Song Yadong’s demeanor following his victory at UFC Seattle was notably subdued. Despite defeating Henry Cejudo by technical decision, the Chinese bantamweight appeared far from celebratory during the post-fight press conference.
The fight was stopped after an accidental eye poke on Cejudo midway through the third round. While "Triple C" took the full five-minute recovery period and opted to continue, he later expressed significant discomfort to his corner between rounds.
Had Cejudo been unable to complete the remaining minute of the round, the fight would have ended before three full rounds were completed, resulting in a no contest. Song’s reaction suggested he was unsatisfied with the nature of his victory.
That was totally an accident,” Song said, following the event. “I’m not so happy with that. It is what it is. I feel bad. I feel bad for Henry. I saw that (it would’ve been) a no contest (if he had stopped when the foul occurred). That’s why I feel so bad.
Immediately after the fight, "The Kung Fu Kid" called for a rematch in his in-cage interview. Song is now turning his attention to other potential opponents.
My goal is the world champion, so whatever UFC gives me, I want to fight the guys who are ranked above me,” Song said. “If not Henry, give me (Sean) O’Malley. I can fight any time.
With Song eager to move forward in the bantamweight division, it remains to be seen whether he will get his wish for a high-profile opponent next.