One of the greatest résumés in combat sports added another line Saturday, as former UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo picked up a victory in his professional boxing debut.
Cejudo (1-0, 0 KOs) defeated actor and boxing prospect Javon "Wanna" Walton (3-1-1, 1 KOs) by split decision at Misfits Boxing at James L. Knight Arena in Miami. Two judges scored the four-round welterweight bout 39-37 for Cejudo, while a third had it 39-37 for Walton.
After the fight, Cejudo called for a future matchup against Nurideen Shabazz, better known as Deen the Great, who was supposed to face Cejudo on Saturday but withdrew because of injury.
"There's someone I was supposed to fight," Cejudo said of the influencer boxer. "Deen the Duck, where are you? This dude ducked me. It's time for me to put his ass down."
Walton, 20, who is best known for playing the character "Ashtray" in the HBO series "Euphoria," looked good in the opening round. Standing 5-foot-8, 4 inches taller than Cejudo, Walton utilized his height and reach to land a few good left hands. It did not take Cejudo long, however, to figure out his timing and range. He repeatedly caught Walton with the counter right hand and turned up his pressure in the fourth and final round.
It was a promising appearance for Cejudo. The 39-year-old has remained active since his retirement from MMA in December. In addition to Saturday's boxing contest, he has wrestled three times in 2026, against former UFC bantamweight champions Merab Dvalishvili and Urijah Faber.
"It was close. I knew he won Round 1, but I felt like the rest of the rounds were all me," Cejudo said of Saturday's bout. "I told him after, 'You're a lot tougher than I thought.' He's been doing this since he was 4 years old. He's got a bright future. It was on two weeks' notice. I told him that out of respect, I would love to run it back with him."
Walton is currently signed to Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.
