Donald Cerrone vs. Tony Ferguson Fight Stopped for Cowboy's Brutal Eye Injury
June 9, 2019
Tony Ferguson defeated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in their lightweight bout at Saturday night's UFC 238 in Chicago due to a doctor's stoppage in the second round.
The official result was ruled a technical knockout.
The fight was stopped because Cerrone couldn't open his right eye.
Cerrone blew his nose, and the eye subsequently swelled shut because of other facial injuries:
Brett Okamoto @bokamotoESPNThis is tough. Tony looks angry. Fight is stopped because of Cowboy's eye. He blew it and it closed up on him. Tony looks disgusted. He landed that late blow after the second round. Very unfortunate way for it to end. Sublime performance by Ferguson though, outside late hit.
"The punch had nothing to do with it," Cerrone said in the Octagon after the bout. "That was the fight I think everybody wanted. I'm so sorry. I don't quit. I don't back down. Man, I just wanted to keep fighting. ... I humbly could not finish the fight, and I apologize."
With the victory, Ferguson extended his winning streak to 12 fights—the longest active run in the UFC.
Chamatkar Sandhu @SandhuMMATony Ferguson extends his run to 12 straight wins which includes victories over: Edson Barboza Lando Vannata Rafael dos Anjos Kevin Lee Anthony Pettis Donald Cerrone It'll be nothing short of criminal if he doesn't get a title shot now. He should face the winner of Khabib/Dustin.
However, Ferguson wasn't pleased with how the matchup played out.
"It's not how I wanted to fight to go," he said, according to ESPN's Brett Okamoto. "I don't like to win that way. If we run it back I don't mind doing that. He's a hell of a fighter. I don't want to win like that. I'm a better fighter than that. I don't give a f--k who's next. I'm pissed at myself."
Saturday was Ferguson's first UFC fight since Oct. 6, 2018, while Cerrone was coming off a unanimous UFC Fight Night win over Al Iaquinta on May 4.