Henry Cejudo misplaced a battle and a win bonus within the UFC Seattle, and the aftermath might have been even worse.
This previous Saturday’s fundamental occasion resulted in controversy, when Cejudo was left unable to proceed following a Song Yadong eye poke. The scenario was muddled by Cejudo being poked late in Spherical 3, persevering with to compete till the tip of the body, after which saying he was unable to see heading into Spherical 4. Referee Jason Herzog known as a cease to the competition and the bout went to the judges, who awarded Tune a technical resolution.
In response to Cejudo, he suffered “diplopia, gentle tissue injury, corneal abrasion” from the foul, and Tune’s finger was truly near ruining his imaginative and prescient altogether.
“Issues are nonetheless blurry in my left eye,” Cejudo stated on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “I’m nonetheless seeing double. At the same time as I’m watching the battle proper now on the display screen, my eye continues to be not good.
“Fortunately, I noticed the ophthalmologist at present and that is what she stated, ‘If that pinky would have hit you within the pupil, you’d be blind.’ I’ve a dent in my eye. It freaking ruptured. … It’s broken.”
With the loss, Cejudo is now 0-3 since popping out of retirement in 2023 and hasn’t gained a battle since 2020. The previous two-division champion’s earlier losses throughout this run have been to then-bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and future champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298. Shedding to the much less heralded Tune is a bitter tablet to swallow.
Making issues worse for Cejudo is that he doesn’t really feel he had the possibility to battle again and earn his pay.
“That simply price me $150,000 proper there,” Cejudo stated. “I’ve received youngsters. That’s the prize cash for me. It’s not only a f*cking win. That’s the identical motive why I made a decision to return, as a result of when you may’t, you may’t.
“I apologize to everyone who I’ve ever doubted. It’s not till it occurs to you the place you’re identical to, f*ck, dude. Perhaps it was time for me to eat some humble pie right here. You simply by no means know and I simply really feel prefer it ought to have been a degree and if they’d have performed that complete level factor, this battle would have been a draw at the least.”
So far as criticism of his dealing with of the scenario goes, Cejudo defined that he was properly conscious of how the foundations labored, however thought his imaginative and prescient would possibly clear up between rounds.
“I did [know the rules] if I recall,” Cejudo stated. “However I needed to battle. It’s the identical motive why I took the 5 minutes and I can see the place individuals form of took it as a result of I’m smiling, however that’s simply me. I form of did this, like, ‘Hey you guys, give me a second. I’m going to battle. I’m simply ready for my eyesight to come back again.’ So I believe the place individuals really want to—I imply, I can open my eyes, however the one drawback is I used to be seeing double. I used to be seeing two of Tune, I believe that was the most important factor.
“I can see the place individuals in all probability took it like he’s simply taking part in or having enjoyable or no matter it’s that you just need to name it… that’s why I requested the referee how a lot time is on the clock. He stated, ‘A minute and 16 seconds.’ I’m like, ‘How a lot time do I’ve till I’ve to in there?’and I forgot what they stated. I had possibly a few minutes, so I made a decision to only catch that—I used to be already recovered. I’m simply actually making an attempt to get my eyesight again and sadly it simply by no means got here again.”
Cejudo and Tune are each desirous about operating again the battle, although UFC CEO Dana White has already shot down the suggestion.
If a rematch with Tune just isn’t within the playing cards, Cejudo has a big-name opponent in thoughts subsequent.
“If we are able to’t get Tune, I might like to battle Petr Yan,” Cejudo stated. “Petr Yan is trying to battle in Might, if the UFC is keen to provide me that, I’ll take it. If I don’t get Tune, if I don’t get that rematch.”
