Aspinall with an eye injury after a UFC fight. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Last Saturday (25), in Abu Dhabi (UAE), the highly anticipated fight between Tom Aspinall , UFC heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg), and Ciryl Gane ended in a controversial and disappointing way. After receiving a finger poke from the Frenchman that hit both of his eyes, the Englishman was unable to continue the fight and, therefore, it ended in 'no contest' (no result). Furthermore, the athlete was not the only one to suffer from the illegal blow.
Over the years, some UFC fights have also ended inconclusively due to accidental eye pokes. Therefore, the SUPER LUTAS team decided to recall some notable cases, following the incident in the UFC 321 main event between Aspinall and Gane.
See too
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
♂️ pic.twitter.com/JuawZSd7HX
— danawhite (@danawhite) March 14, 2021
It was in 2021 that Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad became rivals. This was because the athletes, who were seeking victory to earn the right to compete for the welterweight title (up to 77,1 kg), saw their fight end in a no contest. At the beginning of the second round, the Englishman, after impressing in the first round, accidentally poked the American with a finger poke that went deep into his eye.
The poke was so severe that Belal's eye closed and began to bleed. Inconvenienced, the athlete fell to the ground and screamed in pain. The referee ruled the fight a no-contest. Interestingly, the rivals faced off again in 2024, and the American had the last laugh. In England, Edwards' hometown, Muhammad dominated him, becoming the UFC welterweight champion.
Eye Poke!
Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad ruled a No Contest at #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/3AegQ0AX5q
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) March 14, 2021
Yair Rodriguez x Jeremy Stephens
In 2019, the featherweight (up to 65,8 kg) duel between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens promised much, but ended in the worst possible way, practically without a fight. Excited to be fighting at home, the Mexican went on the attack, but in an incredible 15 seconds, he accidentally hit his opponent in the eye. It's true that the incident didn't seem that serious and Stephens even tried to return to the fight, but after five minutes to check his condition, he couldn't fully open his eye.
With the American blind, the referee announced the fight as a no contest, sparking outrage among the crowd at the Mexico City Arena. With the main event's fight ending quickly and frustratingly, fans threw beer bottles and popcorn into the octagon. In the rematch, held later that year, Rodriguez defeated his rival by unanimous decision.
This strike to the eye caused the #UFCMexico main event to be ruled a No Contest pic.twitter.com/EXIKa2PyeE
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 22, 2019
Sean O'Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz
Pedro Munhoz vs. Sean O'Malley was ruled to a no contest after an unintentional eye poke at #UFC276 pic.twitter.com/hnk7UsST9Y
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 3, 2022
Pedro Munhoz was another victim of the infamous eye poke. In 2022, the Brazilian faced Sean O'Malley in the bantamweight division (up to 61,2 kg) and was unable to return to the fight due to impaired vision. In the first round, the American had the advantage and continued his attack in the second. At one point, 'Sugar' hit the veteran in the face, who reacted to the blow.
Immediately, O'Malley, thinking he'd knocked out his opponent, celebrated the victory. However, the referee checked what actually happened and, upon observing Pedro's condition, declared the fight a no-contest. After the incident, the American stated that he won the fight and that the veteran had valued his finger because he was at a disadvantage. With his right eye severely damaged, the Brazilian was taken to the hospital, where it was confirmed that he had corneal damage. In fact, the athlete was blind for 20 minutes.
Munhoz vs. O'Malley ruled a no contest after an unintentional eye poke. #UFC276 pic.twitter.com/Mfda0tF640
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 3, 2022
Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado
After impressing on the national circuit, Wagner Prado's UFC debut in 2012 against the experienced Phil Davis ended badly. In just one minute and 28 seconds, the Brazilian received an accidental eye poke and immediately reacted to the illegal blow. Concerned about the injury, the athlete screamed in pain and almost cried.
Seeing the fighter distressed and unable to compete, the referee, after a doctor's evaluation, ended the light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) bout without a winner. In the rematch, held the same year and without controversy, the American submitted 'Caldeirão' in the second round.
Caldeirão was poked in the eye during his UFC debut. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
In addition to the aforementioned fights, there are others that have become MMA classics due to grotesque eye pokes. However, for the most part, these duels didn't end inconclusively, but rather in victory for a professional.
Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.
You need to log in to comment.