Eye Pokes Can Stop a Fight

The Aspinall versus Gane heavyweight title fight ended the way nobody wanted. Four minutes into their main event, Tom Aspinall was left unable to see after an accidental eye poke. The ringside doctor stopped the contest and the result was ruled a no contest. The images and slow motion replays showed how badly Aspinall’s eyes were scraped, and the conversation that followed was immediate and ugly: how did a single, accidental contact end a championship fight and send the champion to hospital? 
This was not an isolated moment. Eye pokes have cut off big fights before. Research going back several years shows eye pokes are a recurring hazard in mixed martial arts, and they have forced multiple no contests and stoppages under the Unified Rules. The problem is old, but the stakes feel higher when a title is on the line. 
Why do eye pokes happen so often? There are several contributing causes, and they interact.

1. Gloves and hand position. Modern MMA gloves are small and allow fingers to flex. When a fighter extends a hand to parry, clinch, or scramble, fingertips can land on an opponent’s eye. Several analyses and fight-doctor statements have pointed to glove shape and finger exposure as a material factor in the rate of eye pokes. One peer-reviewed look at promotion data flagged a higher rate of eye pokes in some organizations and linked glove design to the problem.
2. Fatigue and mechanics. As a fight wears on, fighters’ hands open more often. When the fist opens unintentionally during exchanges or when reaching for a hold, the risk of fingers grazing the eye increases. Clinch exchanges and scrambling on the ground are moments when hands are rarely perfectly cupped.
3. Techniques that put fingers forward. Some defensive or grappling moves naturally put fingertips in front, including hand-fighting against the cage, quick palm jabs, and fingers reaching for control. Those techniques are commonplace in modern MMA.
4. Enforcement and culture. Referees sometimes issue warnings rather than points for accidental fouls. That practice reduces the immediate deterrent effect. Fans and fighters note inconsistency in how referees call eye pokes, which contributes to frustration and occasional conspiratorial thinking after high-profile stoppages. If eye pokes are a known hazard, what can be done? Several practical solutions have been floated by doctors, engineers, promoters, and fight camps. They fall into three groups: equipment, rules and enforcement, and education.

Equipment

A straightforward technical fix is redesigning gloves. Variants with a curved finger profile, more padding over the fingertips, or a slightly longer finger cup reduce the chance that a fingertip will strike an eye. Ringside physicians and safety advocates have publicly recommended exploring a curved-finger glove that encourages a closed fist at rest and protects the fingertips. The UFC itself introduced a redesigned glove program in 2024 aimed at reducing eye pokes and hand injuries, showing promoters can change equipment when pressure mounts, but that glove change has reverted back to the original gloves with really no official reason why.

Rules and enforcement

Stricter officiating would change behavior fast. That means immediate point deductions for clear fingertip contact that affects vision, followed by disqualification for repeat or reckless fouling that ends a contest. Right now, most eye pokes are judged accidental and handled with warnings or no contest rulings. More consistent, tougher penalties would create a tangible cost for careless hand placement.
Replay and medical thresholds should also be clarified. Quick access to replay can help referees determine intent and severity. Medical protocols for retinal checks, urgent transfers, and standardized criteria for returning a fighter to competition would reduce the ad hoc decisions that inflame controversy.
Education and technique

Coaches and fighters can adapt training. Emphasizing closed-fist parries, hand positioning in scrambles, and controlled clinch entries reduces risky finger exposure. Teaching fighters to retract fingers instead of reaching can become a standard drill. Those small changes in muscle memory lower the chance that a tired hand will graze an eye.
What would implementation look like and how would it change the sport?
Short term, expect more scrutiny and rematches. Promoters will rebook headline fights that end due to eye pokes, and medical suspensions may lengthen while ringside standards tighten. Fans will demand clarity on future officiating and on whether glove changes are final or still experimental. Promoters who act quickly to reduce eye pokes will avoid PR fallout and keep marquee matchups intact.

Long term, equipment changes plus tougher calls could alter fight dynamics. Gloves that encourage a closed fist may slightly reduce fingertip grappling effectiveness and change clinch strategy. Stricter fouling enforcement will force fighters to refine pocket work and hand-fighting, which might slow the scramble-heavy moments and improve fighter safety. The trade-off is tolerable: fewer career-altering eye injuries and fewer high-profile no contests.

The Aspinall–Gane no contest will remain a painful case study. It reminded everyone that a single fingertip can change a career and a title reign. It also exposed how a preventable injury can cascade into public debate about toughness and intent. The practical path forward is clear. Promoters, regulators, coaches and manufacturers must move together on gloves, officiating and training. If they do not, the sport risks more headline fights ending not by knockout or decision but by a fingertip that should have been protected.
Eye pokes can stop a fight. The question now is whether the sport will accept that and act, or accept more stops in future big moments.