UFC’s glove controversy resurfaced at UFC 321 during the heavyweight title clash between champion Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. The highly anticipated bout, however, ended in chaos when Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes, forcing a no-contest. In the aftermath, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed plans for a rematch, admitting, “Total pain in the a–, but yes.” As a result, the promotion’s 22nd visit to Abu Dhabi quickly shifted from excitement to frustration. Last year, the promotion attempted to address the issue by introducing a new glove model.

However, within six months, several fighters reported discomfort while using them, prompting the UFC to revert to the previous design. With the latest incident once again highlighting that eye pokes remain an “inevitable” part of the sport, the issue now is how the promotion can address it. Notably, veteran commentator Joe Rogan raised the same concern six years ago, suggesting a solution that has regained attention following the UFC 321 eye-poke controversy.

UFC’s glove model comes under scrutiny again after UFC 321 controversy

Back in 2020, UFC veteran Rashad Evans appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast to discuss MMA gloves designed by coach Trevor Whitman. These gloves featured a “curved position” shape that keeps the hand in a natural “fist-locked” position, similar to those used by the Japan-based MMA promotion PRIDE, in contrast to the flatter design of standard UFC gloves.

Over the past five years, the UFC has seen several high-profile eye-poke incidents, including Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic, Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad, and the brutal Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong fight, which left Cejudo with serious effects such as diplopia, soft tissue damage, and corneal abrasion.

Commenting on the recent eye-poke suffered by between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, journalist Luke Thomas, who has advocated for bringing back the old PRIDE gloves, said on his YouTube channel: “They (UFC) were trying to solve many problems, but and they said that eye pokes went down with them, but that was never really fully tested in UFC fights enough for us to really know. But we do know that there are other designs, the Everlast power lock design, the old pride glove design that naturally curved the fingers over, that research does show meaningfully reduces the amount of eye pokes.”

However, complete safety in the fight game is an impossible guarantee. One thing is clear: as UFC veteran Demetrious Johnson recently pointed out, the risk of eye pokes has always been part of the sport. He even said, “You’re never fucking going to do it,” underscoring just how dangerous MMA can be amid the ongoing UFC glove controversy. With that context, attention now turns to former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.

Sean O’Malley gives his take on the Tom Aspinall eye-poke incident

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley was at the center of a controversial eye-poke incident in 2022 at UFC 276. During his striking exchange with Pedro Munhoz, O’Malley accidentally poked Munhoz in the eye with his extended left hand in the second round, leading to a no-contest at 3:09. The injury left Munhoz with a corneal abrasion and temporary vision impairment, sparking significant backlash against O’Malley on social media.

The issue resurfaced recently with Tom Aspinall, prompting O’Malley to weigh in on his YouTube channel. He called for a rethink of MMA glove design, saying, “As long as Tom’s eyes are good. Who knows? This could come out tomorrow. He can’t see — he might not be able to see right now as I’m making this video, which is scary. That’s what we athletes risk going into these fights. It’s just part of it. What can you do with the gloves? The new gloves they made — I think they already transitioned back to the old ones. The new ones sucked; they didn’t help. Something’s got to be figured out with the gloves.”

When it comes to eye-poke incidents, what’s your take? Should the fighters be held responsible, or should the promotion take more accountability for these situations? Drop your opinion below.