
(Kevin Burns shows off his flawless gouging technique. Photo courtesy of UFC.com.)
It’s probably not the way he wanted to make UFC history, but Anthony Johnson has officially become the first fighter to lose a fight in the Octagon via eye-pokes. After being handed an idiotic TKO loss at July’s “Silva vs. Irvin” card against Kevin Burns — who poked Johnson in the eyes multiple times throughout their fight until Rumble collapsed to the mat in agony during the third round — Johnson filed an appeal with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to have the result overturned to a DQ victory, or at least a no-contest. Unfortunately, it was rejected:
“Based on advice from the Nevada Attorney General’s office, the appeal was rejected due to lack of remedy,” Kizer revealed to MMAFrenzy.com.
Horseshit. Are they saying they have no way of changing results after the fact? That Steve Mazzagatti‘s decisions can never be overruled by a higher authority? Johnson had to undergo laser surgery to repair a detached retina and needed stitches in his eye — it would have been nice for the NSAC to acknowledge that they don’t condone what he had to go through. Still, Johnson has managed to keep a positive attitude through the entire experience. As he told TAGG Radio, “They can keep the loss on my record if they want to because I know I will come back better and stronger next time.”


First of all, your semi retarded. I train with Kevin Burns, and his palm strikes hurt like hell, and he has never struck me in the eye accidentaly or on purpose. Second of all, palm strikes are a legal technique. Mazzagati warned him to close his hand, which wasn’t illegal in the first place. The eye gouges were incidental, and the problem has been resolved. Kevin’s broken left hand has been fused, and stem celled via our mexican neighbors. He can throw punches with that hand now. Kevin was and is very upset about the result of that fight. He didn’t want to win that way, and can hold his own against Johnson with out needing to poke him in the eye. It was an incidental occurance from a fighter with broken hand trying to make the best with an injury that couldn’t be dealt with here in the regulations as they are. Even fighters with out broken hands occasionaly poke an eye on accident. Its the cost of fighting with open handed grappling gloves. Kevin and everybody in his camp didn’t want to see the fight end the way it did.