This UFC heavyweight clash did not end without controversy 10 years ago today.
Eye pokes have been in the news cycle across recent months, but it is certainly not a new topic.
That type of foul was a big talking point at the UFC Fight Night that took place in Boston on this day, January 17, in 2016.
The card, which was headlined by Dominick Cruz’s bantamweight title win over TJ Dillashaw, featured a heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione.
One man exited the cage significantly worse for wear, but many believed that was down to an illegal move that left some branding his opponent a “dirty” fighter.
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Matt Mitrione was left with a crazy swollen eye after Travis Browne’s UFC Boston pokes
After losing two of his previous three fights, including a knockout at the hands of former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski, Browne was in need of a big performance inside the TD Garden.
On paper, ‘Hapa’ secured the only finish of the four-fight UFC Boston main card a decade ago. But his win was somewhat tarnished by the circumstances of the result and accusations of cheating, which may have contributed to Mitrione’s gruesome swelling.
Mitrione fell to his second straight loss after being stopped via TKO in round three. Even before the finishing sequence, however, ‘Meathead’ appeared to be compromised.
The Illinois native initially recovered from an eye poke at the end of round one but was later caught in the same eye again. Fans did not need Mitrione to tell them about the damage, as his right eye swelled up in horrific fashion after some direct punches added to the onslaught his eye had endured.
Despite the pokes, the referee did not take a point from Browne.
“It’s one of those things where it’s an accident,” Browne said after his victory. “If you watch the fight, it’s not like I’m moving toward him trying to paw at him and poke his eye.
“Every time he would jump in on me I would try to back up. Third round, I think I finally started closing my fist. It’s just part of the game, I guess. There’s no malicious intent behind it.
“I did what I could do to not let that happen again. It was an accident. I don’t know what to say,” he added.
“I was apologizing up and down to Matt because that’s not my game, I’m not a dirty fighter.”
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Tom Aspinall left needing eye surgery after Ciryl Gane’s pokes
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall found himself in a similar situation just last October. Unlike Mitrione, however, he did not continue beyond the brutal pokes.
Aspinall’s fight with Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi ended early after the French challenger fouled the Englishman with pokes in both eyes.
While some criticized the champion for not fighting on in the aftermath of that no contest at UFC 321, Aspinall’s medical updates have since revealed the significant damage he suffered as a result of the pokes.
In one of his latest videos, Aspinall disclosed that he required surgery, further extending the uncertainty surrounding his return and the timeline for a rematch with ‘Bon Gamin’ in 2026.
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