Song Yadong Defeats Henry Cejudo by Technical Decision After Eye Poke Ends UFC Fight

A highly anticipated bantamweight fight between Song Yadong and Henry Cejudo took a disappointing turn on Saturday, ending in a technical decision after three rounds. The match, which was the main event at UFC Fight Night in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, saw Yadong (22-8-1) victorious over Cejudo (16-5) due to an accidental eye poke. The bout, originally scheduled for five rounds, was stopped after Cejudo was unable to continue because of impaired vision in his left eye.

Technical Decision and Yadong’s Call for Rematch After Cejudo’s Eye Injury

The fight was scored as a technical decision after the third round, with all three judges favoring Yadong. The scores were 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. The fight was allowed to go to the third round despite the eye poke, as Cejudo attempted to continue and completed Round 3. If Cejudo had been unable to continue immediately following the eye poke, the fight would have been declared a no-contest.

Following the unfortunate incident, Yadong expressed regret over the accidental nature of the eye poke and called for an immediate rematch. He acknowledged Cejudo as a “legend” and apologized for the way the fight ended, emphasizing that the result was not what he wanted. Yadong’s suggestion for a rematch highlighted his desire to make things right after the fight was prematurely cut short.

Cejudo’s Eye Injury and Performance A Competitive Fight and Desire for Rematch

Cejudo, who was fighting for the first time in nearly a year, revealed that he couldn’t see out of his left eye after the poke. Although he finished the third round, he felt his lack of vision would have made him vulnerable to further harm from Yadong. Despite the unfortunate end, Cejudo, 38, made it clear that he wasn’t considering retirement and expressed his interest in a rematch with Yadong, acknowledging the incident as part of the sport.

The fight itself was competitive, with both fighters having their moments. Yadong started strong, but Cejudo was able to land effective jabs and straight left hands as the fight progressed. Cejudo, a former Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, struggled to take Yadong down, opting for a stand-up approach.

Yadong outstruck Cejudo significantly, landing 84 total strikes to Cejudo’s 67. Cejudo also failed on all three of his takedown attempts during the fight. At the time of the bout, Cejudo was ranked No. 7 in the bantamweight division, with Yadong ranked just below him at No. 8.