Ex-UFC double-champ mulls retirement after fight-ending injury

Henry Cejudo is eyeing retirement after his upset loss to Song Yadong at UFC Seattle.

Cejudo-Yadong's five-round main event was cut short when Yadong eye-poked Cejudo in the third round. Referee Jason Herzog allowed the fight to continue but called it off in the fourth after Cejudo admitted he couldn't see on the stool.

As a result, Cejudo lost by technical decision, and now remarks that the eye injury he suffered is one of the worst injuries of his career.

Henry Cejudo (red gloves) sits down after being poked in the eye by Song Yadong (blue gloves) in a bantamweight bout — Henry Cejudo (red gloves) sits down after being poked in the eye by Song Yadong (blue gloves) in the bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Henry Cejudo considers retirement after Song Yadong eye poke

Following the loss, Cejudo is considering fighting once more before calling it quits, explaining how he never saw the sport as dangerous before the injury.

"[...] It's the worst injury I've ever had," Cejudo told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn. "... I still see double. It's been a month. . . Korean Zombie had the same symptoms, and it was the reason he had to retire.

"[...] I never really saw the sport of [MMA] as kind of dangerous. I talked to my wife, and I think this could potentially be my last fight. . . . I want to be able to play with my kids. I want to be able to not f****** lose an eye..."

As for his comeback fight, Cejudo wants a rematch with Yadong. The only thing standing in his way is Dana White, who vehemently disagrees with a rematch.

"Not at all [I don't want to see it again]," White said at the UFC Seattle post-fight conference. "Not even a little bit. I just don't want to see it again. Do you?"

Since White's comment, Cejudo has been campaigning for the fight, encouraging White to reconsider. However, Cejudo has since made peace with the idea White doesn't want it to happen.

Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Henry Cejudo reacts during UFC 298 at Honda Center. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Cejudo's career will always be accounted for with a huge asterisk. 'Triple-C' retired as double-champion after defeating Dominick Cruz in 2020. This was an attempt to leverage his position for a better contract, but it backfired miserably.

The UFC trundled on, handing his vacant bantamweight title to the winner of Petr Yan and Jose Aldo, and the flyweight title to the winner of Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo. Cejudo would be afforded a bantamweight title shot upon his return three years later, but he'd lose.

Now riding a three-fight losing streak at 38-years-old, Cejudo must make a difficult decision.

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