LAS VEGAS – Brian Battle left UFC Fight Night 239 with mixed emotions but felt nothing but a winner despite the no-contest ruling.
In Saturday's co-main event at UFC Apex, Battle (10-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) punched his opponent Ange Russa (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in the eye. After a timeout, Lusa said he couldn't see and the game was called off.
The two fighters were separated after Bruce Buffer read the no-contest ruling and Battle called Lusa out, but he carried that energy in his post-fight press conference.
Battle believes that Lusa may have exaggerated the damage of Eyepoke to avoid losses.
“What started the altercation was me looking at him and calling him horrible,” Battle told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I knew it wasn't that bad. I knew it wasn't that bad. I've been poked in the eye before. I've accidentally poked someone in the eye before. I'm sitting and looking at him and he's fine.
“It was really just one of those things where he was screwed. He knew there was no way to win that fight. knew without a doubt. So when he had the chance to act as if he was invisible, they would have called it a no contest (which he did).
“I mean, a no contest is better than a loss, but that's obviously what he was going for. He didn't have the speed. He didn't have the power. He didn't have the power. He didn't have the size. He didn't have the grappling skills. He didn't have the striking skills. None of that. He didn't have any areas where he could compete with me. Sorry, but what do you think? But that's okay. I move on. That's life. That's the fighting game. Either way, I have bigger and better things in front of me. We just keep moving.”
It's not uncommon for the UFC to run back fights that ended in controversial fouls, but the promotion has not indicated that will be the case with Battle vs. Lusa.
Battle indicated he would be happy to take a second crack at Lusa, but otherwise intends to pass on this matchup.
“I don't know how he would agree to a rematch,” Battle said. “It's an easy paycheck for me. I want to keep moving up the rankings. I want to fight more famous fighters. We're the co-main event, but if he's on the A side, we're the co-main event. It's not an event. I was the A-side of this fight, and I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things. If the UFC called me and said, 'Hey, I'm going to go on a date like that with Ange Rouza.' Then I'm like, 'Okay, okay.' I'm going to spank him again.”
For more information on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC Fight Night 239 event hub.
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