Henry Cejudo may be forced to end his fighting career due to a serious eye injury.
The former two-division UFC champion suffered a brutal eye poke from Song Yadong during their main event fight at UFC Seattle in February. This incident led to an early and controversial end to the match, with Cejudo losing by technical decision. Since then, Cejudo has expressed concerns about the extent of the eye damage and his dissatisfaction with the referee`s handling of the situation.
In a recent interview, the 38-year-old Cejudo mentioned that this persistent injury might lead him to retire once more if his condition doesn`t improve.
“I never thought of mixed martial arts as particularly dangerous,” Cejudo admitted. “But after talking with my wife, I`m starting to think this last fight could really be my last. Maybe one more fight and that’s it. I would be happy to have a rematch with Song, but if that`s not possible, I`m willing to fight anyone the UFC offers.”
He elaborated on his concerns, saying, “I want to be able to play with my children. I definitely don`t want to lose an eye. That`s honestly how I feel right now.”
Cejudo initially retired in 2020 after successfully defending his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. This victory followed his flyweight title reign, making him unique as an athlete who has won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling and UFC championships in two weight classes.
He made a comeback in May 2023 to challenge Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title at UFC 288 but lost by decision in a closely contested fight. Cejudo’s record in his second UFC stint is currently 0-3.
Now, he is considering retiring from fighting again.
“I might sound like I`m complaining, but this is the worst injury I’ve ever experienced,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie. “I sought a second opinion, even consulting one of Sean O’Malley’s doctors. Initially, he thought my eye would recover in a month. However, even now, watching TV or looking down, I still see double. It’s been a month since a small finger went into my eye, and I’m still not fully recovered. The doctor now estimates another month for recovery. Korean Zombie had similar symptoms, which led to his retirement. I`m experiencing double vision; in certain eye positions, I see two of everything.”
“Fortunately, the double vision mainly occurs when I lie down or look downwards. After the injury, it took about five days for the double vision to subside initially. It wasn`t that I couldn`t see, but seeing double makes it hard to judge distance and movement. You can`t tell which one is real when you reach out.”
“I feel cheated,” Cejudo added. “I wanted to continue fighting, and I wanted to fight with two good eyes.”
Cejudo hopes to fight one more time, aiming for a proper farewell fight. However, his ability to compete depends on his eye`s recovery, raising the possibility that UFC Seattle might have been the final fight of his impressive career.
“I don’t mind losing, but I don’t want my career to end with an eye injury,” Cejudo stated. “It just can`t end like this. I am thankful for everything, and I appreciate Dana [White] and everyone at the UFC. This isn`t criticism of the UFC. They provided me a platform to support my family and secure my future. But my health is the top priority.”
“I`m unsure of the UFC`s plans,” Cejudo continued. “I definitely want to fight sometime in the fall, giving my eye time to heal, which they say will take another 30 days. But if it doesn’t improve, I don’t know when I’ll be able to return. I’m thinking this might be the last one for me.”
