Jessica Eye Plans To Take A Year Off From MMA To Refocus
Jessica Eye is in the middle of a rough stretch in her pro-MMA career. She has lost her last four bouts and has one win her last six bouts. In her last bout, Eye faced former title contender Bethe Correia at UFC 203 last month in Cleveland but lost via split decision.
“I know I won that fight. I know I did,” Eye told FOX Sports. “I knew I had (rounds) one and two. Going into the third round, I knew I could keep moving around, put the pressure on and move and show them action, I’m still just as fresh as the first round. Unfortunately it just didn’t go that way. I need to grapple more. That’s something I need to do. I’m not just a striker. I go in there and I only use a tiny bit of what I’m able to do and it’s frustrating.”
Following the fight, Eye believed that she would be released from the largest MMA promotion in the world, the UFC, due to her lack of performance and wins. However, she got a call from UFC president Dana White saying that she wasn’t going to be released and he was going to give her one more chance. White even offered to help Eye get in contact with a renowned sports psychologist so she could work on getting past some of the mental roadblocks that had plagued her in recent bouts. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby contacted Eye and told her that she would have to win her next fight or she would be released. Other than rushing to get back inside the octagon, Eye is taking a different route and will be taking a one-year break from active competition.
“We start talking about everything and how he feels that I’m just stuck in this funk and he’s seen other fighters go through it. I said ‘if you want to give me another chance, you can. I’m taking a year off. I’m going to train probably after the first of the year. I’m going to hang out, do some cross training, make some other decisions in my life but I don’t plan to come back for a while’,” Eye explained. “He said ‘Dana did message me and told me what you talked about and I’m going to keep you on the roster. I’m going to give you another chance.’
Eye wants to refocus on herself and getting better as a mixed martial artist rather than getting destroyed by top fighters in the division.
“Time for me to not worry about a fight, not worry about a camp. Just go and help my teammates and just workout. If I want to eat clean for 10 days straight and eat bad for 10 days straight, I can do that. I just want to live for a little while to make sure I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing as a fighter,” Eye said. “I’m blessed that Sean Shelby and Dana White are giving me one more chance. I’m not going out there and getting destroyed by these girls. I’m losing split decisions. They are competitive fights. I realize now no one wants to see a competitive fight in this sport, they want to see a finish. So maybe that’s what I need to spend this year on — learning how to finish.”
“That’s what this year will bring. Me being proud of myself. Me finding myself and then I’ll get one more chance.”
