Winner winner chicken dinner @ufc pic.twitter.com/F9Zjs8LBT9
— Matt Mitrione (@mattmitrione) January 20, 2016
Matt Mitrione was poked in the eye by Travid Browne twice during their fight at UFC Fight Night 81. Browne was not docked any points for them and won the fight. Mitrione was interviewed on The MMA Hour this week, and said he feels the fight should have been stopped.
“In the middle of that fight, after the first eye poke, I was fighting with one eye closed just so I could see one Travis. That’s not a safe way to fight at the highest level in the world against people that are [skilled in] takedowns, kicks, punches, everything in the world. So I feel like, once that was seen and I had my eye closed for however long it was closed, like a minute or something like that…that should have been a sign to the doctors and for the referee to be like, ‘hold on, dude’s closing his eye because he can’t focus, we need to call this a no contest. We need to save him from himself, and step in and do something about this.’ Because I’m not going to do that, because I’m too grindy and gritty and I want my paycheck. But it’s not a safe way for the sport to evolve. I’m not going to blow the whistle on myself, and removed that chance of getting the other half of my money… That’s the thing man, it shouldn’t be up to me, the guy who lives his life to compete to make a decision.
“It should be up to the commission, the doctors and the referee to realize the dude is fighting with one eye closed, and he’s complaining about seeing double. In that situation, you have to protect me from myself. You have to. That’s your job. That’s what the commission and the doctors are there for, and the referee. That’s what he’s there for. Otherwise it’s a fair fight and they don’t need anybody else. But when something comes into the mix, that is a curve ball, a variable that wasn’t expected, and there’s an injury to a fighter…well of course, dude, that’s my money. Of course I’m going to go out and do everything I can to get my money.”
This was the last night on Mitrione’s UFC contract. He’s expected to test the free agency market.
Guess who's got 2 eyes again! A great big Hell yes to binocular fusion! pic.twitter.com/jjqoI12Dvj
— Matt Mitrione (@mattmitrione) January 20, 2016
