Tom Aspinall is still recovering from the eye poke. That abruptly ended his first defense as undisputed UFC heavyweight champion against Ciryl Gane in October, and the incident has reignited a long-running debate in MMA: what can actually be done about eye pokes?
The foul, which occurred in the UFC 321 main event, turned a marquee title fight into a no-contest and left fans. Fighters, and officials frustrated. While some have renewed calls for equipment redesigns or rule overhauls, UFC CEO Dana White says the real solution might be much simpler and harsher.
The Eye Poke That Ended a Heavyweight Title Fight
In the Gane fight, the referee did correctly call the eye poke and paused the action, but there was no immediate penalty issued to Gane.