Tom Aspinall‘s fight against Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest due to an eye poke, prompting discussions on stricter penalties for such fouls, though UFC CEO Dana White acknowledges that fouls are inevitable despite any changes.
Tom Aspinall is still recovering from an eye poke he suffered during his bout with Ciryl Gane. This incident abruptly ended his first defense as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion back in October.
The referee paused the action but didn’t penalize Gane immediately, leading to the fight being declared a no-contest. This sparked discussions on how eye pokes are managed in the UFC, though Dana White believes it’s more about discouraging fighters from committing such fouls.
“Getting poked in the eye by anybody isn’t good,” White shared on the Triggernometry podcast. He mentioned that while they’ve experimented with gloves, stricter penalties might make fighters more cautious.
White explained the mechanics: punches are thrown, hands are out, and fingers extended—eye pokes happen. Despite the perception, they’re not as frequent as they seem, with numbers like a hundred over thousands of fights.
The spotlight intensifies when an eye poke disrupts a main event, like UFC 321, where Aspinall couldn’t continue. Referees have the authority to issue penalties like point deductions or disqualifications to deter such incidents.
White acknowledged that Aspinall’s reaction post-fight didn’t help his public image, but no one blames him for stopping after an eye poke. “You don’t ever want a fight to end like that,” White said, addressing critics who claim fighters "quit" too easily.
White emphasized that eye pokes, like all fouls, are inevitable despite any changes the UFC might implement. However, imposing stiffer penalties could be a viable solution, even if the issue won’t completely disappear.
“We will definitely figure something out,” White assured. He likened it to bad decisions and referee calls—perennial issues in the sport. “It’s not like we’re going to create some f*cking invention that nobody can get eye poked again. It’s just not going to happen.”