"Triple C bends the knee to Triple H" - Henry Cejudo pays respect to WWE legend following latter's in-ring retirement

In a gracious show of respect, Henry Cejudo "bent the knee" to Triple H after the WWE star announced his retirement from in-ring competition.

The former UFC double-champion wrote on Twitter:

"From one guy who knows a little something about gold to another, congrats @TripleH on a legendary career. Today, Triple C bends the knee to Triple H."

Triple H, a marquee name of the highest order in the professional wrestling circuit, announced on Friday that he will not step inside the squared circle ever again.

In an exclusive interview with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's First Take, Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, detailed how his recent cardiac arrest led to this decision. He revealed that after suffering from inflamed lungs due to viral pneumonia, he started coughing up blood. Upon check-up, diagnosis showed fluid accumulation in his lungs and around his heart that eventually led to a "bad" heart failure.

Triple H's heart ejection fracture went down to as low as 12% while he was undergoing treatment, which in turn made him reconsider his professional future for the future of his family.

"I was nose-diving and sort of at the 1-yard line of where you don't want to be really, for your family and your future," Triple H said.

The 14-time WWE world champion has three daughters with wife, WWE chief brand office Stephanie McMahon.

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When Henry Cejudo called out WWE's Rey Mysterio

Henry Cejudo has often toyed with the idea of moving to professional wrestling. In a 2017 inteview with Fightful, he revealed that the WWE had reached out to him for a tryout but 'Triple C' chose to stick with MMA.

However, that did not stop him from calling out WWE superstars from time to time. At the UFC 249 post-fight press conference, Cejudo called out WWE veterans Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle, who happens to be a fellow Olympic gold medalist.

"I would love to beat up on Rey Mysterio. He can bend the knee too. And Kurt Angle," Henry Cejudo said when asked about a potential WWE appearance.

However, despite the simmering rivalry between the worlds of mixed martial arts and professional wrestling, it is clear that there is ample amount of respect between the athletes on both sides.