“The Referee Was the Issue” – Ex-UFC Champ Underlines ‘Irony’ in Controversial Eye-Poke Ending Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Fight

Did karma come back to haunt Henry Cejudo? Was it an ironic twist of fate? According to former two-time 135lbs champ Dominick Cruz, it just might be. While he doesn’t consider ‘Triple C’ an enemy, he hasn’t forgotten that he never got the rematch he felt he deserved. Cejudo recently suffered a brutal eye poke that nearly left him blind—a scary moment that had the MMA world talking. But for his former opponent, it was a reminder of his own controversial loss at UFC 249. ‘The Dominator’ has long voiced his frustration over referee Keith Peterson’s stoppage in their 135lbs title fight, believing he was unfairly robbed of a chance to continue. Speaking to The Schmo, Cruz couldn’t help but notice the irony in Cejudo’s predicament.

“I mean, it’s kind of ironic because that’s how I felt with our fight, it’s like it felt like the referee was the issue. I did my whole job, which was to stand up, get to my feet, and keep the fight going. The referee took the fight from me. I get how he feels and I think that’s the best way to put it. I feel you, I just wanna remind him. He retired and chose not to give me any kind of rematch so maybe that’s what he’s gonna be feeling too who knows.”

For those unfamiliar with their history, Cejudo and Cruz share a past filled with controversy. The two faced off back in 2020 in a bantamweight title fight, but for Cruz, the night ended in frustration rather than fair competition. He has long criticized referee Keith Peterson for what he believes was an unjust stoppage.

During the second round, ‘Triple C’ landed a powerful knee that sent Cruz crashing to the mat. The then 135lbs champ wasted no time following up with a barrage of punches as Cruz attempted to get back on his feet. But before he could fully recover, Peterson stepped in and waved off the fight. While Cejudo celebrated his TKO victory, Cruz immediately protested, arguing that the stoppage was premature. His frustration didn’t stop there—he later accused Peterson of smelling like alc–ol and cig—-tes while officiating the bout and even requested that the referee never oversee his fights again.

Nearly five years later, the tables have turned in an ironic twist. In the UFC Fight Night 252 main event against Song Yadong, Cejudo suffered a deja vu. Although he took the full five-minute recovery period, his eyesight remained compromised. When the round ended, Cejudo informed the official and ringside doctor that he couldn’t see, forcing the fight to go to the judges’ scorecards—where Yadong was declared the winner.

Frustrated with how the situation was handled, Cejudo later confronted referee Jason Herzog over FaceTime to voice his concerns. His issue wasn’t just with the eye poke itself but with Herzog’s officiating decisions. “When I got poked, Jason, one, you didn’t take a point,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “And then two, when I took the five-minute break and we ended up coming back to fight, I still wasn’t recovered, but that dude still came here (with fingers out), and you didn’t do anything.”

The situation is dripping with irony—Cejudo once celebrated a victory while Cruz felt robbed by a referee’s decision. Now, ‘Triple C’ finds himself in a similar position, questioning an official’s call in a fight that didn’t go his way.

Henry Cejudo hits back at Jason Herzog after his UFC Fight Night 252 loss 

UFC Seattle turned into a nightmare for Henry Cejudo. The veteran not only walked away in agony but also suffered from diplopia and a corneal abrasion in his eye. Meanwhile, Song Yadong had his hand raised in victory—a result that left the former champ and many fans frustrated. Unwilling to let the decision slide, Cejudo took his case public, questioning the referee’s handling of the situation.

During the post-fight press conference, a journalist asked UFC CEO Dana White about the possibility of a rematch between Cejudo and Yadong. However, White immediately dismissed the idea, saying, “I just don’t want to see it again.” While he acknowledged that the eye poke was unintentional, it did little to ease Cejudo’s frustration.

Determined to prove his point, the former bantamweight champion posted an ESPN MMA upload on his Instagram story. The image clearly showed Kung Fu Kid’s two fingers poking Cejudo’s eyes. Cejudo captioned the post, “Buy one get one free I guess. All respect but you should not be rewarded for committing a penalty like this.”

Cejudo’s protest sparked a heated debate among MMA fans, but veteran referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy defended the ruling. Speaking on the Weighing In podcast with Josh Thomson, Big John explained why the fight went to the judges’ scorecards. “Once he enters into the fourth round now, he can go to what is a technical decision. He can go to the scorecards. And since he had three rounds completed, that was the right call for him to do.”

So, was this loss unfair? Should Cejudo have gotten a different ruling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!