SUMMARY
- Henry Cejudo's sister Gloria Cejudo passed away in September 2023.
- Henry posted a heartfelt tribute for his sister.
Henry Cejudo, a former two-division champion in the UFC, is a family man through and through. The father of two children, Cejudo, lost his sister, Gloria Cejudo, in September 2023 due to cancer. The UFC fighter was terribly hurt as he wrote a heartfelt tribute to her on Instagram.
According to Gloria’s obituary on Ever Lover, she was born on September 19, 1982, in Los Angeles, California. Gloria attended the Grand Canyon University in Arizona to earn a degree in psychology.
Gloria had fitness in her blood as she was a “world traveler” and a “CrossFit junky”. She was also a gem of a person as she played a role in the SouthWest Key program, one of the largest, Latino-led nonprofit organizations in the United States. Gloria “dedicated herself to counseling and aiding many children, including victims of human trafficking.”
In an Instagram post in 2021, Gloria announced she had begun her battle with cancer. Two years later, however, she passed peacefully.
Henry Cejudo paid tribute to his sister as other UFC fighters joined in
Gloria suffered from gastrointestinal cancer and passed away in Playas de Tijuana, Mexico, on September 15, 2023. Henry took to his Instagram to post about his sister’s death. He wrote, “My older sister has been battling cancer for the last two years. I’ve never seen someone fight for their life like her.
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She played so many roles in my life including being my second mom. The most selfless person I have ever met. Thank you for teaching me about unconditional love. No more pain and suffering, rejoice with our Heavenly Father. Have those peaches in heaven you always wanted. Te amo y te quiero mucho mi hermana linda. Como te extraño. See you soon hermana Gloria Nelly Cejudo.”
UFC featherweight fighter Alexander Volkanovski wrote, “Sorry to hear brother. Condolences to you and the family”
UFC Hall of Famer Bisping wrote, “I really am so sorry brother. She looks like she was a beautiful soul. My sincere condolences to all of your family.”
Several more UFC fighters including Marvin Vettori and Aljamain Sterling paid their respects. Tracy Cortez, who considered Gloria a “big sister” dedicated her UFC Noche win to Gloria Cejudo.
Henry Cejudo’s second child was born a month after his sister passed away
Henry was born to Jorge Cejudo and Nelly Rico. Reports suggest he was the second-youngest of seven siblings. He had a disturbing childhood due to his abusive father. However, Cejudo was inspired by his brother Angel and pursued wrestling. Henry earned an Olympic gold and created a historic UFC career.
After taking up retirement in 2020, Cejudo reportedly got married to Ana Karolina in 2021. The Brazilian model and fighter were blessed with a daughter, Arizona, in 2021.
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In April 2023, Cejudo announced that the couple was expecting again. In October, Cejudo welcomed his second child, Enzo, to the world. On Instagram, he wrote, “Help us welcome our handsome little boy Enzo Carlos Cejudo. Life goes by so quick! I still remember vivid memories of me being a toddler. Welcoming another human with the beautiful little girl that we’ve been blessed with is beyond words.”
These few months were extremely tough for the UFC fighter. He had recently come out of retirement to face a loss against Sterling at UFC 288. In September, his sister passed away and a month later, his son was born.
In a YouTube video on his channel, his wife said, “He probably won’t talk about it all. He probably won’t say anything… But I do know that those things make difference and he feels like heavier.”
Karolina explained how Cejudo is a family man and what he is doing is to provide for his family. She said, “He’s not what you guys see on internet… He’s really smart man um he has a sense of humor and he [is] just like a free personality.
Karolina talked proudly about her husband stating that his comeback was also purely business. He wants to secure the future of his family.