Daniel Cormier Recovers from Torn Cornea in Miocic Fight, Won't Need Surgery

Daniel Cormier is a LUCKY man -- because somehow he was able to recover from the torn cornea he suffered in his loss to Stipe Miocic ... and won't need eye surgery.

Cormier's left eye got so badly injured from an accidental finger poke during his August 15 UFC heavyweight title fight ... he couldn't open it during the last 2 rounds.

After the fight, Cormier told Joe Rogan, "I can't see anything out of my left eye. It's black."

But, DC appeared on ESPN's "DC & Helwani Show" on Monday and revealed he's actually healing up nicely.

"Luckily I was able to recover, and I feel better," Cormier said,

"The first week and a half, [the eye] was really bad, it wasn't opening, and it was completely blurry, but now it kind of feels like an eyelash is in it."

"I went and saw the doctor last week, and he told me I'm probably not going to have to have surgery, just kind of rest and recover. And today it feels good, but just feels like something in there, you know when you get an eyelash and can't get it out? It's just right in the corner."

It's great news, considering how bad it looked at the time.

As for his fighting future, Cormier insists he's done competing -- and will now focus on growing his career outside the Octagon.

"Yeah, it's over. And I'm not sad about it," Cormier said.

"I'm going to miss it, I'm going to miss the training camps, I'm going to miss the fights, there's nothing like a fight week, but you have to understand when it's your time. I feel it's time."