Dana White and the UFC Doubles Down: They Will Continue To Do Nothing about Eye Pokes – “Just happens.”
The UFC heavyweight division fell into familiar chaos at UFC 321 when champion Tom Aspinall was unable to continue after a double eye poke from Ciryl Gane ended their title bout at 4:35 of the first round. The fight was declared a no contest, marking the first time a UFC title fight has ended this way due to an accidental foul. When UFC President Dana White addressed the media afterward, his response was telling: “Just happens. Yeah. I mean, no matter what you do with the glove, I mean, they’re going to happen.”
UFC 321
The statement represents the UFC’s position on an issue that has plagued the sport for years. Eye pokes occur approximately once every 14 fights and delay bouts for an average of 50 seconds, according to research from the UFC Performance Institute. Yet despite the frequency and severity of these fouls, the promotion has signaled it will do nothing to address the root causes.
The UFC 321 incident was particularly brutal. Gane inadvertently poked both of Aspinall’s eyes simultaneously while throwing a punch. The champion was given the customary five-minute recovery period, but after four minutes he was still telling the ringside physician “I can’t see.” Aspinall was subsequently transported to the hospital. When fans in the Etihad Arena booed the stoppage, a frustrated Aspinall responded: “I just got poked knuckle-deep in the eyeball. What am I supposed to do about it? I didn’t do the poke, I can’t see!”
White confirmed a rematch will be scheduled once Aspinall receives medical clearance, calling it “a pain in the ass, but yes.” The UFC president also praised Gane’s performance before the foul, noting “after the Jon Jones fight, a lot of people wrote Gane off. He looked damn good tonight.”
UFC Gloves
The dismissive nature of White’s comments stands in contrast to mounting criticism from fighters, analysts, and the wider MMA community. When asked what it would take to make an eye poke intentional and what could be done to fix the problem, White responded: “Who the f— knows? Who gives a s—? What are you going to do?” He then referenced the UFC’s failed glove redesign, stating “no matter what you do with the glove, I mean, they’re gonna happen.”
That glove redesign represents one of the UFC’s most recent attempts to address eye pokes. In April 2024, the promotion unveiled new gloves coined the “3Eight/5Eight” that were designed to offer more mobility and flexibility while reducing eye pokes and hand injuries. The gloves debuted at UFC 302 in June 2024 and featured a redesigned curvature intended to keep fighters’ fingers in a more natural position. However, after just five months and 21 events, the UFC abandoned the new gloves and reverted to the original design in November 2024.
The reason for the switch back was fighter complaints about comfort and performance, not eye poke statistics. White acknowledged “there were a lot of complaints. We originally created these gloves to stop eye pokes. We had good intentions with them. They didn’t work out, people weren’t happy with them.” Research showed knockout rates dropped by 8.5 percent with the new gloves compared to the old design. The move back to the classic gloves became permanent, with White stating “the new gloves are now the old gloves.”
Trevor Wittman, the renowned MMA coach and founder of ONX Sports, designed gloves specifically engineered to prevent fighters from extending their fingers toward opponents’ eyes while maintaining hand mobility for grappling. Multiple fighters who tested the Wittman gloves praised their effectiveness and comfort. However, the UFC reportedly wanted to purchase the patent for Wittman’s design rather than enter a licensing agreement, and Wittman declined the offer. The gloves have never been used in UFC competition.
Punishment
The enforcement side of the eye poke problem remains equally problematic. Under current Unified Rules of MMA, eye pokes are categorized as either intentional or unintentional at the referee’s discretion. An unintentional eye poke typically results in a warning, with point deductions rarely occurring until a fighter commits multiple fouls. However, eye pokes are almost never deemed intentional.
The lax enforcement has created what many see as a strategic advantage for fighters willing to push the boundaries. 45-fight UFC veteran Jim Miller stated “it’s not the gloves, it’s the culture. The shameless, win at all costs mentality amongst fighters and the ‘eye pokes are an accident and not a foul’ mentality most people seem to have.” Miller called for immediate point deductions and purse deductions for eye pokes, arguing “I believe not only a point deduction but also a purse deduction would have a rapid effect on how many pokes we see.”
Since the beginning of 2024, only one fighter has been deducted a point for an eye poke in the UFC. In the entire history of the promotion, only 20 fights have occurred in which a fighter had a point deducted and the fight went to a decision. The UFC has had seven fights end in no contest due to eye pokes since 2005.
Former UFC referee Big John McCarthy has evolved his position on the issue, now advocating for automatic point deductions regardless of intent. “It does not matter intent, it does not matter anything,” McCarthy said. “Every time there’s gonna be a point taken if the referee sees someone sticking a finger out and we have a thumb or a digit going into the eye socket. It’s an automatic deduction.” However, McCarthy acknowledged such a rule change “would never pass” through the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports due to concerns about instant replay requirements and the impact on important fights.
Eye Pokes, Eye Gouging, and Eye Raking
The medical consequences of eye pokes can be severe and permanent. Research examining ophthalmic injuries in professional MMA from 2001 to 2020 found that 57 fighters required ophthalmology clearance after eye injuries sustained in competition, with an average no-contact time of 8.9 weeks. Corneal abrasions from eye pokes cause severe pain, excessive tearing, and light sensitivity that makes it nearly impossible for fighters to continue. Blunt eye trauma can lead to retinal detachment, nerve damage, and high eye pressure, potentially causing permanent vision loss if left untreated.
Notable fighters have suffered career-altering eye injuries from pokes. Jake Matthews revealed permanent eye damage from an eye gouge by Li Jingliang. Pedro Munhoz suffered a corneal abrasion from Sean O’Malley at UFC 276 that left him unable to see out of his right eye for 20 minutes.
The UFC 321 incident drew widespread reaction on social media. However, the MMA community expressed frustration with both the outcome and the UFC’s continued inaction. Reddit discussions highlighted that fighters have no disincentive to commit eye pokes, as the worst outcome is typically a warning. Some argued Gane should not receive a rematch given his history of fouls. Others questioned whether Aspinall could have continued, though medical professionals noted the severity of having fingers go “knuckle-deep” into both eyes.
Gane apologized after the fight, stating “I didn’t do it on purpose. I know what it is to have an eye poke because when I fought Derrick Lewis, I got an eye poke, and I was fighting two Derrick Lewises for a full round.” He expressed disappointment that the fight ended prematurely after he had started well, landing jabs and drawing blood from Aspinall’s nose.
The UFC 321 eye poke occurs against a backdrop of increasing frustration with foul enforcement across the sport. In February 2025, Henry Cejudo suffered a technical decision loss to Song Yadong after being unable to continue following multiple eye pokes that went unpenalized. In September 2024, Nassourdine Imavov landed two eye pokes against Caio Borralho, adding to four previous eye pokes across his last three fights without any point deductions. In March 2025, Roman Dolidze repeatedly fouled Marvin Vettori with multiple eye pokes despite warnings from referee Herb Dean, yet no point was taken.
White’s assertion that “no matter what you do with the glove” eye pokes will happen contradicts evidence from other glove designs and stricter enforcement mechanisms. Pride FC or RIZIN gloves featured a curvature that kept fingers in a slightly bent position, reducing the ability to extend fingers toward opponents’ eyes. The Wittman ONX gloves employ a similar principle with added wrist support. The UFC had both options available but chose not to pursue them.
Coach and former fighter Bradd Pickett explained:
“When you put your hands in [RIZIN gloves], it naturally curls your fingers down. It’s really hard to extend your hand fully, which helps prevent pokes. The solution is so simple.”
The promotion’s reluctance to implement stricter penalties also runs counter to how fouls are handled in other major sports. In the NFL and NBA, penalties are assessed consistently regardless of intent, creating clear disincentives for rule violations. MMA continues to operate in what observers call a “grey area” where rules are selectively enforced and fighters can commit multiple fouls without consequence.
For now, the UFC’s position appears unchanged. Eye pokes “just happen,” according to White, and the promotion will continue rebooking fights disrupted by fouls rather than addressing the underlying causes.
