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Marc RaimondiESPN
CHICAGO – Tony Ferguson left United Center on Saturday night, triumphant victor, his winning streak of 12 and his place as one of the best contenders in the UFC lightweight division. If a punch fell a few inches to the right, his UFC 238 could have gone to the side.
Ferguson beat Donald Cerrone by TKO via a medical save at the end of the second round. Cerrone's right eye swelled up after he had blown his nose while he was probably broken, and ring doctors determined that he could no longer defend himself properly.
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The weirdest part came a few seconds earlier. The bell ringing the end of the second round rang and Ferguson was in the middle of a striking combination. Referee Dan Miragliotta was a bit slow to position himself between the two fighters and a Ferguson right hand landed on Cerrone's face after the horn.
Cerrone was already shattered, his nose bleeding profusely before the eyes, before the last punch came. But because of Ferguson's bell, Miragliotta glanced at a replay to determine if the punch had directly caused the finish. If that had been the case, Miragliotta could have declared that it was a disqualification from Ferguson or a non-contest. But the referee said the shot was not focused on Cerrone's eye in question, so Ferguson was won by TKO.
"Literally, I do not even think the punch landed on his face that side," Ferguson told ESPN. "It was on the other side.It was towards his left eye.I mean, we are in an emotional fight.I am an emotional fighter.I do not like to try to Do this — I do not … As I said, a lot has happened in the past year, we're fighting, man, there's a lot of drama and … it's happening. "
Ferguson was ahead of two of the three judges' scorecards before the third round.
Ferguson had been out for eight months for personal problems, including his wife. by filing an application for a precautionary measure against him, which was later dropped. Ferguson said that he could barely hear the bell at the end of the second and was lost in the moment.
"Yeah, sort of," Ferguson said, not hearing the horn. "But it was rather like, even in the first round, getting into the second round, I was getting more and more intensive.I was just ready to come and put the pressure on the guy."
Ferguson's explanation is the exact reason why referees are trained to get closer to the fighters as the sleeve draws to a close, so that they can stand between them just at the bell.
"Dan's job is to stand between the fighters so that [punch] hit him and not Donald, "said legendary referee John McCarthy, who is now working as a color commentator for Bellator." But the fight ended because Donald flung himself in the air and blew himself, which made him close his eyes. No doctor will let you beat your eyes closed. "
Cerrone was rushed to hospital Saturday night because of a broken right orbital bone, said UFC President Dana White at the post-press conference. fight. Fans threw objects into the octagon when the fight was decided because Cerrone could not continue. White said he believed the officials at Miragliotta and the Illinois Sports Commission had quite understood things and criticized the viewers who thought Cerrone should continue.
"All those who are in the arena tonight and who think Cowboy should have continued to fight should be beaten with a stick, okay?" Said White "It's horrible to think that this guy should go back there and fight like that – he would do it – of course he would, but he should not do it and he did not do it, which is why there is a sports commission. "
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Dana White admits that Tony Ferguson hit Donald Cerrone after the bell of his victory in the TKO, but maintains that "Tony won this fight, fair and honest". For more UFC action, sign up for ESPN + at http://plus.espn.com/ufc.
McCarthy said that while he was at Miragliotta's position, he would have taken a Ferguson point for the last punch. But, of course, that would not have mattered anyway since Cerrone had been found unable to continue. Referee and referee coach Rob Hinds, who was watching at home, told ESPN that he was in agreement with Miragliotta's choice to call it a TKO after recovery.
"The punch after the horn has absolutely nothing to do with finishing," Hinds said. "He hit Cerrone on the opposite side of the face."
Ferguson stated that he was not afraid that Miragliotta would come back from the broadcast and disqualify him or that he called it a non-contest.
"I was more impressed by the way I jumped to put my ass back in the Octagon," Ferguson said. "I already knew that winning or losing, I would be happy to receive [in there]. "
Despite the quirk that reigned after the fight, it was Ferguson's work during the second round, dotted with punches in Cerrone's face, as well as the fact that Cerrone was prematurely blowing from the nose that had led to the strange TKO. And at this point, Ferguson will take it.
"Immediately, I saw his nose start to bleed," Ferguson said of the second round. "It was the target who was hit and I probably touched more than 15 times. [between rounds] and then his face flipped like a balloon. I saw it right away. It was crazy. That has already happened before. My corners told me: "Do not blow your nose, do not blow your nose. And then I see right away that his eyes are starting to close. "
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