Cejudo vs. Wanna Walton: Misfits Bout Flipped by Late Swap

Henry Cejudo will face Wanna Walton in Saturday's Misfits Boxing main event in Miami after Deen the Great pulled out of the original matchup roughly two weeks before fight night, a late swap that changes the entire complexion of the headliner.

Cejudo, the Olympic gold medalist and former two-division UFC champion, is making his Misfits Boxing debut at the James L. Knight Center. His new opponent is a 20-year-old southpaw who has been professionally developed as a boxer and also carries an acting credit. DAZN broadcast host Lauren Blake, who will be on the call for the card, called the shake-up exactly that.

"It was just absurd," Blake said. "Like, imagine, it's just such an unusual fight, and two weeks before fight night, Deen the Great drops out and they put Wanna Walton in, who is completely different. 20 years old, southpaw, has been professionally developed as a boxer, and has this acting credit behind him too."

Blake added that the change reshapes the entire fight. "But stylistically, the entire fight changes," she said. "So I think it's a really interesting move. It's definitely a curveball for everybody."

Why the Style Swap Matters for Cejudo

Trading Deen the Great for Wanna Walton is not a like-for-like replacement, and that's the whole story here. Cejudo, a wrestling-based combat sports legend making his transition into boxing, was presumably preparing for a different kind of threat before the switch. A young, live southpaw with real amateur and professional boxing pedigree is a different tactical puzzle on short notice, forcing fight week adjustments instead of a fully mapped-out gameplan.

For a fighter as calculated as Cejudo, who built his UFC legacy on precise, prepared performances, a late opponent change of this nature is the kind of variable that can matter more than in a striking-only matchup between two lifelong boxers. Camps don't get to fully retool for a new stance and a new age gap in two weeks.

The Betting Read

Markets tend to move on exactly this kind of news, and a stylistic curveball like this one is worth watching closely before fight night. Cejudo enters as the far more accomplished combat sports name and the betting favorite in most books given his UFC pedigree, but a live, unbeaten southpaw prospect brings more speed and craft than a late-replacement opponent typically would. Bettors leaning on Cejudo's name recognition should weigh that Walton's style, not just his record, is what actually shifted here. Line movement between the announcement and fight night is worth tracking for anyone circling this main event.

Saturday's card streams on DAZN from the James L. Knight Center in Miami.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Henry Cejudo fighting now in Misfits Boxing?

Henry Cejudo is now set to face Wanna Walton in the Misfits Boxing main event in Miami after original opponent Deen the Great pulled out about two weeks before fight night.

Why did Henry Cejudo's Misfits Boxing opponent change?

Deen the Great withdrew from the scheduled bout with Henry Cejudo roughly two weeks out, and Misfits Boxing replaced him with 20-year-old southpaw Wanna Walton.

Where is Cejudo vs. Wanna Walton taking place?

The Misfits Boxing card headlined by Henry Cejudo against Wanna Walton takes place at the James L. Knight Center in Miami and airs on DAZN.