Henry Cejudo Set for Pro Boxing Debut

Henry Cejudo is adding professional boxing to a career that already includes an Olympic wrestling title and championships in two UFC divisions. Cejudo will face Nurideen Shabazz, better known as Deen The Great, on Sept. 26 at James L. Knight Center in Miami. Misfits Boxing is promoting the event, and DAZN will carry it in the United States.

The word “debut” is important here. Cejudo has boxed at amateur level and has spent much of his life training across combat sports, but he has never fought a sanctioned professional boxing bout. The Miami event will be the first entry on that record. It is a new competitive setting for the 39-year-old rather than an MMA comeback presented under different rules.

Why the matchup is a genuine change for Cejudo

Cejudo’s résumé guarantees attention, but it does not erase the adjustments required in a boxing ring. His Olympic gold medal came in freestyle wrestling, and his UFC titles were won through a blend of wrestling, speed and striking under MMA rules. Against Shabazz, he will compete without takedowns, kicks or the clinch work that helped define his best performances in the Octagon.

Shabazz has built his public profile as Deen The Great, first through online street-fight videos and then through influencer boxing. That makes the pairing easy to market, but the announcement is more concrete than a social-media challenge: the fighters have a date, a Miami venue, a promoter and a broadcast partner. The official event artwork places Cejudo and Shabazz at the center of the Sept. 26 card.

Cejudo has remained active outside MMA

The booking also fits the way Cejudo has approached competition since retiring from MMA in December. He has wrestled twice in 2026 and is scheduled to meet Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 12 before the boxing date. Moving between wrestling and boxing keeps him active while allowing him to pursue individual disciplines rather than immediately returning to a UFC schedule.

None of that makes the outcome predictable. Cejudo’s balance, timing and experience under pressure are obvious assets, while Shabazz has more familiarity with the professional boxing environment. The central question is how effectively Cejudo can translate his athletic strengths when his options are narrowed to punches, footwork and boxing defense. His amateur background gives him a base, but Sept. 26 will be the first time that work is tested on a professional record.

Boxing will also ask Cejudo to be more selective with his energy and his entries. In MMA, the threat of a level change can create openings for punches; in Miami, Shabazz only has to read the boxing attack. Cejudo therefore has to establish his jab, enter range without that familiar wrestling threat and win exchanges clearly enough for boxing judges. Those are technical details that make the debut interesting beyond the contrast between their public profiles.

Cejudo has not presented the booking as a promise of a long boxing career. For now, it is one confirmed contest and an opportunity to test another part of his skill set. What happens afterward should depend on the performance and on whether the format gives him the same competitive satisfaction he has continued to seek in wrestling.

• Cejudo will make his professional boxing debut against Nurideen “Deen The Great” Shabazz on Sept. 26.
• The bout is scheduled for James L. Knight Center in Miami, with Misfits Boxing promoting and DAZN broadcasting in the United States.

Cejudo’s past achievements explain the interest, but they are background rather than a substitute for the fight itself. On Sept. 26, he begins at 0-0 as a professional boxer and gets a direct test against an opponent already associated with that scene. The result will show whether this is a one-night experiment or the beginning of another competitive chapter.

Sources: ESPN MMA; Sherdog