Henry Cejudo set for UFC retirement due to eye injury
Former champion Henry Cejudo is considering retirement due to the eye injury he suffered against Song Yadong at UFC Fight Night 253 in February.
Cejudo entered the main event in Seattle as a +220 underdog at BetOnline, hoping to snap a two-fight losing streak since coming out of retirement.
But the American was poked in the eye by Song late in the third round of their bantamweight clash, which led to a loss by technical decision when he could not continue in the fourth.
More than five weeks later, the 38-year-old says he still cannot see clearly.
“It’s been a month and it was a little pinkie that went inside my eye and I’m still not 100%,” he said this week.
“My doctor said it would be, like, another month.
“Korean Zombie (Chan Sung Jung) has the same symptoms, and it was the reason he had to retire.
“I’m seeing double. When I put my eye a certain way, I’ll see two feet.
“Luckily it’s only when I lay down or I look down, but it took me like five days for my eye to stop seeing double when I got hurt.
“It’s not the fact I couldn’t see, but I was seeing two people.”
As a result of the injury’s long-lasting impact, Cejudo says he will likely retire from the sport shortly.
“I talked to my wife, and I think this could potentially be my last fight,” he said.
“One more and that’s it. If I can run it back with Song, I would be happy with that.
“But if it’s not Song, I would like anyone that the UFC’s willing to give me.
“I want to be able to play with my kids. I want to be able to not f***ing lose an eye.
“That’s kind of how I’m feeling right now to be quite honest with you.”
Cejudo has retired once before, doing so in 2020 before returning in 2023 against Aljamain Sterling.
He is yet to win since coming out of retirement, but there is a chance his loss to Song will be overturned to a no contest ruling, with Cejudo currently appealing the decision.
Had a no contest been ruled on the night of the fight, UFC betting sites would have voided any bets on the clash and returned all stakes to punters.
