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Daniel Cormier Won’t Need Surgery For Torn Cornea From Final Fight

September 1, 2020 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas

Daniel Cormier has received some good news: his torn cornea from his loss to Stipe Miocic will not need surgery. Cormier, who lose by unanimous decision to Miocic in his final fight at UFC 252, told ESPN that a doctor has told him he likely will not need surgery for the eye injury that was suffered after Miocic accidentally poked him in the eye during the third rought.

“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. “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 said the injury was not an excuse for his loss, noting, “I thought Stipe fought a good fight. I thought him and his team had a great game plan to fight. I thought he won the fight. He did a good job and he deserved to have his hand raised.”

Cormier announced his retirement after the fight, and said that he didn’t hold anything against Miocic for the eye poke, saying, “Things happen. He made a mistake. 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.”

article topics :

Daniel Cormier, Jeremy Thomas