Thanks to Steve Garcia, the Fight Night at the Apex managed to save face. Had the New Mexico native not knocked out David Onama in the first round, the narrative might have revolved around the unsavory incident that marred the co-main event. The bout between Waldo Cortez-Acosta and Ante Delija delivered all the thrills fans expected until an eye poke spoiled the fun.

Barely a week has passed since the MMA world witnessed another dramatic episode. The Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane headliner at UFC 321 ended abruptly following an accidental eye poke. So with two back-to-back incidents, the UFC now finds itself at an impasse that could threaten the integrity of future fights if strong measures aren’t implemented soon. Unlike the Aspinall-Gane bout, the Waldo Cortez-Acosta–Ante Delija contest reached a logical conclusion. However, the mid-round poking incident has opened a Pandora’s box that now demands a firm fix.

Tom Aspinall to Waldo Cortez-Acosta: Eye pokes put UFC’s rulebook under scrutiny

The latest episode of Submission Radio saw Denis Shkuratov join MMA reporters Jed Meshew and Jose Youngs to discuss the growing controversy and its potential repercussions. “People are going crazy about the eye poke,” Shkuratov aptly noted before asking Meshew for his thoughts.

Drawing a parallel with UFC Perth’s Jake Matthews controversy, Meshew suggested that the instant-replay decision that allowed the fight to continue may have frustrated Ante Delija. “But like, by the spirit of the law, you shouldn’t get a TKO win because you poked a dude in the eye,” he added, concluding that Delija should accept the defeat as fair.  As the conversation turned to potential solutions, Shkuratov proposed, “I think it’s got to be an automatic point deduction. You do get a warning in the back. Boom. Point deduction.”

Recalling a discussion with Dan Hardy, he suggested that a monetary penalty might serve as an additional deterrent. Though he disagreed with the financial aspect, Meshew, however, supported the automatic point deduction. “I think it should be an automatic point deduction,” he said, adding, “Repeated infringement—the first is a point, the second’s another point, and the third is a DQ. You lose. Stop poking people in the eyes. I guarantee you people will do it less because it’s not that hard. Plenty of fighters don’t poke people in the eyes. I think the same should go for low blows, frankly.

Several prominent voices have already echoed similar sentiments.

UFC gears up for a reform round

Backing the idea of an automatic deduction, legend Matt Brown told Ariel Helwani, “It doesn’t matter if it was an accident or not…if you break a rule, like, you should be penalized.” Still, fans might have reason to be optimistic. Reports suggest that the UFC could soon convene to address the issue and introduce a series of rule adjustments.

“Enough people are fed up with the eye poke situation that something is going to be done… There’s gonna be a meeting where we go over that. “Definitely something’s gonna happen,” veteran MMA referee Herb Dean told Helen Yee.

Former UFC fighter Josh Thomson also hinted at reform, saying, “There probably will be changes to the rules.”

Months ago, former champion Henry Cejudo had called for a similar review after he fell victim to an eye poke that reportedly cost him a decision win against Song Yadong. Following the Aspinall-Gane fallout, Cejudo reiterated his stance. The first instance of an eye poke should result in an automatic point deduction, and the second should lead to disqualification.

What’s your take on the proposed measures to curb eye pokes in MMA?