cormier
Really. Do you remember when you first found wrestling and how you found it?
- [24:16]
Henry Cejudo
Oh, yeah, dude. Once I saw wrestling, dude, I was like. It was in junior high. My brother angel started wrestling first. And then he. I'll never forget because he came. He came over to the house. He's like, hey, Henry, you know, they. There's wrestling at school, bro. I'm thinking wwf, dude. Like, you know what? He's like, yo, like, this is crazy, dude. I was like, really?
- [24:36]
Daniel Cormier
I could hear his voice.
- [24:37]
Henry Cejudo
So then I was like, huh? Because, you know, you know, you know, you grew up in the hood, in the, you know, in the freaking baros.
- [24:43]
Daniel Cormier
You only know what you know.
- [24:44]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [24:44]
Daniel Cormier
You know, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.
- [24:46]
Henry Cejudo
Exactly, dude. So I'm just like, what the? Like, really? So I was already kind of curious about it. He's like, no, man. Like, this is like he was doing his best to actually explain it. I'm just like. I was still kind of mind boggled until I went to one of his wrestling meets. And that day I was just like, wow, my fucking heart was pumping, dude. I was like, whoa, these dudes are my size. Like they're competing. The principals coming up, giving them medals, like, awarding these dudes. Like, I was so accustomed to just fighting, fighting for ice creams in front of drunk Mexicans, that I was just in awe, dude. So the dream. The dream kind of came alive when I first saw it. And I knew that that's what I wanted to do even before I laced a pair of wrestling shoes on. Really? Because I love that one on one contact. You know what I'm saying?
- [25:32]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [25:32]
Henry Cejudo
Like, I. I saw, I saw that and I was just like, man, this is it. This is it.
- [25:36]
Daniel Cormier
Do you. You. And you took to it like a fish to water. Like you were good at wrestling right away, right away, right away. You're one of those kids that walked into. Because I know obviously we coach kids. You don't do it to the level that I do. But in terms of the time spent, if you wanted to, you could have the greatest club in the country. Just know that. But which angel does. But some kids just have it. When did you realize that, man, this may not be just my hobby, I may change my life. Because I got to tell you, Henry, when I was a sophomore in high school, growing up in the hood, bad student is kind of just like the norm. You're a bad student. You don't do what you're supposed to do. You're watching all these movies where the cool kids are kind of bullies and assholes and you don't do your schoolwork. And then my sophomore year, I won the state tournament and I was like, holy cow, maybe I can get a scholarship for this. And then I went to the world championships and I got third and I was like, oh, my God, wrestling is going to change my life. This is not going to just be what I do when I'm not playing football. This is what's going to like, determine my future. When did you realize that wrestling was going to be what you did and who you would become?
- [26:55]
Henry Cejudo
Oh, man, honest, dude. It was. It was getting a tape of Zeke Jones and my coach was very hard nose, very, very hard nosed dude. And I remember he gave the tape actually to my brother because my brother was already. My first year wrestling, man. I only lost like maybe three matches. I was like 30 and three.
- [27:14]
Daniel Cormier
I never won a match, my friend. My first time wrestling, I get beat every single weekend.
- [27:19]
Henry Cejudo
But he gave me this tape of Zeke Jones winning a world title against Valentin Giordanoff. Oh, yeah, that was a great match too, in 91. And bro, I would watch that every day, every day. Like how he beat him, you know, 91 in Bulgaria against, you know, the nine time world champ, Olympic champ. And to me, that was just like, I was just mesmerized by that. I was like, whoa. Like, dude, that is so. But it was an instruction. It will show you the match in the beginning and then it will show you the technique. So it was about, maybe about an hour and a half long, maybe two hours. And every Day, boom. Put the tape in. I would watch it. It. I was just like, you know, just watch it, dude. Every single day, dude.
- [28:03]
Daniel Cormier
Really?
- [28:03]
Henry Cejudo
I was able to really develop a lot of skill through that, you know, which was, you know, which is, you know, now I'm friends with Zeke, which is at that time, all the time. I was like, man, you know, we got into it one time, you know, a long time ago, but I'm like, bro, I owe you big time, man. Like, you're a big.
- [28:18]
Daniel Cormier
You're influenced.
- [28:19]
Henry Cejudo
Part of why I became what I became.
- [28:21]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah. It sounds like your life was pretty chaotic, right, Growing up, and then you get into wrestling, and it's about as chaotic as a sport can be, right? Because the person's trying to turn you over and pin you. He's wrenching on you, he's trying to hurt you. In most instances, you, especially as a kid. But for you, it was a bit of a safe space. How did it become. How did you learn to operate in that, right, Wrestling in all that chaos in front of all those people you had, from the little boy that was running around, playing in the dirt, in these full gyms, wrestling and winning, how did you find safety in that sport?
- [29:01]
Henry Cejudo
I think winning.
- [29:02]
Daniel Cormier
Winning, yeah.
- [29:03]
Henry Cejudo
Just desire. Cause I didn't have anything, so I think the feeling of winning was. Was precious. And obviously, the. I was such a sore loser, like, Daniel. Like, I was a.
- [29:14]
Daniel Cormier
Like, you start crying. You want them kids that run off the mat crying, they have to grab you like, Henry, stop.
- [29:18]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, punch. Like, I would do whatever. Like a fight.
- [29:21]
Daniel Cormier
Oh, my God.
- [29:22]
Henry Cejudo
I just. Just, you know, just. Just a kid that, you know, like, the frustration, like, how can you beat me?
- [29:28]
Daniel Cormier
Well, it was also. It was probably also because, like, for the first time, right, in life on the wrestling mat, you didn't have to be the kid that stole shit. You didn't have to go to bed hungry. You knew in wrestling that if I did what I'm supposed to do, I'm supposed to be the best. And there's like a. There's something to that, right? Like, I'm the best. Here. Here's the problem, though. When you're the best so early, right, you don't deal with the growing pains. So when it does show itself, you act out. I see it in a lot of kids. So my question to you is, wrestling becomes our identity at some point. Did it happen for you way too early?
- [30:07]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think so. Like, it happened. It happened. It happened super, super early.
- [30:16]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [30:16]
Henry Cejudo
You know what? I'm Saying, but there's always like. But at the same time, I never really felt accomplished. And this is a fact because I, I dreamt about the Olympics just about every day. Yeah, like every day. As an 11 year old kid when I first started wrestling, I was like, man, I want. What is Zeke Jones? What did he feel like? What was Michael Johnson feeling like? Like, like the dream was always that it wasn't. It wasn't the States or the nationals or all that. Like it was, it was always so freaking.
- [30:47]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah, Henry.
- [30:48]
Henry Cejudo
Which was crazy, man. I don't know if people.
- [30:50]
Daniel Cormier
No, bro, let me take you this. I swear to God. I had this conversation the other day when I was watching the Olympics in 96, same one as you. I saw Kurt Angle win his Olympic gold medal with a broken neck. They made a big deal about the story. And I said to my friends, I go, I want to be a world champion. I said, I'm going to win the Olympics. And everybody goes, this dude is crazy because guess What? There are 8 billion people in the world. How many people can set a goal that big and go, I want to be the best in the world at something, just anything. Imagine. To say I want to be the best in the world at anything is crazy because most people think that if you're just okay, you're okay. But I believe only the crazy ones can do what we did because you have to say it and believe it, especially as an 11 year old kid. So to me it doesn't sound crazy, but to the general public, everybody's like, well, Henry's a crazy ass kid. So yes, it becomes your identity. But for me, it didn't happen till I was a teenager at 11 years old, that, that's crazy that you could see that at such a young age. Yeah.
- [31:55]
Henry Cejudo
And it's crazy and I tell people all the time, like those who want to succeed. And it's hard, it's hard for me to tell a kid at that age, like, have fun. Like if it's in them, I could. The only thing that I could do is like, hey man, you're going to go through a lot of shit, man. Like, like I almost have like real talks with an 11 year old kid.
- [32:12]
Daniel Cormier
You acting like your mama.
- [32:14]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, I'm just like, hey, you're, you're gonna, you're gonna have to understand this is a process.
- [32:20]
Daniel Cormier
You could tell, bro.
- [32:21]
Henry Cejudo
And you, and you, you have to be willing to know what it's like to feel pain. Like pain of losing. You know what I'm saying? And obviously the, you Know the throw of victory. But, like, if you can really take the pain of losing but see the big picture, you're special.
- [32:40]
Daniel Cormier
You know, there's gonna be. I always tell. I'm like, yo, there's gonna be pain either way. There's gonna be pain in the training room. There's gonna be pain when you lose matches. But the greatest pain in the world is regret. The pain of regretting something. There's nothing like it. So you might as well put yourself in a position to try and experience that thrill of being the best, because if you don't go through all those emotions, you don't become Henry Cejudo that so many people know. But you go from sleeping in a car, sleeping in a house that doesn't have beds and rooms, and you get called up to the Olympic Training Center. As a teenage kid, what was that like? Like leaving so young, away from your family to go chase a dream? Now that I'm talking to you, a part of your story. I didn't know it was a dream that you had been dreaming about for six years already by the time you're 17. But what did that look like? What did that feel like as a young boy leaving home?
- [33:43]
Henry Cejudo
Nah, dude, it was. It was easy, Daniel.
- [33:46]
Daniel Cormier
It wasn't scary.
- [33:46]
Henry Cejudo
It wasn't scary, man. It was a privilege. And the ironic part about it is you were able to, you know, to kind of witness a little bit. Obviously, you're getting ready for the Olympics. It was in 2004, is when you're, you know, you're trying to make a run to actually become a gold medalist and shit. I watched you. I watched Jamil Kelly, Stephen Abbas. Like, I was in the room. Yeah. So I was actually invited to be a training partner for Patricia Miranda.
- [34:12]
Daniel Cormier
Yep.
- [34:12]
Henry Cejudo
Because I was the only guy that could really compete with her. I was small, and I resembled a lot of what the Japanese brought to the table. Low singles. So then Townsend Saunders, who was an Olympic silver medalist, you know, he was, you know, he worked with us in Arizona for a little bit, and he. And apparently he was Trishand, was working with Patricia Miranda. And she's like, hey, I have the perfect. I have the perfect kid for you. So she ended up coming down to work with me, you know, and obviously, you know, I. I did my thing, and they're like, we need you. So they said, hey, we'll. We'll bring you out periodically.
- [34:48]
Daniel Cormier
Like.
- [34:49]
Henry Cejudo
Like, you know, we'll bring you, you know, to the Olympic Train center in Colorado Springs, and you go home, spend time with your Family. I'm like, dude, I don't. Just fucking keep me there. Really, keep me there. Yeah. So I told them. They took me up. They took me up on it. But because I was training with the women's Greco and then freestyle and I did that for like a whole month. And they're like, man, this kid really has desire and passion to become the best in the world. Like legit. But they're like, dude, go. Like, Like, Henry, get out of the restroom. Like, go. Like, get out of here. Like, go rest. Go do something. And I'm just like, no, no, no. This is home to me. Yeah. Food bad. It felt weird, dude. It felt weird for the first time.
- [35:30]
Daniel Cormier
Having all that stuff.
- [35:32]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Having my own bad. Like zinc.
- [35:34]
Daniel Cormier
But can I ask you this? Were you ever guilty? Like, because your family, did you leave them in the same situation? Your mother and everyone else? I had their situation gotten better to where when you left, they were in a better place or was it kind of the same?
- [35:50]
Henry Cejudo
No, I think. I think, like I go back into, you know, to say, you don't know what you don't know. Like, it's just. I'm selfish, man.
- [35:58]
Daniel Cormier
What is the only way to be the best?
- [35:59]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, it was me. It was all or nothing. So when I got invited to. So when I got invited for that whole month, I ended up from Colorado Springs. I ended up going to Fargo, North Dakota, which is the toughest tournament in freestyle. I ended up winning both styles. And then Sergey Vilaglaza kind of discovered me a little bit. He was like, man, this kid is special. And it meant so much to me to hear from Sergey Belaglaza, who was a two time Olympic champ, six time world champ. Yeah. He was the best to say, this kid's gonna be Olympic champion. This kid's an Olympic champion. I was like, fuck, dude. That meant the world to me to hear from somebody that's already done it. Because I would always ask him, like, sergey, what does it feel like to be the best in the world? Like, what does it feel like? And I would always ask him, like, almost up just about every day, you know, he would have given me like, yeah, yeah. You know?
- [36:52]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah. He kind of was like, yeah, sir.
- [36:53]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. It just is good. Like, yeah. And then move on. Yeah.
- [36:57]
Daniel Cormier
Come on, dude, give me a little more than that.
- [36:59]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Give me a little more than that.
- [37:00]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [37:01]
Henry Cejudo
But I'll never forget it because I wrestled him for the first time and this is when I first landed at the training center and I think he took a liking to me. Because he saw me. He beat me up a little bit. I was like. And I didn't know who the hell he was. I did not know who the hell he was. And he was being a dick too, man. Yeah. Because he saw my frustration. Like, he bumped me like, you know what I mean? Like, like he took me down and then I was like, he can see that I was trying to like cry, bro. Like, I was so frustrated, you know? I do. This dude's like, put. He's old.
- [37:30]
Daniel Cormier
Next levels. Next level.
- [37:31]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. And I'm just like, boom. And I think I might have got a takedown or something. And then. And then after, like he saw me in the corner. You saw him in the corner? Whatnot. Like I told you, like, he kind of came up to me, like, he kind of like, like hit me like, you know what I'm saying? Like, he's kind of teaching me something. And then I'll never forget it because somebody came up to say, hey, do you have any idea who you just wrestled? And I'm like crying, bro. I'm like, I'm like pissed, dude. Like, my first week there and I'm getting beat up by an old man in front of freaking a bunch of people. He's like, that's Sergey Bela Glasa, my two time Olympic champ. Fucking world champ. I'm like, what? Like my phrase just went.
- [38:05]
Daniel Cormier
I was like, whoa, I'm surrounded by greatness.
- [38:08]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. I'm just like, man, this is, this is the. I just had. I had no idea. And I'm just like, man, like, it meant like I was able to go from crying to like to say, man, fucking thank you.
- [38:18]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [38:19]
Henry Cejudo
Like, thank you for giving me that time. Thank you for being a dick.
- [38:23]
Daniel Cormier
That's what the training center is, man. When you're in there, you're just like with everybody day by day, you know, a lot of these young athletes that are so special, right? Because we are all special in our own way, but not like you, because we don't get plucked out of our communities and. And stuck into that situation. Do you ever think back to your childhood and go, man, I missed a lot. Do you ever think, like, I missed a part of growing up because I always. I. You had to have like proms and dating as a kid and you gave all that away.
- [38:57]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, yeah, sure, maybe. But I don't. I was so in love with the dream that, that I just. That stuff didn't just never existed.
- [39:10]
Daniel Cormier
But then what about this, though? You're in high school with those with such an elite Mindset. Were you able to even communicate with the kids around you? Like, was it hard to talk to them and make friends? And was it hard because you were thinking on such a different level?
- [39:29]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, yeah, it was. I mean, I think that's one of the things that maybe I could have had a little bit more fun, like, if you know what I'm saying. But, yeah, and naturally, I've always kind of been. Naturally. Since the beginning, I've always been cocky.
- [39:42]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [39:42]
Henry Cejudo
There's always been a little cockiness to me, you know what I'm saying? Prior to even wrestling, prior to even winning, there's just a belief, but it was. It was kind of. It was a belief, but I'm almost to a more of extent, like, I'm gonna show you, then I'm gonna taunt you and troll you while I do it type of mentality.
- [40:00]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [40:00]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? So I've kind of always been like that. But obviously the wrestling did humble me. So then even part of my retirement, I was so far into wrestling that the year of 2007, you were there. World championships. Trained my ass off, dude. Did the whole thing. Didn't score a point at the world championships. Didn't. Just didn't do anything. Got attacked by the Iranian first match. And I feel like that's. That the time where, like, my, like, the love of the, like, the pain. We talk about pain.
- [40:29]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah, pain.
- [40:30]
Henry Cejudo
The pain started to really just take a toll on me.
- [40:33]
Daniel Cormier
Nothing.
- [40:33]
Henry Cejudo
Nothing physical, but just the pain of hurt. But still then I still kept my eye on the prize. Like, I still had that dream while feeling the hurt. Like, I still believed in the dream, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, but, man, I was struggling to really still try to keep that dream and kind of still feed it and elevate it and give it shine and feed it water. You know what I'm saying?
- [40:57]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [40:57]
Henry Cejudo
While still feeling that pain. So I started kind of struggling there, and I think that was here that I was like, man, I'm getting. I'm getting sick of this.
- [41:05]
Daniel Cormier
You started to burn out a little.
- [41:06]
Henry Cejudo
Bit.
- [41:09]
Daniel Cormier
As you would expect.
- [41:11]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. But, yeah, I think maybe burnout, maybe just maybe just more just getting sick of it. Like. Yeah, like. Like, I just didn't want to feel the pain of losing. So a lot of people ask me, like, dude, what was the secret to becoming Olympic champion? I was like, bro, yeah, of course it was desire. Of course it was a dream, childhood dream, but it was. It was probably more of not feeling the pain of Losing that wanted me. The Olympic Games, I did not want to feel that shit anymore. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, I had. Even. Even in Beijing, bro, I had thought about fucking jumping on the plane and just leaving, like, you know what I'm saying? I was like, dude, I've worked my whole life in these next two weeks, like, shit's about to go down, and what if I don't win?
- [41:49]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [41:50]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying?
- [41:51]
Daniel Cormier
That's what I was going to say, man. Did you feel like you had to win? A lot of people made a lot of sacrifices for you to be who you are, and there's a lot of pressure that comes with not doing it. But when you tell me, I thought about maybe just flying off, like, was that a. A fear of failure for yourself, but also Coach Brands, Coach Jackson, coach, you know, everyone that did it, or was it more just internally, like, I've got to get this done for myself.
- [42:20]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. Yeah. No, it was. It was that. It was like, I'm so. I've given so much. You know, I've given so much that now it's like. Like, kill me. Like, in order for you to, like, to beat me, like, you're going to have to kill me, man.
- [42:35]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [42:36]
Henry Cejudo
Like, if I lose, like, I'm going out. I'm going out swinging like that. Like that type of. Like. Like, never have I felt that before. Like, I was so committed and to even know that I was done wrestling after this tournament, Like, I knew that I did not want to do this no more. So it's the same reason why I gave them my all. It's the same reason I was, you know, 12 hours later, bro, I was seeing the American flag quiver up and then hearing the national anthem, like, what the. So even when I did win, and it was special to me because even when I grabbed that. Even when I grabbed that flag, I thought about it so much when I was a little kid that I thought about my whole childhood and everything that kind of happened and. But it was like a relief. That was.
- [43:20]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [43:21]
Henry Cejudo
Knew it. Like, I knew it. If I just dedicated, still kept that dream alive, that if I put every ounce that I had that it would. It would. It would happen to you. So a lot of it was sadness, too. Too.
- [43:34]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [43:35]
Henry Cejudo
It was like a sadness victory to say, hey, man, I don't want to do this no more, but here you go. Like, you gave me everything.
- [43:40]
Daniel Cormier
But that comes from the pressure because again, Henry, everybody expected you to do well from a little boy when you win Fargo. As many times as you have, and maybe you didn't recognize the pressure, Maybe you didn't recognize all that expectation. And when you did it, it's like a relief off of you. But when you win that gold medal that you've dreamt about for so long, did it feel finished? Did the story feel finished? Did anything feel like, left in wrestling? Or were you like, man, I am complete.
- [44:09]
Henry Cejudo
No. Yeah, I am complete. Like. Like, my goal was never to be a Jordan Burroughs, which. Ooh, fuck, man, I admire dudes that could just complete wrestle, win world titles, Olympic Games. Like, bro, I admire those dudes more than anybody. Swear to God, I just wanted to become a world champion. When I felt that dose of becoming the best in the world, bro, it's just priceless, man. It's like. It's like, bro, like, what I thought Michael Johnson felt, it was a hundred times that it was.
- [44:39]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah. You know, I was like, whoa.
- [44:41]
Henry Cejudo
I'm like, whoa. It's like you reach every emotion. It's unexplainable. It's just. It's a. It's like if you hit up the. The best drug ever, and you're just happy, sad, all these emotions run through your body, and it gives you a movie of your whole experience. We're just like, man, this is what. This is what death and life feels like.
- [45:01]
Daniel Cormier
It's hard, too, because I tried. I wanted to win the Olympics very bad. Like, I know how hard it is to do what you did. We talked about your family, your mom, obviously, your brother. Angel plays a big part in your life. You know, you guys have done so many things together, but you guys have dealt with highs and lows in your family. Like, how have you dealt with all the ups and the downs? Obviously, you guys had a terrible tragedy in your life very recently. How have you dealt with all those ups and downs in the family, especially after becoming who you are, the Olympic champ, the world champion. You know, losing a sibling is as hard as anything you do. How have you dealt with all of that?
- [45:48]
Henry Cejudo
Oh, man, I. Man, it's. That's a good one. Dc, I don't even know. I'm kind of. I'm kind of. Yeah, that one's hard, man. It's. You know, something's just. You know, something's just hurt.
- [46:03]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [46:04]
Henry Cejudo
And. But it's. It's also. It's also, like, beautiful, too, man, to feel those emotions, you know, like my sister, man, who passed away, you know, 20, 23, about. It's going on three years, man. It's. It Was it. It's. I think that's the hardest thing that's happened to the family, man. You know, because she played a big role as a mother, man. Like, cuz my. My mom, you know, God bless her, man, she did her best that she could do, but my sister played like a big role in, like, being that mother figure. You know what I'm saying?
- [46:37]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [46:38]
Henry Cejudo
And to see her like, go at the age of 40, like five days, shift shiver, 41st birthday, it's just. It just hits, man. It just. It hits really hard. But I think life has also prepared us for that. The. Those circumstances of having freaking, you know. What is a cpi? Cpa. What's the.
- [47:03]
Daniel Cormier
Okay, yeah. Child Protective Service, cps.
- [47:05]
Henry Cejudo
From leaving, from us leaving from place to place and things like that. It's just being raised so young at a very young age is just. It's just somewhat engraved in you. And I think it teaches you, man, that we're just, you know, we're just. We're all journeymen to this life. We're all gonna die, man. You know what I'm saying? And. And man, even my sister, man, she's super, super gangster. Like, she was like, no, man, like, I'm. I'm ready to go, man.
- [47:30]
Daniel Cormier
Really.
- [47:30]
Henry Cejudo
So we're able to all be there. I'm just like. She's like, yeah, you don't want to go through the whole thing's like, no, I don't want you guys to see. See me like this. And she fought, man. She fought to the very, very. Damn it. And that's something that I could just admire. Do from somebody. But I. And I don't know if you've gone through this, dc, but I was even telling, like, like, sister, like, it's like, that's it, man. Like, we're all gonna go one day. Like, I'll see you later type of thing.
- [47:55]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [47:55]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? It was just like, God, Lee, you don't know how strong your family is or how strong you are until some shit like that happens. And you're just able to face it and, And. And accept it.
- [48:08]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah, that's. That's the hardest part. Yeah. Once you accept it, though, then you realize, like, my. When my mother passed, I was so against it. I did everything right. When you start to get stuff, money, right, you start. You want to keep them here, so you start spending and spending and spending, and you're trying to. Everything in your power to do everything you can to keep them here. And then when they go, it's Almost like you realize, like, you might have been a little selfish. Because my mom was suffering. Yeah, right.
- [48:41]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [48:42]
Daniel Cormier
But because we didn't want to hurt. We were trying to keep her here, and she was hurting because my dad passed. Once my dad passed, my mom was like. She was on just a walk to the finish line.
- [48:54]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [48:54]
Daniel Cormier
She didn't want to be here anymore.
- [48:56]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah.
- [48:56]
Daniel Cormier
But we. We just kept giving her that we needed her. And it was like, once I can accept that she was probably resting in. In a better place now I'm like, I'm happy because she wasn't the person at the end that I knew the strength that I. I found from her. Yeah, right. It wasn't there. And so I think when we accept that you're right, we're all going to go and just be happy with the time that we had with them. It's amazing. And I'm glad that you guys got the time with your family and with your sister, and she was able to impart a lot of wisdom and knowledge on you guys. You know, you've lived a life in the public eye. When it's all said and done, what do you want people to, like, not remember you for? Like, what do you want them to understand about Henry Cejudo? Because understanding Henry Cejudo is much different. I think once people watch this, they have a better idea. What do you want them to understand about Henry Cejudo?
- [50:02]
Henry Cejudo
I think maybe I'll get more fans. Dc, Somebody that had a dream, that just went for it, that was willing to sacrifice, man, that was willing to really go out there, put the ego aside, a humbleness. Even though I portray the triple C, the cringe, the Persona. No, somebody that was really an honesty, a humbleness to him that said, hey, man, let's go out and actually go for it. Like, let's. Let's jump off this plane and let's skydive. You know what I'm saying? I think that's the biggest thing, and I think that's the only thing that I could honestly tell people. And even. And even, you know, with my career, man, like, you know, I want to give back, to see. I enjoy giving back. I think that's the purpose in life, too, man. How can we serve?
- [50:49]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [50:49]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? And it's a fulfillment, too. And it's not a fucking Miss Universe type shit. Like, no, it's real. You know what I'm saying? So I feel blessed, Daniel, with my career, with everything that I've done in combat sport. There's Such a satisfaction. But I think now it's that, it's that next. It's that, it's bringing up that next generation.
- [51:10]
Daniel Cormier
There's a little boy right now, little Mexican boy watching, that's going to watch and he's going to say, man, Henry Cejudo can do it. Hell, he might be in South Central la, he might be in Gilroy, right? We got a lot of Mexican kids. What do you tell that kid, right, that's dealing with the bad dad, with the cps, with all those things, Henry Cejudo, the Olympic champion, the two time UFC champion. What do you tell that boy about the struggle? Because, man, there's some dark nights for a lot of those kids, some hard nights for those kids.
- [51:43]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, man, it's part of life, you know, you don't know what you don't know. And you know, your best friend is actually adversity. That's what makes you, you know, when you have a better opportunity to really make a difference, then you could do that for your kids. Like I'm doing now, like you're doing with your kids. Yeah, but adversity is your friend. Adversity is your homie essence.
- [52:06]
Daniel Cormier
I want to get, I want it really fast before I let you go. MMA gave you something completely different to chase. There was there a void once you thought, I'm so done with the wrestling, but when there was not competition, was that void hard to fill? That's why you started fighting mma, because I never quite understood why you, Henry Cejudo didn't say, you know what, I'm just going to go do something in wrestling and make a boatload of money doing that. You chose fighting though, was it because there was just a void in that part of your life that needs that competition?
- [52:38]
Henry Cejudo
No, no, no. I just, I was a fan of the sport. Like, it wasn't a money graph. Even though at the end it kind of was. Yeah, it was more of me being a fan of the game and I'm just like, whoa, like this is now you could actually, you know, it's just, it was more of that, know what I'm saying? So it was, man, this is back in the early 2000s. I remember as a family in the 2000s, 2001, we would rent like these videos of these VHS's of UFC 1, 2, 3, and I would see Mark Kerr, Mark, Mark Coleman, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell. Like all these wrestlers going in there just dominate since the beginning, since the beginning of the game. I'm like, man, I want to Be a part of that.
- [53:21]
Daniel Cormier
That.
- [53:21]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying?
- [53:22]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [53:22]
Henry Cejudo
So it was. So it was always admitted to do that. Even though at one point I was sick of competing already. Like, I wanted to do something, obviously, with this mind rather than always the physicality of it. I. I never thought, Daniel, that I would be competing at that for. For this long. Dude, I'm about to turn 39, dude. Yeah, you know, in a couple months. I'm sorry. Next month, in a couple weeks. February 9th.
- [53:45]
Daniel Cormier
You've been. But you've been. And not even just competing.
- [53:48]
Henry Cejudo
Competing at a high level, at the highest level. So I don't think people will really ever fathom, you know, of me, like, leaving, like, even in my prime, when I was 33 years old, I was just. It's that satisfact is that. It's the satisfaction leaving on top.
- [54:03]
Daniel Cormier
I tell people I never fought in my athletic prime. The first time I fought Jon Jones, I was 36.
- [54:13]
Henry Cejudo
I know. I agree.
- [54:14]
Daniel Cormier
I was 30.
- [54:15]
Henry Cejudo
I tell people that.
- [54:16]
Daniel Cormier
We fought. The second time, I was 38 years old.
- [54:19]
Henry Cejudo
I had motor changes, bro.
- [54:21]
Daniel Cormier
I had wrestled in my first World Championships at 16. So I was. Till 41. 25 years of competing at the highest level. So I get what you're feeling, but mma, you accomplished some great things. So I asked the question, the Olympic gold medal moment, the double champion moment, which one to you sits above?
- [54:44]
Henry Cejudo
Oh, man, the Olympics, man.
- [54:46]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [54:47]
Henry Cejudo
Okay. Because it's just. It's such a childhood dream, like, you know, within the UFC title and, you know, this, bro. Like, there's people that have time, like, what the. Like, really?
- [54:55]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [54:56]
Henry Cejudo
That could become a UFC champ. Like, but there's just something special about the Olympics. It's. It's the oldest sport in the world. It's, you know, wrestling, marathon is considered the oldest sport in the world. There's just something that's just different about it, that it's been around for so long, that you get the purity of. The purity in that sport where you got to be good everywhere.
- [55:17]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [55:17]
Henry Cejudo
You know, it's not just the fucking infamous right hand or, you know, top control.
- [55:22]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [55:22]
Henry Cejudo
Like, bro, you got to have it all to be the. You know, to be the big. The Big Kahuna.
- [55:28]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [55:28]
Henry Cejudo
You know, and I think that's what. And the reality is, like, winning a UFC title is like a goal. Winning the Olympics is a fucking dream.
- [55:36]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [55:37]
Henry Cejudo
Like, bro, like, you're just like, I would. You would. I would wake up after I won the Olympics just out of pure excitement. I couldn't Sleep broke. I was just like, I'm an Olympic champion. Yeah. I never really thought that. With the ufc.
- [55:49]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [55:49]
Henry Cejudo
That's crazy.
- [55:50]
Daniel Cormier
You know what I'm saying, Henry? Now you're a dad, you're a husband, you're a businessman, real estate. You in. I see your water company here right now. What's it called?
- [56:01]
Henry Cejudo
It's called One Water.
- [56:03]
Daniel Cormier
This.
- [56:03]
Henry Cejudo
This thing is gonna. You guys are gonna. You guys are gonna remember this right here. This is innovation, technology of the year. You know, we're launching here. You know, it's already in about. Close to about a thousand stores here in America. And the unique side of this, it's, you know, magnetic. No, no.
- [56:22]
Daniel Cormier
You think.
- [56:22]
Henry Cejudo
You would think it is. No, check it out. It's just the plastic of it, you know, it's the way that it's actually preformed and it's able to stick.
- [56:30]
Daniel Cormier
They fit into each other.
- [56:31]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, they do.
- [56:32]
Daniel Cormier
This is pretty good, Henry.
- [56:33]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah. So these are. These are some of the projects, man, that. That I'm involved. You know, I own 15 homes. I'm about, you know, by the end of this year, I'm probably going to have close to about 70. I don't think people know, like. I think people see the cringe. But if you really start to dissect and see the, you know, the. The ambitious side of business that I have, I'm doing very, very well.
- [56:52]
Daniel Cormier
How do you. How did you apply that, all the lessons from the mattress into business?
- [56:58]
Henry Cejudo
Well, it's just. It goes back to that little kid that I don't. I don't. Maybe I don't want to go back to that little kid again.
- [57:04]
Daniel Cormier
You don't?
- [57:04]
Henry Cejudo
I don't.
- [57:05]
Daniel Cormier
I'm telling you because.
- [57:06]
Henry Cejudo
Because it is real.
- [57:07]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [57:07]
Henry Cejudo
Because it is real. And you could go back if you do stupid shit.
- [57:11]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [57:11]
Henry Cejudo
You know what I'm saying? So maybe speaking about it now. Yeah. Maybe there is a little bit of haunting, of going back to that growling stomach, which is crazy.
- [57:22]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah. And your kids.
- [57:24]
Henry Cejudo
Oh, my kids are good, dude. They have no idea, man. Boy, boys. Yeah, There.
- [57:29]
Daniel Cormier
Is he gonna wrestle?
- [57:30]
Henry Cejudo
I hope so. I hope so, but I cannot push it. Yeah, Pablita, we were talking about him earlier.
- [57:35]
Daniel Cormier
He's good, man.
- [57:36]
Henry Cejudo
We kept him as a little kid. We kept him as a kids because we knew. We kept him around the sport he could watch.
- [57:42]
Daniel Cormier
When did he start wrestling?
- [57:43]
Henry Cejudo
Like, 12, dude.
- [57:45]
Daniel Cormier
See, so the thing is, like, when he went to Fargo the first time and got beat, that was expected, because guess what? He hadn't experienced it yet. But because he's got a life in there. And it's. It's. My son now is not having the success that he wants. And I told him, maybe your success comes later. I'm his dad more than his wrestling coach, and I. I worry that sometimes that might. I may be too soft on him, but I trust that I've given him enough skill that it'll come together for him as long as he keeps working hard.
- [58:14]
Henry Cejudo
Yeah, yeah, it'll. It'll eventually. It'll eventually hit, man. Like, the skills and all that will eventually come in if he's, you know, if he's, you know, obviously he's around. He's around f. I mean, he got one of the top schools in the country as well. Yeah. But, yeah, I can only say, hey, man, that's a. That's a one man journey. Only he knows.
- [58:34]
Daniel Cormier
Only he knows.
- [58:34]
Henry Cejudo
And I think the biggest thing is when he makes that decision, you gotta.
- [58:39]
Daniel Cormier
Be there for him.
- [58:40]
Henry Cejudo
Well, yeah, when he makes that decision, you just got to support it, because I told that to Pablo. Dude, I'm kind of. I was kind of like a little dick to my nephew a little bit. I'm like, what? Like, what? Who the. Like, you know what I'm saying? I had a kind of comp. I mean, my brother almost started fighting a couple times.
- [58:52]
Daniel Cormier
Why?
- [58:52]
Henry Cejudo
Because I was just kind of hard. I'm like, dude, you're better than that. Like, you're better than that.
- [58:56]
Daniel Cormier
Like, why?
- [58:56]
Henry Cejudo
Like, what the hell is going on, dude? Your dad is like a technician, a wizard.
- [59:00]
Daniel Cormier
He is genius.
- [59:01]
Henry Cejudo
And I'm like, why is this stuff going on, dude?
- [59:04]
Daniel Cormier
Like, why are you losing his passion?
- [59:05]
Henry Cejudo
Which was wrong.
- [59:07]
Daniel Cormier
Well, it's just hard to see somebody you love not getting.
- [59:10]
Henry Cejudo
Not give their full potential. But when he did, I'm just like. I'm like, pablo, that's what I'm talking about. Yeah. When she made that decision, it all changed. So then I took him to the world championships when he won Fargo, I saw y'. All.
- [59:23]
Daniel Cormier
Yeah.
- [59:23]
Henry Cejudo
So he was able to watch. Like, no, this is my gift to you as your uncle. I'm taking you vip. We're going, doing the whole night. And then, boom, his eyes just started glowing. It's like, bro, like, I understand what you're saying. Like, I want to be a world champion now. Yeah. I truly do. And I just like. And you could do it.
- [59:40]
Daniel Cormier
That's the best. What you leave behind is what people are going to remember you for. All those titles are great, but ultimately, it's about the world. You leave behind. Are you going to leave it better than you found it, Henry?
- [59:53]
Henry Cejudo
I think so, yeah. Or better yet, I know so. Yeah, I know so.
- [59:57]
Daniel Cormier
That's all you can do, you know. Thank you for joining my guy. Guys, that was Henry Cejudo. Fantastic fighter, wrestler, father, coach. I just hope he doesn't start coaching too much because then his kids will start beating my kids and we can't have that. We just can't have that. Thank you, Henry, for joining me. Check out his water company and support everything this young man does. He is fantastic. Also, go watch Pound for Pound as him and Kamaru Usman's great podcast. Great podcast. Those guys do a tremendous job. Until next time, guys. Check. Tap in everything I'm doing. Hold on one second. Until next time, guys. Make sure you tap in everything Henry's doing. Hit that like button. Subscribe to the channel and always tune in to the Daniel Cormier show. Until next time.
- [60:43]
Henry Cejudo
Peace. This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.