Henry Cejudo’s devastating loss to Yadong Song in the UFC Seattle bantamweight main event was marred by controversy over an eye poke that forced referee Jason Herzog to stop the fight. However, veteran referee John McCarthy has come forward claiming that the injury was caused by a foul and not a fair blow, and that the real issue lies with the rules.
McCarthy stated that Cejudo suffered a nasty eye poke from Song during the third round, which left him unable to see out of his left eye. He argued that this should have been ruled as a Technical Decision victory for Cejudo, given that he had avoided confrontation and completed three rounds of the five-round fight.
However, according to the UFC’s rules, a Technical Decision is only awarded in cases where the allotted number of rounds are not completed due to an injury sustained by a fighter. McCarthy pointed out that this rule is flawed, as it does not account for cases where the fight ends early due to a foul or intentional injury.
The issue has sparked outrage among fans and fighters alike, with many calling for penalties for eye pokes. UFC CEO Dana White has already ruled out a rematch, citing concerns about fighter safety.
Veteran lightweight Jim Miller echoed this sentiment on Twitter, stating that “if only humans could control their fingers” eye pokes wouldn’t keep happening. He also shared his own personal experience of suffering permanent damage to his vision due to two separate eye pokes in the ring.
As the UFC continues to grapple with the issue of eye pokes and fighter safety, it remains to be seen whether changes will be made to the rules to address this problem.
Source: https://www.mmamania.com/2025/2/24/24371877/ufc-seattle-athletic-commission-didnt-complete-job-correctly-controversial-ending-cejudo-song-mma