This past Saturday's UFC Seattle main event concluded in a controversial and unexpected manner when an eye poke prematurely ended the bout between Song Yadong and Henry Cejudo. The accidental foul inflicted on Cejudo occurred near the end of the third round. After a five-minute pause to allow Cejudo to recover, the fight briefly resumed, only for Cejudo to reveal his impaired vision as he headed into Round 4.
Referee Jason Herzog declared the fight over, prompting the judges to resort to the scorecards early. Consequently, Song was awarded the fight via a technical decision.
Commentating from cageside, Michael Bisping expressed his shock that Song was not penalized for the severe eye poke. "No. 1, I think we should have had a point deducted," Bisping stated on his YouTube channel. "And I don’t say that because I want to see Song Yadong’s career jeopardized or anything like that. No, I like Song Yadong, I’m very good friends with Urijah Faber, and I have a lot of respect for the whole team."
Bisping emphasized the need for fighters to face consequences for such fouls, especially given his personal history with eye injuries. "Eye pokes are terrible... If you start taking points, people will stop stretching their fingers out," he added. Bisping noted that both fighters had their fingers out during the third round, questioning why the referee did not intervene.
If Herzog had deducted a point from Song, the fight's outcome could have shifted dramatically. Song triumphed with scores of 30-27 and two 29-28s. A point deduction would have resulted in 28-28s, leading to a majority draw instead of a victory for Song.
As it stands, Song now holds a win over a former two-division UFC champion, while Cejudo's record has slipped to 0-3 since his return from retirement in 2023.
"Something needs to be done," Bisping asserted. "Stricter penalties need to be in place. There needs to be immediate consequences for people poking fighters in the eye. It’s as simple as that."
During the UFC Seattle post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White was questioned about the potential for an immediate rematch between Song and Cejudo. White dismissed the idea, stating, "Not at all."
Bisping believes a rematch could be warranted but questions whether it is the right move for Cejudo as his career winds down. "Song Yadong was declared the victor because they went to the scorecards and he should have won that, two rounds to one, maybe," Bisping reflected. "It’s a shame that it ended like that."
Both Song and Cejudo have shown interest in a rematch, voicing their agreement on social media. However, Bisping is uncertain if Cejudo will pursue this at 38 years old. "They say they’re going to run it back. Henry said he wants to run it back, Song said he’ll do that, it was his idea. But will Henry Cejudo do that at 38 years old? I really don’t know."
