UFC 249: Anthony Pettis gets decision but Donald Cerrone upset after controversial ‘eye poke’
- ‘I’ll take it, that was close’ says Pettis after getting back to winning ways in Florida
- ‘Cowboy’ slumps to fourth defeat on the spin and second loss to ‘Showtime’
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis secured a unanimous decision win against fellow veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 249 on Saturday night – much to his own surprise.
“I'll take it, man. That was close,” Pettis (22-10) said in his Octagon interview after embracing Cerrone (36-14, one no contest) after their welterweight match-up. The pair fought before in the 2013 with Pettis winning via first-round KO – the first knockout defeat of Cerrone’s professional career.
The 37-year-old Cerrone, who is now on a four-fight losing streak having been defeated by Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson in the last 11 months, complained of an eye-poke during the third round.
In a stand-up exchange, Pettis appeared to catch Cerrone’s eye with his little finger but the referee allowed the fight to continue. Cerrone’s eye was visibly swollen after the exchange.
“That was a [expletive] eye poke, bro,” said a smiling Cerrone before the judges scorecards were announced. “No, that was a [expletive] punch,” said the 33-year-old Pettis, who lost to Diego Ferreira and Nate Diaz in his two previous fights. The pair both agreed to “replay that s***” on the big screen.