UFC on FOX 17 results: Jim Alers eye poke of Cole Miller results in no-contest

Cole Miller and Jim Alers

ORLANDO, Fla. – An accidental headbutt in the first round opened up a cut over the eye of Jim Alers, and an unintentional eye poke in the second left Cole Miller unable to open his right eye.

The first accidental foul suffered by Alers (13-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) proved to be of no significant consequence, but the second would up being a fight-ender, as the injury to the eye of Miller (21-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) resulted in the bout being halted at the 1:44 mark of Round 2 and declared a no-contest.

The featherweight bout was part of today’s UFC on FOX 17 preliminary card at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of the FOX-televised main card.

The fight had been a spirited stand-up affair right up until it ended prematurely. Alers scored consistently in the first round with his left hook, while Miller attempted to use his jab and put his height and reach advantage to work for him.

The cut over Alers’ left eye prompted some concern between rounds, with a doctor coming in to look at it and declaring him fit to continue in the second. But a little less than two minutes into the second frame Alers pawed forward with open hands as Miller advanced, sticking his finger directly into Miller’s left eye.

Miller doubled over in pain immediately, and couldn’t seem to open his left eye even long enough for the doctor to examine it. Referee Herb Dean suggested giving it some time to see if the eye would relax enough for an examination, but Miller told him repeatedly that he couldn’t open it and had no real hope of that changing in a few minutes’ time.

With that, Dean had no choice but to wave off the bout, declaring it a no-contest due to an accidental foul.

For Miller, the no-contest follows his unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway in February. Alers also last fought in February, suffering a TKO loss at the hands of Chas Skelly.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FOX 17 results include:

• Jim Alers vs. Cole Miller – no contest (accidental eye poke)
• Kamaru Usman def. Leon Edwards via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
• Vincente Luque def. Hayder Hassan via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 2:13
• Francis Ngannou def. Luiz Henrique via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:53

For more on UFC on FOX 17, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Orlando.)