Jessica Eye: I’m in the running after UFC 180 win over Leslie Smith

MEXICO CITY – The bloody appendage that was Leslie Smith’s left ear was a queasy spectacle for MMA fans, but for Jessica Eye, it was a target.

“I saw blood, and I just kept going for it,” Eye said following her second-round TKO win over Smith in a women’s bantamweight bout on the pay-per-view main card of Saturday’s UFC 180.

“Once I saw the blood, I just kept hitting the same spot. It was kind of a target for me.”

That killer instinct paid off for Eye (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who was ruled the victor at the 1:30 mark of the second frame when a doctor forbid Smith (7-6-1 MMA, 1-2 FC) from continuing after Eye’s punches nearly sheared off her ear. The fight aired live on FOX Sports 1 at Mexico City Arena.

Smith loudly complained that she still wanted to fight, but had she taken more of Eye’s punches, she might have suffered a more serious injury. Eye said she would have, well, seen to it.

“In MMA, it’s about how much damage you can do, and if you see blood, keep going for it,” she said. “So I just saw it, and I knew that it hurt. So when we clinched, I just continued throwing short right hand shots to keep hurting her, because I knew she was going to focus on that right side.

“So the more that she tried to stay away from the right side, I started working the inside kicks. I just used my fight knowledge.”

Eye picked up her first UFC win after a split-call loss to Alexis Davis in her previous outing and an overturned win against Sarah Kaufman due to a positive post-fight test for marijuana. Smith was forced back to the drawing board after a first-round TKO of Jessamyn Duke in her previous outing, which followed a decision loss to Sarah Kaufman in her debut.

“I’m in the running,” Eye said. “I’m here for a reason. There’s obviously a purpose for me here in the UFC. I’m just going to keep fighting and keeping winning, and no matter how I win, I’m going to prove I’m supposed to be here.”

Eye wasn’t the only one who proved she belonged among the UFC’s toughest. UFC President Dana White said Smith’s post-fight behavior convinced him that Smith is as gritty a competitor as they come.

“She’s awesome,” White said. “What a warrior she is, and so much respect for her. You heard her screaming that she wanted to keep fighting, and I was screaming for them to stop the fight. But wow. I really respect that a lot.

“She’s OK. She’s got a big bandage on her ear. She needed stitches, obviously, but she’s asking me when she can fight again. I said when your ear is attached again, you can fight again.”

Assuming she emerged healthy from UFC 180, Eye will look to fight again soon and keep stating her case for a title shot.

For complete coverage of UFC 180, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.