Eye pokes are becoming a major point of discussion in Mixed Martial Arts, especially after they recently impacted several significant fights.
Two weeks prior at UFC Seattle, Henry Cejudo was unable to continue his match against Song Yadong. An accidental eye poke forced the fight to stop in the fourth round.
While that fight concluded with a technical decision, eye pokes also played a crucial role in last weekend`s UFC Vegas 103 main event, which Cejudo himself commented on.
This situation has prompted numerous fighters to suggest solutions to address the issue, ranging from stricter penalties to improvements in glove design.
Eye pokes are once more a hot topic for the third consecutive week, following the conclusion of a main event in Europe due to this very problem.
Cage Warriors 183 Main Event Ends in No Contest Due to Eye Poke
On March 8th, Cage Warriors, a European MMA promotion, held CW 183 in Rome, Italy. The event featured two title fights as its main attractions.
The headline bout was Liam Gittins, Paddy Pimblett’s teammate and bantamweight champion, defending his title against Alessandro Giordano, a rising Italian contender.
The champion, Gittins, was controlling the third round with his high pace and pressure and seemed to be on track to retain his championship.
However, an eye poke halted the fight, and the challenger, Giordano, used the full five-minute allowance to try and recover.
Unlike the Henry Cejudo fight in Seattle, where the referee allowed the fight to continue, potentially leading to a technical decision, this main event in Cage Warriors ended in the third round as a no contest.
Despite Gittins retaining his title due to a no contest caused by an unintentional eye poke, fight fans on social media criticized Giordano. Many did not call for a rematch.
One viewer on X (formerly Twitter) commented, “Giordano played that up. No rematch needed, let’s move on in the division.” Another remarked, “Damn CW, what was that ending? Giordano quit, making it a NC?”
Action Needed to Address Eye Pokes
The events of the past three weeks have highlighted a significant issue with eye pokes that needs attention.
In some cases, like Manel Kape’s victory over Asu Almabayev, if the referee misses a clear eye poke, there is little that can be done.
UFC veteran Jim Miller has suggested financial penalties, arguing that the problem isn`t the gloves themselves but a lack of sufficient punishment for eye pokes.
While there’s no easy solution, it’s clear that eye pokes are negatively affecting fight outcomes and fighter careers, while also diminishing the quality of the fights themselves.
