Henry Cejudo recounts harrowing escape from fire: I was thinking this is a horrible way to die

Earlier this month, while visiting Santa Rosa, California for a celebrity golf tournament, UFC flyweight contender Henry Cejudo found himself trapped in a hotel in the midst of a raging fire. Ultimately, after jumping multiple fences and surviving burns and other injuries, Cejudo was able to escape the blaze – but he doesn’t think other people would have been so lucky.

“I’m talking about fire coming out the windows — like flame,” Cejudo said of the fire on the latest episode of The MMA Hour. “The whole thing is on fire.”

“I knew I was gonna get burnt,” he continued. “I didn’t mind getting burnt as long as I was able to breathe.”

“I was scared. I thought I felt adrenaline fighting. This is something I’ve never felt before. I was kind of in survival mode. I’m a fighter, I’m a wrestler. The only thing I know how to do is survive.

“I was thinking this is a horrible way to die, man. Maybe I deserve to die, but not like this.”

While Cejudo was able to escape, he unfortunately lost his Olympic medal, his Olympic ring and a belt his mentor made for him in the blaze. While these losses are unfortunate, however, he’s just happy to be alive. 

“I wasn’t even thinking about that,” Cejudo said. “I was like, man! I just dodged a bullet, man.

“I’m just happy to be alive. They’re like, ‘Aren’t you sad?’ Nah, I’m happy. I kissed the floor when i got back.”