Javon “Wanna” Walton knows exactly what Henry Cejudo has accomplished. He just does not think any of it gives Cejudo ownership of a boxing ring.
The 20-year-old Euphoria actor and professional boxer will headline Misfits Boxing against Cejudo on Sept. 26 in Miami. The matchup pairs Walton with an Olympic wrestling gold medalist and former UFC champion in two weight classes, but under rules where Cejudo has never competed professionally.
Walton enters unbeaten at 3-0-1 and told TMZ Sports that Cejudo “can’t handle my hands in the boxing world.” He respects what the 39-year-old accomplished in wrestling and MMA, but believes those credentials will carry far less weight once Cejudo is limited to boxing.
Walton predicted that after facing him, the former UFC champion will “want to go right back to the Octagon.” It is a confident prediction for a fighter who accepted the biggest name of his professional boxing career with less than two weeks to prepare.
Walton Took the Fight on Roughly Two Weeks’ Notice
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Walton was not originally supposed to headline the Miami card. Cejudo had been scheduled to box influencer Nurideen “Deen the Great” Shabazz before Shabazz withdrew because of an injury.
Misfits then turned to Walton and Most Valuable Promotions for a replacement. MMA Fighting reported that the change was announced Sept. 15, leaving Walton less than two weeks before fight night.
Walton said Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian brought the opportunity to him. He discussed the offer with his team, felt mentally ready and decided it was a fight he could not let pass.
The condensed schedule gave Walton only about a week and a half to two weeks of preparation. He told TMZ Sports that he was happy with the work his team managed to fit into the shortened camp and did not sound concerned about stepping into a main event without the benefit of a full training cycle.
Cejudo’s Résumé Is Not What Walton Plans to Fight
Cejudo’s credentials make the matchup unusual even by crossover boxing standards. He won freestyle wrestling gold for the United States at the 2008 Olympics before building a championship career in mixed martial arts.
Cejudo captured the UFC flyweight championship in 2018 and later added the bantamweight title, becoming one of the promotion’s select two-division champions. Walton is not questioning any of those accomplishments. His argument is that they came in sports with demands that will not be available to Cejudo on Saturday.
“This is my field he’s stepping in,” Walton said. He has boxed since childhood and believes the experience gap looks much different once Cejudo puts on boxing gloves and cannot rely on wrestling or MMA grappling.
That leaves Cejudo trying something professionally for the first time against a younger opponent who has spent years developing specifically for it. Walton’s prediction about sending him back to the Octagon comes from his confidence in that boxing background rather than an attempt to diminish Cejudo’s wrestling or MMA career.
Walton Has Been Building a Boxing Career Alongside Acting
Walton is still widely recognized as Ashtray from HBO’s Euphoria, but boxing was part of his life before his acting career made him famous. He began training and competing as a child before eventually turning professional as a teenager.
His Most Valuable Promotions profile lists him at 3-0-1 with one knockout. His professional career began in March 2024 with a unanimous decision over Joshua Torres, followed by a majority draw against Joshua Ocampo three months later.
Walton returned to the win column against Erik Hanley in December 2024, stopping him in the second round for his first professional knockout. He then faced Anthony Mora in September 2025 and went the full six rounds.
Walton won every round against Mora on each judge’s scorecard to earn a unanimous decision. The result moved him to 3-0-1 and gave him six more professional rounds before the opportunity to face Cejudo arrived.
Saturday gives Walton a considerably more recognizable opponent than anyone he has faced during that young career. Cejudo is 19 years older and has competed on some of combat sports’ biggest stages, but Walton is the one entering the ring with professional boxing rounds already behind him.
Cejudo and Walton Are Set for the Miami Main Event
The fight headlines Misfits Boxing at the James L. Knight Center in Miami and streams on DAZN. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, with the Cejudo-Walton main event coming later in the card.
The lineup also includes Tony Ferguson, another former UFC star who has moved into crossover boxing. Fox Townley, Justin Ibarrola, Dawson Myles Barrett, Louis Russell, Cherdleys and Nathan Barnatt are among the other names scheduled to compete.
Both headliners made weight Friday. Cejudo came in at 147 pounds, while Walton weighed 146.5 pounds before the two meet in the ring Saturday night.