Michael Bisping believes stricter penalties are needed for eye pokes in the UFC, following a controversial fight between Song Yadong and Henry Cejudo that ended due to an eye poke, with Bisping suggesting that point deductions could prevent such incidents and potentially alter fight outcomes.
Michael Bisping is sounding the alarm on eye pokes in the UFC. This past Saturday, UFC Seattle’s main event stirred up controversy when an eye poke abruptly ended the fight between Song Yadong and Henry Cejudo. Near the end of the third round, Cejudo suffered an accidental foul. Even after a five-minute break to recover, he admitted he couldn’t see as Round 4 approached.
Referee Jason Herzog called off the fight, leading judges to score it early. Song was awarded a technical decision win. Bisping, who was providing cageside commentary, was shocked that Song wasn’t penalized for the eye poke.
On his YouTube channel, Bisping expressed his frustration. “No. 1, I think we should have had a point deducted,” he said. He emphasized it’s not about jeopardizing Song’s career—he respects him and his team—but rather about enforcing consequences for eye pokes.
Eye pokes are dangerous. Bisping knows this all too well from personal experience. He argues that deducting points would deter fighters from extending their fingers recklessly. During the third round, both fighters still had their fingers out, leaving Bisping puzzled as to why no action was taken by the ref.
Had Herzog docked a point from Song and the fight still went to a technical decision, it could’ve been a game-changer. The scores would have shifted to a majority draw instead of a win for Song. As it stands now, Song has a victory over a former two-division UFC champion, while Cejudo remains winless since his 2023 comeback.
Bisping insists stricter penalties are necessary for eye pokes—immediate consequences need to be enforced. However, at the post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White showed no interest in booking an immediate rematch between Song and Cejudo.
While Bisping sees merit in a rematch, he’s uncertain if it’s the best path for Cejudo as his career clock ticks down. “Song Yadong deservedly won,” Bisping noted. “He was fast and stopped all takedowns.” Yet, it’s unfortunate how things ended.
Both fighters seem keen on running it back; they’ve even agreed on social media to a rematch. But will Cejudo do so at 38 years old? That’s anyone’s guess.