UFC Plans Major Eye-Poke Rule Change After UFC 321 Controversy

Tom Aspinall's UFC 321 heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane ended prematurely due to a double eye poke by Gane, resulting in a no-contest and raising serious concerns about eye poke fouls in MMA. Aspinall suffered significant vision impairment, with his father revealing his son's vision was still limited days later. This incident reignited debates on how to handle accidental fouls, with some fighters like Matt Brown advocating for instant disqualifications to deter eye pokes. UFC veteran Josh Thomson indicated that the UFC is planning major rule changes to remove the referee's discretion in eye poke cases, potentially implementing these changes imminently. Additionally, fighter Belal Muhammad, who has personal experience with painful eye pokes, called for immediate point deductions to discourage such fouls, criticizing the current lack of consequences. The controversy has sparked widespread calls within the MMA community for stricter regulations to prevent eye pokes from continuing to disrupt fights and endanger fighters' careers.