A two-division UFC champion who once became the youngest Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history will step into a boxing ring for the first time next Saturday, and his opponent is a 20-year-old actor best known for playing Ashtray on HBO's Euphoria. Henry Cejudo faces Javon “Wanna” Walton in a Misfits Boxing main event at Miami's James L. Knight Center, a matchup that only came together after Cejudo's original opponent pulled out with an injury.
A Late Swap Sets Up the Miami Main Event
Cejudo was originally slated to make his professional boxing debut against Nurideen Shabazz, but Shabazz withdrew from the bout due to injury, according to Cleveland.com. Cejudo said in a statement to ESPN that Shabazz would be backing out and that Walton would step in as his new opponent. The two are now set to headline the Misfits Boxing card on September 26 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.
Walton is signed to Most Valuable Promotions. He said he accepted the fight without hesitation and that he stays ready for such opportunities.
Cejudo's Long Résumé, Rough Recent Stretch
Cejudo is a former UFC two-division champion who won both the flyweight and bantamweight titles during his mixed martial arts career. He posted a 16-6 record between 2014 and 2025 but has lost his last four fights, most recently falling by unanimous decision to Payton Talbott in December 2025, according to Cleveland.com's report. Long before his UFC run, Cejudo won Olympic wrestling gold at age 21 at the 2008 Beijing Games, making him the youngest Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history, and he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.
Cejudo's move to boxing follows his 2026 activity in another combat sport. He signed for a headline bout against Merab Dvalishvili at RAF 12 in August, a stop Hoodline previously covered in its report on Cleveland's combat sports scene.
Walton's Path From Child Actor to Undefeated Prospect
Walton, who turned 20 in July, is undefeated as a professional with a 3-0-1 record and one knockout. He's best known to television audiences for playing Ashtray in Euphoria, and he also holds acting credits in Samaritan, The Umbrella Academy and The Addams Family 2. His most recent professional fight came in September 2025, when he defeated Anthony Mora in Montreal, Quebec.
Boxing has been part of Walton's life since childhood. He began training at age four under his father, DJ Walton, and later signed with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions in July 2023 at age 17, according to Wikipedia. He turned professional later that year and is now signed to MVP, the same banner associated with the Cejudo fight.
Nearly Two Decades Separate the Fighters
Cejudo's championship pedigree stands in sharp contrast to Walton's youth and lifelong amateur pipeline. The gulf in professional boxing experience between a first-time pro debutant and an undefeated young prospect has drawn attention as a defining storyline of the bout, per Fightmag.
Why the Fight Is Happening in Miami
The bout will take place at the James L. Knight Center in Miami. The card is being staged under the Misfits Boxing banner.
Whether the matchup produces a competitive fight on September 26 remains to be seen.
