Henry Cejudo made his return to the Octagon over the weekend, but things didn’t exactly go as planned. The former two-division UFC champ was hoping to bounce back from his loss to Merab Dvalishvili last year, but Song Yadong had other ideas. And now he’s happy to call the referee for the fight and complain about poor decision-making on his part, much to public annoyance.
In the UFC Seattle main event, Cejudo suffered multiple eye pokes throughout the fight. The worst of them came late in round three, leaving him visibly compromised. When the break between rounds came, Cejudo decided he couldn’t continue, leading to a technical decision loss.
The result sparked some controversy, especially regarding referee Jason Herzog’s handling of the situation. Many, including UFC commentator Michael Bisping, argued that Herzog should’ve deducted a point from Yadong for the final eye poke. If that had happened, the fight would have ended in a majority draw instead of a loss for Cejudo.
Cejudo, clearly frustrated, took matters into his own hands, literally. He hopped on a call with Herzog and posted the conversation on his YouTube channel.
The former double champ told the referee he got it wrong that night. To Cejudo’s surprise, Herzog actually agreed, admitting he could’ve handled the situation better and maybe should have taken a point.
While Cejudo might’ve felt justified in calling Herzog, the public took to social media to call him out for what they saw as whining and damage control.
One fan bluntly questioned the whole situation and said, “Maybe I’m the oddball out here, but I think this is very strange. Win or lose, UFC fighters should not be talking to the referees outside of the Octagon.”
Others went straight for the jugular, criticizing Cejudo’s performance rather than Herzog’s officiating. “Sorry little fella, don’t blame Herzog, blame your game plan, execution, and Yadong. What a complete douche move.”, added another.
I think he was VERY lucky to be given around. If the point deduction would have led to a draw, that would have been one of the top robbery contenders of the year.
I think he was VERY lucky to be given around. If the point deduction would have led to a draw, that would have been one of the top robbery contenders of the year.
Sorry little fella, don’t blame Herzog, blame your game plan, execution and Yadong.
What a complete douche move.
— Mr. Sarcastic Logic (@Sarcasm_n_logic) February 26, 2025
Some thought Cejudo’s actions were worse than his performance in the octagon and said, “This gotta be a whole new low. You’re calling the ref and still bitching? Damaging your own legacy doing goofy shit like this.”
Another avid MMA fan pointed out the fallacy of Cejudo’s argument and explained, “Damn that is a total bitch move. Accidental eye pokes almost never get a point deducted unless it happens a second time.”
Damn that is a total bitch move. Accidental eye pokes almost never get a point deducted unless it happens a 2nd time.
— Chaosreigns (@chaosreigns111) February 26, 2025
Comparisons were even drawn to controversial boxing decisions, with one man adding, “Taking the L a la Devin Haney. What’s next, sue Herzog for not taking the point away? Just retire or suck it up and be better next time.”
And perhaps the harshest take of them all – “Then quit … he gave you 5 minutes for a reason. You knew you were down 0-3, and you knew you couldn’t see—it’s not his fault.”
Despite he criticisms, it should be noted that ‘Triple C’s‘ claims were legitimate. He even shared an update of his eye injury after the fight, and it really was as gruesome as it seemed.
Cejudo’s “Dent in my eye”
As if the loss itself wasn’t frustrating enough, Cejudo also revealed that the consequences of his fight with Yadong were still affecting him.
Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, ‘Triple C’ shared that he’s still struggling with vision issues. He explained that even while watching his fight replay, his vision remains blurry, and his eye hasn’t fully recovered.
“I’m still seeing double. Even as I’m watching the fight right now on the screen, my eye is still not good.”, he said.
“Luckily, I saw the ophthalmologist today and this is what she said, ‘If that pinky would have hit you in the pupil, you would be blind.’ I have a dent in my eye. It got freaking ruptured. It’s damaged, man.”, Cejudo added, rightfully scorned.
But the physical injury isn’t the only setback he’s dealing with—there was also a financial hit. Cejudo revealed that his technical decision loss cost him a hefty paycheck.
Missing out on his prize money cost him $150,000, a significant amount, especially since he has a family to support.
He explained that for him, it wasn’t just about winning or losing; the financial aspect played a major role in his decision to return to fighting in the first place. Reflecting on the situation, he admitted that experiencing a setback like this firsthand gave him a new perspective.
With back-to-back losses since coming out of retirement, Cejudo now faces an uncertain future. Whether he pushes forward or decides to step away for good, it’s clear that this latest fight has left a lasting impact.
