In a highly anticipated bout at UFC Seattle, Henry Cejudo faced sharp criticism after his fight against Song Yadong was stopped. The fight ended when Cejudo couldn't continue following an eye poke in the third round, sparking a wave of debate among fans and analysts.
The foul led referee Jason Herzog to halt the action, granting Cejudo five minutes to recover. During this pause, a ringside physician evaluated him in the octagon. Despite his efforts to recover and resume the fight, Cejudo emphatically told his coaches at the end of the round, “I cannot f*cking see.”
Ultimately, the fight was stopped moments later, and Song Yadong was declared the winner by a technical decision, as three full rounds had been completed. The judges' scorecards read 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 in favor of Song, leading to a controversial outcome.
On Sunday, Cejudo shared a close-up photo revealing the damage to his eye, captioning it with terms like “diplopia, soft tissue damage, corneal abrasion.” He also addressed critics by stating, “he wanted a way out,” countering claims that he used the eye poke as an excuse to stop the fight.
Diplopia, or double vision, was cited by Cejudo as the primary issue impacting his ability to continue fighting. Despite the severity of the injury, Herzog chose not to penalize Song Yadong for the foul, a decision that influenced the final outcome. A point deduction could have resulted in a majority draw rather than Song's technical decision win.
Following the fight, Cejudo was absent from the post-fight media session, as he required medical attention at a local Seattle hospital. Despite his immediate call for a rematch with Song due to the unsatisfactory ending, UFC CEO Dana White dismissed the idea, stating, “I just don’t want to see it again.”
The eye poke incident brought an unfortunate end to the main event, with Song Yadong gaining momentum as the third round began. However, the foul ultimately concluded the match, leaving fans and fighters alike with unresolved feelings about the controversial bout.
