Doctor Halts UFC Fight as Colby Covington Nearly Loses Eyelid

“He’s gonna lose his eyelid,” the doctor warned Miragliotta, prompting an immediate stoppage.

Buckley expressed regret that the fight didn’t end with a clean knockout, as he wanted it to as told to Kevin Iole before the bout, but was otherwise pleased with his dominant showing.

“I know ya’ll wanted to see a knockout. My bad,” Buckley said after the fight. "

The victory, nonetheless, has cemented Buckley’s status as a top contender in the welterweight division where he is currently sitting ninth in the official UFC rankings, and he wasted no time calling out potential future opponents.

“Who do I want? My fans are going to pick my opponent,” Buckley said, before giving the crowd three options. “I’m going to give ya’ll three names. The one that ya’ll make the most noise for, that’s who I’m going to pick for my next opponent. 

“First name right here—Leon Edwards? Second name, Kamaru Usman? And the last one: Take the throne from Belal Muhammad? I think it’s Kamaru Usman. Let’s go.”

For Covington, the loss is a devastating blow to his career as he approaches retirement. Once a perennial title contender, the 36-year-old has now dropped four of his last six fights, making another championship run seem increasingly unlikely if not outright impossible at this point.