On Saturday, during UFC 291's main card, Tony Ferguson was poked in the eye by Bobby Green. He would go on to lose that bout, his sixth straight loss in a row.
Then he would go on to explain that part of his loss was due to that poke.
"As the fight began, I was in the Xone, flowing & feeling confident," he wrote on Instagram. "Bobby knew the direction of the fight & I believe he knew what he was doing when he poked my eye. He has a big History of moves like this. It significantly impaired my vision, making it difficult to see clearly out of my eye. Despite this eye poke I never considered stopping the fight. Although the doc wanted too. Throughout my career, I’ve always pushed through challenges & never given up. This time was no different."
One of Ferguson's former opponents chimed in when he saw the comments.
I know exactly what you mean Tony, you’ve done that same to me. https://t.co/8JhfjSvmO3 pic.twitter.com/OC8bWkRW3U
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) July 31, 2023
Former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos took to Twitter to remark, "I know exactly what you mean Tony, you’ve done that same to me." He also included a photo from their fight.
Dos Anjos and Ferguson fought in 2016 on The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale where he defeated dos Anjos via unanimous decision. The fight earned Fight of the Night honors.