Henry Cejudo misplaced a combat and a win bonus within the UFC Seattle, and the aftermath may have been even worse.
This previous Saturday’s principal occasion led to controversy, when Cejudo was left unable to proceed following a Tune Yadong eye poke. The scenario was muddled by Cejudo being poked late in Spherical 3, persevering with to compete till the top of the body, after which saying he was unable to see heading into Spherical 4. Referee Jason Herzog referred to 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, tender 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 mentioned on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “I’m nonetheless seeing double. Whilst I’m watching the combat proper now on the display, my eye continues to be not good.
“Fortunately, I noticed the ophthalmologist as we speak and that is what she mentioned, ‘If that pinky would have hit you within the pupil, you’ll 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 received a combat since 2020. The previous two-division champion’s earlier losses throughout this run had been to then-bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and future champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298. Dropping to the much less heralded Tune is a bitter capsule to swallow.
Making issues worse for Cejudo is that he doesn’t really feel he had the prospect to battle again and earn his pay.
“That simply price me $150,000 proper there,” Cejudo mentioned. “I’ve bought children. That’s the prize cash for me. It’s not only a f*cking win. That’s the identical purpose why I made a decision to return, as a result of when you’ll be able to’t, you’ll be able to’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. Possibly 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 some extent and if they’d have accomplished that complete level factor, this combat would have been a draw a minimum of.”
So far as criticism of his dealing with of the scenario goes, Cejudo defined that he was effectively 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 mentioned. “However I needed to combat. It’s the identical purpose why I took the 5 minutes and I can see the place individuals sort of took it as a result of I’m smiling, however that’s simply me. I sort of did this, like, ‘Hey you guys, give me a second. I’m going to combat. I’m simply ready for my eyesight to come back again.’ So I believe the place individuals actually need to—I imply, I can open my eyes, however the one downside 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 most likely took it like he’s simply taking part in or having enjoyable or no matter it’s that you simply wish to name it… that’s why I requested the referee how a lot time is on the clock. He mentioned, ‘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 mentioned. I had possibly a few minutes, so I made a decision to simply catch that—I used to be already recovered. I’m simply actually attempting 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 combat, although UFC CEO Dana White has already shot down the suggestion.
If a rematch with Tune is just not 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 combat Petr Yan,” Cejudo mentioned. “Petr Yan is trying to combat in Could, if the UFC is prepared to offer me that, I’ll take it. If I don’t get Tune, if I don’t get that rematch.”
