China's number one MMA fighter nearly blinds American opponent with eye poke

Song Yadong (R) and Henry Cejudo on the poster of UFC Seattle. Photo by UFC

The bout, held on Feb. 22, at Climate Pledge Arena, was highly anticipated, featuring Song, China's top MMA fighter with the nickname "Kung Fu Kid", and Henry "Triple C" Cejudo, a former two-division UFC champion and 2008 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling.

The bout was competitive, with both fighters exchanging strikes. However, in the third round, Song unintentionally poked Cejudo in the eye and this was the turning point of the fight.

Despite receiving medical attention, Cejudo was unable to see clearly and could not continue. The referee stopped the fight, and Song was declared the winner by technical decision, with the judges scoring the fight 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 in his favor. The decision was met with boos from the crowd, with many believing Song did not deserve the win as he did not play fair.

Song himself was not satisfied with the outcome. In a post-fight interview, he expressed his regret, saying: "This is not the way I wanted to win. We have to fight again. Sorry to the fans."

According to ESPN, Cejudo suffered soft tissue damage and corneal scratches, leading to double vision.

After the fight, he posted on Instagram: "Run it back @danawhite @yadongsong you told me you wanted a rematch. Your face at the end says it all."

Despite Cejudo's push for a rematch, UFC president Dana White has shown little interest in booking it, according to talkSPORT.

The incident has also sparked discussions within the MMA community about the need for stricter rules on accidental fouls, with former UFC champion Michael Bisping calling for immediate consequences to prevent similar injuries in future fights.