“He was the better fighter, up to that point.”
Daniel Cormier felt a degree of sympathy for Dean Barry after the Irish fighter suffered a disqualification loss on his UFC debut.
‘The Sniper’ came into the contest, at the UFC Apex, with a 4-1 record and was up against a guy that had previously fought Mickey Gall and Phil ‘CM Punk’ Brooks in his other two UFC outings.
Jackson had a ‘no contest’ and loss on his pro record. The American was looking set for another defeat when Barry got a strike all wrong and poked his fingers directly into his right eye.
There was a long hold up as medics checked Jackson over but, when he said his vision was blurred at he could not continue that was a bow on the fight.
Daniel Cormier shares his opinion on Dean Barry DQ
Dean Barry was disqualified and was inconsolable as he reflected on what will go down on his record as a loss.
On co-commentary duty, former UFC light-heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier had some sympathy for Barry, but explained why a DQ was the right call.
“Here’s the question. Dean Barry was the better fighter, up to that point. But I guess we cannot base our decision prior to what was happening before the foul.
“But it wasn’t just once. There were three fouls. Early on, [the ref] warned Barry – ‘Let’s me careful and let’s keep them up’. Then we had the low blow and then [the eye poke].”
Not how anyone wants to see a fight end.
The fight's been called after an eye poke from Dean Barry in the first. #UFCVegas52 pic.twitter.com/jPBG0ZEpty
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) April 23, 2022
Following the fight, Dean Barry took to Instagram to share some thoughts on a UFC debut that went badly awry.
‘Had a lot of fun out there and dominated the fight,’ he wrote.
‘I felt a bit all over the place at first with the nerves, but I got to experience something most only dream of and I’m only doing MMA four years!
‘Sorry Mike for the accidental eye poke. It wasn’t one bit intentional at all, brother, and I wish you well. I’m feeling good just a little upset and frustrated. At most, it should have been a No Contest, but this happens.
‘Again my apologies for the eye poke never meant it to happen. I was seconds away from finishing the fight. On to the next one. Time for my right weight division. I got the UFC jitters out of the way now and I’m excited to get out again.’
https://www.instagram.com/p/CctzFIHpJmy/
In an earlier post, Barry stated he was “smoking” Jackson when the eye poke occurred. He would like to go back and fight again in the UFC at lightweight, in his next outing.
