On October 25th, fight fans were eagerly anticipating one of the most high-profile heavyweight showdowns ever. At UFC 321, Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane were poised to deliver a fight for the ages. Instead, the bout went down in disappointment. Just 4:35 into the first round, the champion was double eye-poked by Gane, leaving him with significant damage. As a result, the officials declared this fight a no-contest. While the Abu Dhabi event ended in disappointment, the promotion has faced similar catastrophes before.  

In the UFC, eye pokes have been the culprit behind some of the most shocking fight stoppages in MMA. In most cases, the fighter simply can’t see, forcing officials to halt the bout completely. Depending on the circumstances, the fight either ends in a disqualification if the foul was intentional or a no-contest if it was accidental. With Tom Aspinall now having suffered this brutal fate in Abu Dhabi, let’s take a look at five notable instances where fights were stopped because of eye pokes.    

Yair Rodriguez vs Jeremy Stephens  (UFC on ESPN+ 17) 

On September 21, 2019, the UFC took over Mexico City Arena for a featherweight main event that had fans buzzing, as local hero Yair Rodriguez faced Jeremy Stephens. At the time, ‘El Pantera’ was an up-and-comer looking to make his mark, and performing in front of his home crowd against a tough opponent promised a memorable showdown. But all expectations crumbled when the fight ended in a flash.

From the opening bell, Rodriguez came out aggressively, but his intensity backfired. Just 15 seconds into the first round, his strike landed directly in Jeremy Stephens’ eyes. The fight was immediately halted as the physician stepped in to check on Stephens, while the referee allowed him time to recover. After five minutes, Stephens still couldn’t fully open his eyes, and the bout was ruled a no-contest. 

Just like that, Yair Rodriguez’s homecoming ended in disappointment due to this unfortunate incident. With such an unlucky outcome, the UFC eventually rebooked the fight at UFC on ESPN 6, where ‘El Pantera’ claimed victory via unanimous decision. But it’s worth noting that not every fighter gets a second chance, not even someone like Sean O’Malley.  

Sean O’Malley vs Pedro Munhoz  (UFC 276)  

‘Suga’s rise to the top as one of the UFC’s most popular new-age champions has often come under scrutiny from fans. The reason? Many believe Sean O’Malley didn’t face enough high-level opponents before capturing the 135-pound title. But at UFC 276, he stepped up against seasoned bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz. Although ‘The Young Punisher’ was arguably past his prime, fans still expected an exciting clash between two elite strikers that promised fireworks before fate intervened.

After a solid first round of action, O’Malley accidentally eye-poked Pedro Munhoz in the second round at the 3:09 mark. Initially, ‘Suga’ celebrated with his trademark basketball shot, thinking he had secured the victory. But moments later, the bout was ruled a no-contest, leaving no winner in the process. Also, unlike the Rodriguez vs. Stephens matchup, the UFC never rebooked this fight.

Following the incident, Munhoz was immediately taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed damage to his cornea, which was an injury that took considerable time to heal. And while that sounds painful enough, the next case is even worse.   

Belal Muhammad vs Leon Edwards (UFC Vegas 21) 

In recent welterweight history, the rivalry between Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards has grabbed plenty of attention, especially after their heated rematch at UFC 304. But the roots of their animosity trace back to their first encounter, which ended abruptly due to an eye poke. During fight week, both men traded verbal shots, often bringing up the controversial ending of their UFC Vegas 21 bout.

On March 13, 2021, Edwards and Muhammad squared off inside the UFC Apex to determine who would climb higher in the 170-pound division. When the bell rang, both fighters looked sharp, trading well-timed strikes and maintaining composure. However, in the second round, ‘Rocky’ got a bit too reckless and accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye. Blood began to pour as the referee quickly stepped in, and after a thorough examination from the doctors, the fight was ruled a no-contest.

Three years later, at UFC 304 in Manchester, the long-awaited rematch finally happened. This time, Muhammad got his revenge, defeating Leon Edwards by unanimous decision in front of the Brit’s home crowd and capturing the welterweight title in the process. Well, while that story ended happily for the Palestinian-American, the next fighter’s experience was far from it, as he had to endure a long and painful recovery after a brutal eye poke. 

Henry Cejudo vs Song Yadong (UFC Seattle)   

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo made his return to the Octagon against Chinese rising star Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Seattle. After dropping two straight fights, ‘Triple C’ was eager to bounce back against a dangerous 135-er known for his tremendous knockout power. As expected, the fight turned into a solid back-and-forth battle for two rounds, but a grim twist awaited Cejudo in the third.

Late in the round, Yadong’s extended fingers went straight into Cejudo’s eye, leaving him struggling to see out of his left eye. Despite the clear damage, the referee allowed the fight to continue, leading to a technical knockout victory for Yadong, one of the most controversial decisions of the year. Later, ‘Triple C’ revealed he suffered serious eye issues that required months of recovery.

Now, the former Olympian and UFC champion is set to return at UFC 323 for what could be his final fight, taking on Payton Talbott, to close out his legendary career on his own terms. But as Cejudo prepares to say goodbye, the next fighter on this list might have suffered the most disappointing eye poke of them all, and you guessed it, it’s Tom Aspinall. 

Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane  (UFC 321) 

What could be more disheartening than seeing one of the most anticipated UFC fights end without a proper conclusion? Tom Aspinall, carrying the momentum as the reigning heavyweight champion and the man who officially closed the Jon Jones chapter, stepped into the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi to face Ciryl Gane. As expected, the fight lived up to every ounce of hype in the opening minutes, a perfect blend of technical striking and raw power.

But as the action picked up pace, disaster struck at the 4:35 mark. Gane’s hyperextended fingers caught Aspinall directly in the eyes, and it looked brutal. After a quick medical check, the British juggernaut decided he couldn’t continue, leading to the fight being ruled a no-contest. The crowd erupted in boos, a clear sign of just how high the expectations had been for this main event.

Following the disappointing ending, fans immediately began calling for a rematch. Dana White confirmed in his post-fight presser that the UFC plans to rebook the bout as soon as Aspinall’s eye fully heals.

So, what do you think of these five incidents where eye pokes completely derailed great fights? Do you have a different list in mind? Let us know in the comments below.