More than a month has passed since the controversial UFC Seattle headliner, and Henry Cejudo is still dealing with the aftermath of a severe double-eye poke delivered by Song Yadong. The illegal move was so intense that it served as a harsh wake-up call for ‘Triple C,’ prompting him to rethink his future. The main event clash between Cejudo and Yadong ended in contentious fashion, as the poke forced a significant break in the action at the end of Round 3. Although the former double champ insisted he was fine after taking the entire five-minute break time before continuing to fight, it later became clear that he was far from okay.
The fight ultimately concluded with a technical decision, and Yadong faced no penalties for the fouls. However, despite several medical checkups and treatments over the past month, Cejudo continues to experience issues with his vision. Speaking to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Cejudo shared his struggles with recovery:
“I sound like a crybaby, but it’s the worst injury I’ve had. I got a second opinion. I went to Sean (O’Malley’s) doctor. He said my eyes would be good in a month, but every time I watch TV or I look down, I still see double. It’s been a month Mike and it was a little pinkie that went inside (my eye). And I’m still not 100 percent. My doctor said it would be like another month.”
Cejudo also drew a comparison to Chan Sung Jung, better known as the ‘Korean Zombie,’ who experienced similar symptoms following an eye injury during his main event fight against Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night Busan. Despite defeating Edgar, Jung struggled with double vision afterward and ultimately required surgery to address the issue.
The injury led to a major realization for the Olympic gold medalist, prompting him to reach out to Marc Ratner about the need for stricter rules against eye pokes. Cejudo explained, “It’s a serious business, and I hope. I talked to Marc Ratner, they’re really going to make a change on eye pokes to where the warning is already out.”
Henry Cejudo’s vision is still compromised from Song Yadong’s eye pokes, and he’s leaning toward retirement after one more fight.
“I want to be able to play with my kids. I want to be able to not f*cking lose an eye.”
(Via @MikeBohn) pic.twitter.com/3FNvzBVSvP
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) April 3, 2025
As for his fighting future, Cejudo, now 38, has hinted at retirement after one final fight. He expressed his desire to face Song Yadong again but remains open to anyone the UFC might offer, saying, “One more and that’s it. If I can run it back with Song, I would be happy with that. But if it’s not Song, I would like anyone that the UFC’s willing to give me. I want to be able to play with my kids.”
With an impressive record of 16-5-0 in MMA and an Olympic gold medal in wrestling, Cejudo’s thoughts are naturally leaning toward a final dance to close out his storied career on a high note. Yet, after facing criticism from fans at a recent event, the question remains—will he be able to write the perfect ending to his legendary journey?
Henry Cejudo revealed how fans behaved towards him at UFC Mexico
‘Triple C’ was born in America but he holds the essence of his Mexican heritage inside him. For the unversed, he is the son of Mexican immigrant parents. However, some previous comments about his ancestry at an event for a Republican candidate, Kari Lake, might not have been forgotten by the Mexican fans. To show solidarity for Arizona’s possible governor candidate, Cejudo was requested to take the podium as a guest speaker at an event called ‘Friday Night Fight Night with Kari Lake’ back in 2022.
During the event, Cejudo said, “My message today, guys – as a Latino-American – because first and foremost I’m American… I was born in this country. I was raised in this country. You guys will me – as much as I love my culture – you guys will never see me with a Mexican flag.”
This irked the people of Mexico, and they decided to show their disdain for Cejudo recently at the UFC Fight Night event in Mexico City. When the former dual champ was shown on the big screen, he did not hear cheers and applause but a series of resounding boos from the huge audience. He expressed his heartbreak through an expression, but his Instagram post only had positive words for Mexico. He said, “Had a great time in Mexico City. Back to my home and native land #ProudAmerican #UFCMexicoCity.”
However, he did take the chance to return the jibe to the fans and posted a picture with veteran Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Gonzalez. He captioned the post, “First I got booed, then I got called to take a photo with the legendary @jcchavez. What an honor. Thank you!!! #UFC Mexico City.” So what’s next for Henry Cejudo? Will he get his last dance against Yadong or someone else? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post After Eye-Poke Forces Retirement Decision, Ex-UFC Double Champ Reveals Dana White’s Possible Step Towards a ‘Change’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
