By Rick Reeno

Brandon Rios has been to a nearby hospital in Las Vegas following his 9th round disqualification win over Diego Chaves in their wild brawl Saturday evening at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. 

The fight was loaded with action but also a foul-filled affair, as referee Vic Drakulich docked two points from Chaves and one point from Rios over the course of the evening. 

Rios began complaining of having his eye poked by Chaves' thumb when the two were at close quarters towards the end of round six. The former lightweight titlist continued to complain of the infraction, including at fight's end when his actions nearly prompted an in-ring riot. 

After the fight, it was discovered that Rios suffered a scratch cornea in his left eye which his team believes came from one of the various thumbing fouls committed by Chaves. 

The California-based brawler also complained of nausea and dizziness, both of which he attributes from when the two fighters crashed to the canvas early in the ninth round. Manager Cameron Dunkin relayed to krikya360.com that Rios said he felt like his neck was cracked following the sequence. 

Chaves was disqualified shortly afterward, when Rios stormed away claiming to have been thumbed again. According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, a final forearm from Chaves while the fighters were in close quarters is what prompted the referee to end the fight. 

At the time of the disqualification, Chaves was ahead 75-74 on two scorecards, while Rios was up by the same score on the third card. 

Rios (32-2-1, 23KOs) picked up his first win since October '12, having lost two in a row heading into Saturday evening's welterweight fight, which aired live on HBO. Chaves (23-2, 19KOs) - who arrived in town on Thursday after being held at the mercy of the U.S. Immigration courts waiting for his visa status to clear - has now lost in each of his two stateside appearances, suffering a 10th round knockout versus Keith Thurman last July.