Change Is Needed

Tom Aspinall, following UFC 321 (via thesun.ie)

UFC 321 was an alarming wake-up call for the company. With the main event between Tom Aspinall & Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship turning into a debacle, the UFC has questions that need immediate answers.

By now, we all know what events transpired at UFC 321. The heavyweight division was finally set for a new era, with Aspinall competing in his first title defense against Ciryl Gane.

The fight was high-paced, with both fighters putting on a show, and it looked like the contest was going to be a long, drawn-out war.

That's not what happened.

Ciryl Gane inflicted a brutal eye-poke to both of Aspinall's eyes. Aspinall was given the standard five-minute break to recover; however, after repeatedly stating he'd lost his vision, the fight was stopped and declared a no-contest.

This was the worst possible outcome for the UFC. The heavyweight division will be stalled further, with the rematch between Aspinall & Gane having to take place before any other heavyweight title fight.

So, we revisit the question: Where does the UFC go from here?

Firstly, why was the fight a no-contest? The rules state that an "intentional eye-poke" leads to a fighter's disqualification. So if Gane's infraction was labeled as intentional, he would've been disqualified, and Aspinall would have retained his belt, getting his first title defense.

So how do we assess whether an eye-poke is intentional or unintentional? How do we quantify the exact sequence of events that need to occur to make the distinction? The UFC needs to go back to the drawing board and answer this question.

Furthermore, how do we punish the fighter who commits the foul? Do we take away a point in the round? Do we punish them financially? Do we disqualify them automatically? These are questions inside the cage that need answers.

However, these questions pale in comparison to what needs to be done outside of the cage.

What are they going to do about the gloves?

It is virtually guaranteed that multiple eye-poke infractions occur during a fight card, often leaving the fighter with compromised vision for the rest of the fight.

And that's the best-case scenario. The worst was what we saw in Abu Dhabi, where the marquee matchup in the UFC's most important division ended anticlimactically.

From UFC 302 to UFC 308, the UFC switched to gloves that provide increased protection for fighters' eyes and prevent the fingers from being straight out. There was a tradeoff for this, as the amount of knockouts noticeably decreased, but eye-poke infractions essentially disappeared.

However, due to numerous complaints from former heavyweight champion Jon Jones, the company switched back to its old gloves, with less protection against eye pokes, prior to his title defense at UFC 309.

So, it is up to the UFC. Do they risk countless marquee matchups being stopped by eye-pokes, or do they address the issue and come up with a solution that appeals to all fans and fighters?

It's not clear how, when, or what the UFC will do to fix the issue with its gloves, but one thing is clear: they have to change.

Dana White is tasked with a nearly impossible challenge, but for the company's sake, he must deliver a successful change.