How can the UFC stop eye pokes? That’s what fans want to know after Tom Aspinall’s first heavyweight title defense was ruined by Ciryl Gane’s double eye poke in Abu Dhabi last month. Following that disappointing main event, plenty of ideas have been floating around, but the promotion still hasn’t revealed anything concrete to prevent this foul. With no proper solution in sight, new suggestions keep pouring in, and now the UFC 322 stars have also joined the conversation. 

In a few days, Dana White and his team will head to the historic Madison Square Garden, hopefully with a plan to prevent eye pokes from ruining fights. Some of the UFC’s biggest names, like Jack Della Maddalena, Islam Makhachev, and Sean Brady, will compete at the event, and any mishap could quickly turn into a nightmare. To make sure that doesn’t happen, both ‘JDM’ and Brady have shared their own ideas to reduce this frustrating foul.

Jack Della Maddalena and Sean Brady present solutions to eye pokes ahead of UFC 322

In an interview with Kairouz Bros, Jack Della Maddalena first posed a solution saying, “I think, honestly, they should start deducting points. I think one eye poke, deduct a point. I think that’s as simple as that. I have never poked someone, so I think it’s careless, you know. I think start deducting points.”  

The reigning welterweight champion calling for stricter rules on eye pokes definitely seems like the most common solution fans want to see. Even industry experts like Ariel Helwani have backed the idea of enforcing tougher regulations, where referees immediately deduct a point after an eye poke. However, Sean Brady, who’s set to fight Michael Morales at UFC 322, appears to have a much simpler approach.  

The Philly Native told Kairouz Bros, “I think fighters just need to stop poking each other in the eye. But there’s a few things, maybe some minor adjustments to the gloves. But, I don’t know, it’s a tough situation. I think most guys need to close their hands and stop poking each other.”   

Well, for a long time, referees have been warning fighters about keeping their fingers closed to reduce eye pokes. Still, some fighters end up committing the foul, mostly unintentionally, because of their fighting style. However, at UFC Fight Night 198, Brady was eye poked by Michael Chiesa two times in the first minute, but the referee Herb Dean didn’t cut a point. So, despite that experience, the Philly native had a pretty easy take.

The number-one-ranked welterweight, after providing a solution to eye pokes, even shared his thoughts on whether Tom Aspinall made the right call by choosing not to continue the fight.

Sean Brady defends Tom Aspinall from quitting allegations 

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been catching plenty of heat for not continuing the fight after challenger Ciryl Gane eye-poked him in the UFC 321 main event. Many fans have labeled the Brit a quitter, believing he chose to stop because Gane gave him a bloody nose and nearly took the round. However, fighters like Sean Brady believe the reigning 265-pound champ made the right call by avoiding the later rounds with an injured eye.

Brady told Seady Picks podcast, “He was getting hit, like his nose was busted, like there’s some nice blood on his ship. But it was trending towards being a good fight. Bro that eye poke was very bad. I was like deflated afterwards. I was like goddamn… and then like he was getting booed after work.It’s like, if all of us get hit in the n—s, we’re all gonna have different reactions. Ciryl’s one finger was in Tom’s skull, and that’s some nut-a—s s—-t. Like, you think Tom Aspinall didn’t want to continue to fight? You think he didn’t want to fight that motherf—?” 

Aspinall clearly looked in pain, and his father, Andy Aspinall, later revealed that the Brit had trouble seeing through his damaged eye. So, it’s fair to say he didn’t quit out of fear of losing. The reigning UFC 265-pound kingpin is already looking forward to stepping back inside the cage for the rematch, and it’ll be interesting to see what approach he takes next time—and more importantly, whether there’s any real solution to eye pokes before that happens.

With that said, what do you think should be the solution to eye pokes? Do you agree with Jack Della Maddalena or Sean Brady? Let us know in the comments below.