Saturday’s highly anticipated UFC main card bout between Joaquin Buckley and Albert Duraev was cut short due to a nasty eye injury for Duraev.
Buckley landed consistent, heavy left-hand strikes above Duraev’s eye socket that caused Duraev’s left eye to become swollen shut. As a result, a doctor stopped the fight after the second round, resulting in a Buckley TKO victory.
Duraev does not appear to have sustained any long-term injuries and should make a full recovery. Extreme swelling and fluid build-up are not uncommon and a constant issue that fighters deal with.
The injury called to mind when Joanna Jedrzejczyk suffered one of the most gruesome hematomas in the history of the sport at UFC 248.
Buckley was an underdog coming into the fight but dominated on Saturday. The doctor’s stoppage resulted in Buckley’s third straight win.