UFC Fight Night 187’s main event came to an unfortunate end this evening when Leon Edwards unintentionally eyepoked Belal Muhammad, leading to a no-contest ruling.
Round One:
The main event is underway in Las Vegas.
Edwards throwing fakes to start as he takes the center of the Octagon. Body kick for Edwards. Wide hooks from Muhammad miss.
Straight left for Edwards. He lands a one-two. Edwards bursts into the clinch and presses Muhammad up against the cage. Muhammad does well to reverse the clinch and then lands an elbow on the way out.
Right hook for Edwards. Now a body kick. Jab lands. Big head kick for Edwards and Muhammad is wobbled. Edwards with follow-up punches, but Muhammad defends and survives that onslaught.
Into the clinch they go and Muhammad manages to press Edwards up against the cage. Muhammad backs up to striking range.
Left hand for Edwards. Punch from Muhammad comes off the forearm. Body kick for Muhammad. Eyepoke from Edwards forces a brief stoppage.
Head kick attempt from Muhammad is blocked and Edwards returns fire with a body kick. Jab for Muhammad. Now a hard left for Edwards.
Edwards let his hands go again. Inside leg kick for Edwards. Head kick attempt from Muhammad is blocked. Edwards catches a knee and tries for a takedown, but doesn’t get it.
Spinning kick from Muhammad misses and that’s the final action of the round.
Round Two:
Body kick for Edwards, but then a poke in the eye that proceeded it sends Muhammad to the mat. Muhammad in real distress on the mat. He starts sobbing and says he can’t see out of his eye. This fight is over.
So, an accidental eye-poke 18 seconds into the second round leads to the fight being declared a no-contest.
Muhammad’s eye is badly swollen and has a nasty blood red cut on the lower eyelid, and together with his emotional response afterwards it’s clear that this was a particularly nasty eyepoke and so there can be no real complaints about the stoppage.
