A dejected Rodriguez, who was fighting in his home country, believes that Stephens may have been lying about getting poked in the eye.
“I don’t know how to feel right now, honestly,” Rodriguez said on the UFC Fight Night Mexico City post-fight show (via Mike Bohn & John Morgan of MMA Junkie). “All of my friends are telling me not to be disappointed, that this (expletive) happens. I really did my all for this camp. I honestly put a lot of effort, a lot of time. It was the hardest training camp I ever had. I put a lot of meditation into it. A lot of people came here with a lot of time. They left their families back home for a long time with kids and stuff. I understand that’s hard for them and for me, as well. My family came here, all my friends came here, and you always have to give the benefit of the doubt to your opponent. You don’t know how he’s feeling. But he’s the only one who is going to have to live with that in his mind for the rest of his life, if it was a lie.”
The bout lasted all of fifteen seconds before Stephens was poked in the eye and he couldn’t continue after a five minute rest period.
Even though Rodriguez questions the validity of the eye poke, one thing he’s doing is giving Stephens the benefit of the doubt.
“You always have to give the benefit of the doubt,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t imagine how it feels to have an eye poke. But I know how it feels to have an eye closed, and I still fought. But that’s up to me. But even with that, I told them I could see. I was ready to go in the third round because I said, ‘Yes, I could see,’ even if it was a lie. But everybody is different in this sport. The only one that has to live with that is Jeremy Stephens. I understand. I’m giving him completely the benefit of the doubt.”
Stephens did exit the arena with his eye bandaged up, but the extent of the damage isn’t fully known at this time.
