Donald Cerrone vs. Tony Ferguson Fight Stopped for Cowboy's Brutal Eye Injury

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:

"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.

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.