SEAN O'MALLEY's rapid rise to the top of the bantamweight ranks was stopped by an accidental eye poke during his match with Pedro Munhoz.
The rising bantamweight champion returned to the Octagon early Sunday morning, on the main card at UFC 276 in Las Vegas.
Inadvertently, Sean O'Malley poked Pedro Munhoz's eye during their UFC 276 fight
O'Malley hoped to start a series of fights against 135lb division's elite by winning a dramatic victory over Munhoz, a tough UFC veteran.
He was accidentally poked in the eye during the second round, so he will have to wait to see if he can beat the big boys in the bantamweight division.
Munhoz, as he was being treated by the doctor, said that all he saw was black.
O'Malley began the contest lightfooted and appeared to be using his feint-heavy entrances.
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Young Punisher Munhoz tried to counter O'Malley's significant height and reach advantages by using heavy calf kicks.
O'Malley tested several of them. However, a few were successful.
After O'Malley checked a series calf kicks with his right hand, he found O'Malley a good home. However, the contest was quickly halted due to an accidental low blow.
O'Malley did a partial spinning heel kick during intermission. This drew some cheers from the crowd.
Munhoz tried a spinning kick of himself moments before the second ended, but was far too wide for the mark. O'Malley ridiculed him.
O'Malley was less aggressive in the second, and was more committed to the strikes that he threw.
After a solid right hand, he almost closed the show with a spinning-wheel kick that narrowly missed it.
Munhoz continued to enjoy the calf kick but ended up eating another good right-hand after he had eaten a feint.
O'Malley seemed to be in a flow state, using a series jabs. However, it quickly ended after Munhoz's left eyes were removed when he attempted to post off.
Although the poke seemed to be not too severe, it quickly became obvious that Munhoz couldn’t see.
Referee Jason Herzog was not surprised that the cageside doctor correctly assessed the injury and he canceled the contest.
