Henry Cejudo made his UFC return, and his fight against Song Yadong took an unexpected turn, leaving many fans surprised. Yadong secured a victory over Cejudo by technical decision with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27. However, some believed the fight could have been ruled a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke by Yadong. Despite the controversy, both fighters walked away with a solid payday.
According to SportySalaries, Song Yadong’s purse for UFC Fight Night 252 is set at $200K, while Henry Cejudo will earn up to $471K, which includes a guaranteed $400K along with $21K from sponsorship deals. Neither fighter received a performance bonus.
Many fans were surprised by the fight’s result. After the decision was announced, Yadong apologized for the accidental eye poke and proposed a rematch with Cejudo, showing little concern for his victory.
During his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, Cejudo jokingly said, “We’re about to be brothers, Bisping!” before turning serious. He admitted that he couldn’t see from his left eye, and although he wanted to continue fighting, his vision made it impossible. In the end, he agreed that a rematch with Song would be the right decision.
This fight has been stopped after 3 rounds.@SongYaDongLFG wins via technical decision. pic.twitter.com/S7VRyl6pcR
— UFC (@ufc) February 23, 2025
Song Yadong vs. Henry Cejudo: Round By Round
Cejudo started strong, using feints and level changes to keep Yadong guessing, while Yadong targeted his legs and looked for counters. A well-timed right hand briefly stunned Cejudo, but he responded with a powerful left hand. In Round 2, Yadong’s leg kicks continued to trouble Cejudo, and a big right hand shook him. Despite landing some solid jabs and combinations, Cejudo struggled with Yadong’s power.
In Round 3, both fighters traded heavy shots, with Yadong gaining the upper hand. An accidental low blow briefly stopped the fight, followed by a knee from Yadong and a clean left hand from Cejudo. A later accidental eye poke left Cejudo with blurry vision, forcing a doctor’s stoppage. The fight went to the scorecards, with Yadong winning via technical decision, sparking controversy among fans who felt the ruling was unfair.
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