Belal Muhammad suffered a nasty eyepoke last night in the main event of UFC Fight Night 187 against Leon Edwards, but despite being unable to continue he has since been given the good news that there is no permanent damage.
“My heart is shattered my first main event ended like that but Gods the best of planners im sorry to the fans and the @ufc you deserved a full fight,” Muhammad wrote on Instagram. “Alhamdillah the vision is coming back and no permanent damage to the eye I’ll be back and want to run it back @Leon_edwardsmma.”
Muhammad had become very emotional in the Octagon after the eyepoke occurred, reporting to the referee and cage-side doctor that he couldn’t see out of the eye, yet appearing reluctant to say that he couldn’t fight on.
In the end the decision was taken out of his hands as the doctor declared that the fight should end, leading to a no-contest ruling.
It remains to be seen if the fight will be run back, but Edwards feels he had the upperhand in the bout before the accidental eyepoke, and as such has his sights on a bigger bout next.
“The writing was on the wall,” Edwards said afterwards. “I was winning the fight clearly. I believe I should be next at the title shot. I’ve built myself back up. That’s what should be next, I think.”
