Following his contentious loss at UFC Seattle, Henry Cejudo is setting the record straight: he insists he didn’t throw in the towel during his technical decision loss to Song Yadong. Cejudo revealed he sustained a corneal abrasion, not to mention other injuries, after taking an accidental jab to the eye.
Cejudo, a former champ in both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions, was in the spotlight once more as he faced off against perennial contender Song Yadong in a five-round showdown—marking the UFC’s return to Seattle.
In a highly anticipated clash, Cejudo ultimately lost via technical decision (with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27) after a serious eye poke left him unable to continue into the final rounds. The incident occurred in the last minute of the third round, compromising his vision and effectively ending his fight.
Critics were quick to question Cejudo’s inability to continue, but he took to social media to clarify that a corneal abrasion and other injuries were the real culprits, fiercely denying any accusations of quitting.
On his official account, Cejudo posted, “Diplopia, soft tissue damage, corneal abrasion. ‘He wanted a way out,’ really?”
Meanwhile, Song Yadong, showing good sportsmanship, apologized for the accidental eye poke that led to the controversy and expressed his willingness to offer Cejudo a rematch.
“I’m sorry, that was totally an accident,” Yadong admitted during a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Michael Bisping. “The result isn’t what I wanted either, but Henry is a legend. I think we should run it back for the fans and have another fight.”
Despite Yadong’s offer to step back into the Octagon with Cejudo soon, UFC CEO Dana White expressed no enthusiasm for a rematch happening anytime in the near future.
“Not at all,” Dana White stated during a post-fight interview. “Not even a little bit. I just don’t want to see it again.”
Thus, while the bout at UFC Seattle may have ended in controversy, it appears another meeting between Cejudo and Yadong is not on the cards for the foreseeable future.
