News Nik Lentz nearly lost an eye after being poked in his last fight; had double vision for nine months

[Phisher]

Lentz fought all three rounds against Allen, but he did so in an incapacitated manner. Lentz was dealt with two eye pokes in the fight with the second one being the most debilitating as his vision was dramatically altered. He went on to lose to Allen by way of unanimous decision, but the loss was least of his problems at that time.

“In my last fight, the fight was going well,” said Lentz. “In the second round, I got an eye poke and it kind of felt a little funny at first. My vision was a little blurry and stuff and then in the third round — ten seconds into the third round — I got poked really bad in the eye. I ended up having triple vision, so from that moment on, there was like four-and-a-half minutes left in the fight and I was fighting like three guys. I was just trying to hit the one in the middle, I guess. I didn’t work it out at the time because I don’t know. I’ve never had this happen, but in the fight, I was trying to close the eye but it turns out its really hard to close your eye when someone’s trying to punch at you. It just automatically opens.

“If I could keep the left eye closed, I could see one person. But the second that it opened, then I saw three people. So, it was kind of a crappy situation.”

“After the fight, I couldn’t even get out of the cage,” said Lentz. “I couldn’t see the steps. I couldn’t see anything. My vision didn’t return to normal for nine months after that until I had surgery. I had to see a series of doctors. No one could really figure out what the problem was because the eye itself had healed, but I still couldn’t see right. I still had terrible double vision and I went to specialists and specialists and specialists and finally, I found one.

Lentz concluded that if losing one eye was necessary, then he would move forward with that reality. Of course, this may have brought about the end of his mixed martial arts career, but Lentz was prepared for that to happen.

“Seeing with one eye is better than seeing double. And when they were both together, I had terrible double vision, so I couldn’t do anything. It was a scary nine months. There was a lot of times where this might have been it. This injury might have been my career. It might have been onto the next phase of life.”

 

[brackis1]

I dislike Lentz, but I don't wish this on any fighter and it's more evidence of why these guys deserve more pay while fat goofs like Dana talk shit on fighters to nickel and dime their way into more driveway snow.

 

[JustOnce]

Wish the best for Lentz.

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

Damn, they really need to do something about the eye pokes. Point deductions don't seem to do the trick as the advantage gained from a blind opponent is much greater than the loss of a point.

Not to say it'll solve the eye poke, but going to a Pride style glove would be a start. As seen on the left, the neutral position for pride gloves is fingers curled back, whereas the UFC gloves allows for finger extension in neutral position. A fighter would have to conscientiously extend the fingers for the eye poke with the Pride gloves, making accidental eye pokes easier for the ref to call

 

[leatherneck]

now he wears contact Lentz.

 

[JustOnce]

now he wears contact Lentz.

I lost lol.

 

[XThe GreatestX]

ahhhh Nik "One of the best strikers in the world" "the accidentally orthodox fighter" "Carny" Lentz

 

[Peli]

Lentz fought all three rounds against Allen, but he did so in an incapacitated manner. Lentz was dealt with two eye pokes in the fight with the second one being the most debilitating as his vision was dramatically altered. He went on to lose to Allen by way of unanimous decision, but the loss was least of his problems at that time.

“In my last fight, the fight was going well,” said Lentz. “In the second round, I got an eye poke and it kind of felt a little funny at first. My vision was a little blurry and stuff and then in the third round — ten seconds into the third round — I got poked really bad in the eye. I ended up having triple vision, so from that moment on, there was like four-and-a-half minutes left in the fight and I was fighting like three guys. I was just trying to hit the one in the middle, I guess. I didn’t work it out at the time because I don’t know. I’ve never had this happen, but in the fight, I was trying to close the eye but it turns out its really hard to close your eye when someone’s trying to punch at you. It just automatically opens.

“If I could keep the left eye closed, I could see one person. But the second that it opened, then I saw three people. So, it was kind of a crappy situation.”

“After the fight, I couldn’t even get out of the cage,” said Lentz. “I couldn’t see the steps. I couldn’t see anything. My vision didn’t return to normal for nine months after that until I had surgery. I had to see a series of doctors. No one could really figure out what the problem was because the eye itself had healed, but I still couldn’t see right. I still had terrible double vision and I went to specialists and specialists and specialists and finally, I found one.

Lentz concluded that if losing one eye was necessary, then he would move forward with that reality. Of course, this may have brought about the end of his mixed martial arts career, but Lentz was prepared for that to happen.

“Seeing with one eye is better than seeing double. And when they were both together, I had terrible double vision, so I couldn’t do anything. It was a scary nine months. There was a lot of times where this might have been it. This injury might have been my career. It might have been onto the next phase of life.”

That would be my cue to retire. Especially if I had an mma career like Nik lentz. I'm not championship material. I'm not top 10 so why keep fighting and adding damage to myself

 

[asdf122345]

I think it time for a point taken away instantly if an eyepoke occurs.

 

[Satan's Daddy.]

The pros and cons of the fight game, you must adapt and utilize head movement and grappling to your benieft just like Khabib does.

 

[Croton]

now he wears contact Lentz.

Nik the contact lentz

 

[Rebel_LioN]

Thank god that doctor lentz him a new eye

 

[Kumason]

He can't even explain or say what kind of 'risky' surgery it was?

That would be my cue to retire. Especially if I had an mma career like Nik lentz. I'm not championship material. I'm not too 10 so why keep fighting and adding damage to myself

With win bonus he's making over $100,000 a fight. It's pretty hard to just go do some shit job when that's there. I don't disagree, i'm just saying a lot of fans don't consider that this is people's actual jobs/ financial income and it's not as simple as just walking away for some of these guys. They are just like the rest of us with bills to pay and families to feed. Again not saying you're wrong to think that, i'm sure it's very rarely just that simple is all especially when some of these guys still have a fire to compete. Plus you know how the human mind is..I went through almost 50 fights so it was just unlucky and my vision is fine now, type of thing.

 

[Big Al's Texas BBQ]

I dislike Lentz, but I don't wish this on any fighter and it's more evidence of wise these guys deserve more pay while fat goofs like Dana talk shit on fighters to nickel and dime their way into more driveway snow.

People still use that meme? Is this 2010?

 

[TITS]

This just makes me dislike Allen even more. Keep your fucking hands closed when your throwing a punch.

 

[Peli]

He can't even explain or say what kind of 'risky' surgery it was?



With win bonus he's making over $100,000 a fight. It's pretty hard to just go do some shit job when that's there. I don't disagree, i'm just saying a lot of fans don't consider that this is people's actual jobs/ financial income and it's not as simple as just walking away for some of these guys. They are just like the rest of us with bills to pay and families to feed. Again not saying you're wrong to think that, i'm sure it's very rarely just that simple is all especially when some of these guys still have a fire to compete. Plus you know how the human mind is..I went through almost 50 fights so it was just unlucky and my vision is fine now, type of thing.

If he made that much as a prelim fighter I hope he was smart with his money. Fuck the livelihood shit. Eventually you can't fight forever. Every fighter will have to call it quits. Do so with your faculties intact

 

[Ackmed]

Islam took his soul

 

[Kumason]

If he made that much as a prelim fighter I hope he was smart with his money. Fuck the livelihood shit. Eventually you can't fight forever. Every fighter will have to call it quits. Do so with your faculties intact

That's how much he's making now, not before. I find it so funny when people talk like this, like it's all just so simple. You're not him, and he's still fighting, so I guess that makes him an idiot right? Just like half of the other fighters and 83% of HW's and LHW's?

 

[Peli]

That's how much he's making now, not before. I find it so funny when people talk like this, like it's all just so simple. You're not him, and he's still fighting, so I guess that makes him an idiot right? Just like half of the other fighters and 83% of HW's and LHW's?

It's not simple but it not being simple doesn't mean he shouldn't weigh his options and consider retirement.

Who said anything about fighters being idiots? Miss me with the strawmanning dude

 

[runjay]

“It seems like every problem you can have with an eye, I had.“

- The Count