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Though an inadvertent eye poke from Stipe
Miocic hindered Daniel
Cormier’s vision for the second half of their UFC 252 title
bout, it looks like “DC” will be able to avoid surgery for the torn
cornea he suffered on Aug. 15.
“The first week and a half, [the eye] was really bad, it wasn’t
opening, and it was completely blurry, but now it kind of feels
like an eyelash is in it,” Cormier said during his
ESPN show on Monday. “I went and saw the doctor last week, and
he told me I’m probably not going to have to have surgery, just
kind of rest and recover. And today it feels good, but just feels
like something in there, you know when you get an eyelash and can’t
get it out? It’s just right in the corner.
“It was concerning initially, because they didn’t know how severe
the impact was going to be going forward. They didn’t know if I was
going to have to have surgery and do all these other things.
Luckily I was able to recover, and I feel better, and I prefer not
to have surgery.”
Cormier lost a competitive unanimous decision to Miocic in their
trilogy at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While reiterating his
retirement plans in a post-fight interview, “DC” also
expressed frustration at being limited due to the eye poke. On
Monday, however, Cormier said the final verdict was correct.
“I thought Stipe fought a good fight. I thought him and his team
had a great game plan to fight,” Cormier said. “I thought he won
the fight. He did a good job and he deserved to have his hand
raised.”
Miocic was forced to undergo eye surgery following the second bout
with Cormier at UFC 241, and it was approximately a year before the
Ohio-based firefighter was fully ready to return to the Octagon.
Having been on both sides, Cormier realizes there was no ill intent
behind the accidental foul. In Round 1, action was briefly halted
when the American Kickboxing Academy product unintentionally poked
Miocic in the eye again.
“Things happen. He made a mistake,” Cormier said. “I don’t think he
tried to do it on purpose. It is what it is. We’re fighting with
four-ounce gloves that don’t have finger covers. I harbor no bad
feelings.
“In the first round I was almost sad, like ‘God dang it, this
again.’ You don’t want that stigma of being a dirty fighter, that’s
one thing I’m not. I’m not poking this guy in his eyes on purpose.
Unfortunately it’s the gloves that we fight with.”
Cormier also once again confirmed that UFC 252 was his final MMA
bout.
“Yeah, it’s over. And I’m not sad about it. I’m going to miss it,
I’m going to miss the training camps, I’m going to miss the fights,
there’s nothing like a fight week, but you have to understand when
it’s your time. I feel it’s time.”
