{"id":1561,"date":"2026-03-16T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taipeibjj.com\/?p=1561"},"modified":"2026-03-19T15:38:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T15:38:41","slug":"eye-poke-ufc-rules-aspinall-gane-breakdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taipeibjj.com\/zh\/eye-poke-ufc-rules-aspinall-gane-breakdown\/","title":{"rendered":"Eye Poke UFC Rules: Aspinall vs Gane Breakdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/aspinall-vs-gane-tale-of-tape.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"UFC 321 Aspinall vs Gane Tale of the Tape showing reach and stats\" \/><figcaption>UFC 321: Aspinall (78&#8243; reach) vs Gane (81&#8243; reach)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u9019 <strong>Aspinall vs Gane<\/strong> fight at UFC 321 ended in controversy when Ciryl Gane&#8217;s fingers found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ufc.com\/athlete\/tom-aspinall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tom Aspinall<\/a>&#8216;s eyes, stopping the heavyweight title bout after just four minutes and 35 seconds. The internet exploded with blame for Gane \u2014 but was it really that simple?<\/p>\n<p>After reviewing the fight frame-by-frame, I&#8217;m here to present a different perspective: <strong>both fighters were equally guilty<\/strong> of fighting with their hands open, fingers forward, throughout the entire first round.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:20px 0;\">\n<iframe style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YfPtOnzVyxc\" title=\"Aspinall vs Gane Eye Poke Analysis\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Case for Ciryl Gane<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, Gane blatantly poked Aspinall in the eyes \u2014 kung fu style, comically deep. But there were clues throughout the fight that <strong>both men were fighting with completely open hands<\/strong>. It could have gone either way.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at the tale of the tape, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ufc.com\/athlete\/ciryl-gane\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Gane<\/strong><\/a> <strong>has the longer reach at 81 inches vs Aspinall&#8217;s 78 inches<\/strong>. Combined with his longer fighting style \u2014 that hand-out stance he uses constantly \u2014 you might expect him to be the one doing the poking. But it&#8217;s not that simple.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Gane Didn&#8217;t Get Poked<\/h2>\n<p>Both fighters constantly stuck their fingers in eye range. So why did Aspinall get poked and not Gane?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gane is always moving away.<\/strong> He jumps in, then fades back. He&#8217;s exceptional at rolling with punches. As hands come forward, Gane&#8217;s face is already moving away from them.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/aspinall-fingers-forward-4-41.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Aspinall with fingers forward at 4:41 in UFC 321\" \/><figcaption>4:41 \u2014 Aspinall with fingers pointed forward while Gane defends with open hands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Aspinall isn&#8217;t bad defensively \u2014 he&#8217;s actually quite good. But he <strong>blitzes forward<\/strong> more aggressively. When you&#8217;re constantly driving into your opponent&#8217;s space, you&#8217;re more likely to run into extended fingers.<\/p>\n<h2>The Evidence: Frame by Frame<\/h2>\n<h3>Round 1 \u2014 Both Fighters, Fingers Forward<\/h3>\n<p>From the opening seconds, both men fought with open hands:<\/p>\n<p><strong>4:57<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall already has fingers forward<br \/>\n<strong>4:49<\/strong> \u2014 Gane fighting with hands open. This is part of the problem \u2014 he parries and blocks everything with open hands<br \/>\n<strong>4:48<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall reaching forward, fingers pointed up. But Gane is always moving away when hands come forward<br \/>\n<strong>4:42<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall&#8217;s hands up, not close enough to be guilty this frame<br \/>\n<strong>4:41<\/strong> \u2014 Fingers pointed forward throughout the round<\/p>\n<p>Would a warning from referee Jason Herzog have prevented what happened? The fingers were pointed forward from the start.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/aspinall-open-hands-reach.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Tom Aspinall reaching with open hands toward Ciryl Gane\" \/><figcaption>Aspinall constantly reaching with open hands \u2014 a pattern throughout the fight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Pawing Game<\/h3>\n<p><strong>4:31<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall pawing, blocking with his hand forward, fingers always toward Gane<\/p>\n<p>Gane&#8217;s defensive style is notable: when blocking, he almost never closes his fist. Always hands open, constantly pushing away with the front hand. In orthodox stance, one hand by his head (fingers up) and one hand forward (fingers up, blocking).<\/p>\n<p>Maybe it&#8217;s to cover more space? A closed fist is a smaller mitt for stopping incoming strikes.<\/p>\n<h3>The Plum Problem<\/h3>\n<p><strong>4:22<\/strong> \u2014 As Gane blocks with his left, Aspinall reaches out with fingers forward<\/p>\n<p>Part of the reason fighters keep hands open: <strong>they&#8217;re looking for the Thai plum<\/strong>. Grabbing an opponent&#8217;s head doesn&#8217;t work with closed fists. If you&#8217;re hunting for collar ties and clinch control, open hands make sense.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/aspinall-gane-3-29-fingers.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Both Aspinall and Gane with fingers forward at 3:29\" \/><figcaption>3:29 \u2014 Both fighters with fingers pointed forward, inches from each other&#8217;s eyes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>More Evidence<\/h3>\n<p><strong>4:16<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall defending, fingers open<br \/>\n<strong>4:09<\/strong> \u2014 Gane reaches forward<br \/>\n<strong>4:08<\/strong> \u2014 The very next second, Aspinall reaches forward, hands open<br \/>\n<strong>3:59<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall with hands open. If Gane shoots in here, he&#8217;s catching fingers to the eyes<\/p>\n<p><strong>3:59<\/strong> \u2014 Now Aspinall shoots in. As he does, Gane defends \u2014 hands forward, fingers forward<br \/>\n<strong>3:56<\/strong> \u2014 The reaching hands result in Gane going for the plum as Aspinall looks for the underhook<br \/>\n<strong>3:52<\/strong> \u2014 Gane reaching out. Blatant eye poke possibility.<\/p>\n<p>Watch this fight frame by frame \u2014 <strong>both guys are always fighting with open hands<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gane-hand-near-face.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Ciryl Gane with hand near Aspinall's face\" \/><figcaption>Gane&#8217;s hand near Aspinall&#8217;s face \u2014 both fighters created these dangerous moments<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Kicks and Clinch Work<\/h3>\n<p><strong>3:44<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall throws a nice body kick, Gane blocks<br \/>\n<strong>3:43<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall reaches forward with open hands onto Gane&#8217;s neck<br \/>\n<strong>3:29<\/strong> \u2014 As Gane throws a jab to the body, Aspinall has hands completely out, blocking Gane&#8217;s head from moving forward. Fingers just inches from the eyes<br \/>\n<strong>3:12<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall throws a nice kick. Fingers forward<br \/>\n<strong>3:11<\/strong> \u2014 Gane with his hand on Aspinall&#8217;s face, pushing away from the single leg attempt<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/aspinall-bloody-reaching.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Tom Aspinall bloody and reaching with open hands\" \/><figcaption>Aspinall bloodied but still reaching forward with open hands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Pattern Continues<\/h3>\n<p><strong>2:52<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall, fingers forward. So many frames of this<br \/>\n<strong>2:36<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall measuring distance, fingers forward<br \/>\n<strong>2:18<\/strong> \u2014 Aspinall reaching forward with both hands, fingers open<\/p>\n<p>The idea that any fighter is constantly like this in MMA gloves is ridiculous. But here we are.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gane-fingers-extended.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Ciryl Gane with fingers extended toward Aspinall\" \/><figcaption>Gane with fingers extended \u2014 but he wasn&#8217;t alone in this behavior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>The Eye Poke \u2014 0:30 Seconds<\/h2>\n<p>This is where everything goes haywire.<\/p>\n<p>Both men throw kicks simultaneously. As they connect and get tangled, Gane pushes away with his other hand \u2014 raising it as he kicks.<\/p>\n<p>Not to blame Aspinall entirely, but his style throughout the fight lent itself to getting touched in the face. As Gane moves forward with hands up, two fingers go into two eyes \u2014 <strong>kung fu style, comically deep<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gane-aspinall-eye-poke-moment.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The moment Ciryl Gane's fingers make contact with Tom Aspinall's eyes\" \/><figcaption>The moment of impact \u2014 Gane&#8217;s fingers deep into Aspinall&#8217;s eyes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Aspinall is throwing a left hand off his kick. In the middle of that forward momentum, with Gane also moving forward hands up, Gane&#8217;s fingers get tangled into Aspinall&#8217;s eyes.<\/p>\n<h3>The Damage<\/h3>\n<p><strong>0:30<\/strong> \u2014 One of Aspinall&#8217;s eyes doesn&#8217;t fully open<br \/>\n<strong>0:29<\/strong> \u2014 Both eyes closed<br \/>\n<strong>0:28<\/strong> \u2014 Goes to rub his right eye<br \/>\n<strong>0:25<\/strong> \u2014 Herzog stops the match<\/p>\n<p>At the one-minute mark of the timeout, the doctor checks his eye. He says he can&#8217;t see obvious damage to the orb, but <strong>Aspinall cannot see<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>He doesn&#8217;t continue \u2014 which is fair. Do you want to fight a beast like Gane with one eye compromised?<\/p>\n<h3>How Deep Was It?<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/taipeibjj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gane-eye-poke-closeup.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Close-up of Gane's fingers in Aspinall's eyes\" \/><figcaption>The brutal close-up \u2014 Gane&#8217;s finger at least a knuckle deep<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When you see the stills, it&#8217;s brutal:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Left index finger<\/strong> \u2014 About one knuckle deep into Aspinall&#8217;s eye<\/li>\n<li><strong>Middle finger<\/strong> \u2014 Touched the right eye with more of a scratching motion (seemed to bother him more)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As the nail comes out, that&#8217;s all she wrote.<\/p>\n<h2>The Aftermath: Surgery Required<\/h2>\n<p>The damage was worse than it looked in the cage.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mma\/story\/_\/id\/46698431\/ufc-321-tom-aspinall-ciryl-gane-heavyweight-championship-live-analysis-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN reported<\/a>, Aspinall announced in late December 2025 that he needs <strong>multiple surgeries on both eyes<\/strong>. He&#8217;s been in and out of the hospital since the fight.<\/p>\n<p>In a video on Paddy Pimblett&#8217;s YouTube channel, Aspinall explained: <em>&#8220;With other injuries they fix them straight away. But with eyes, because it&#8217;s obviously risky, they try and let them heal naturally. So we&#8217;re getting surgery. It will keep me out for a little bit.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He called the recovery <em>&#8220;a nightmare.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Aspinall also claimed he was poked <strong>three times in one round<\/strong>: <em>&#8220;Three times he did it in one round. The points deduction should be sacked off. First one is an accident; second one is on purpose.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Since winning the interim title against Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023, Aspinall has fought only twice. His timeline to return remains uncertain.<\/p>\n<h2>The Rule Question<\/h2>\n<p>Many people online have called for <strong>automatic DQs for eye pokes<\/strong>. I&#8217;m not sure about that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Automatic point deduction?<\/strong> Sounds reasonable \u2014 but once there&#8217;s an obvious rule like that, it will be gamified.<\/p>\n<p>Think about it: if someone gets poked in the eye \u2014 the kind of poke that usually means you rub it out for 10 seconds and continue \u2014 they might start flopping. Like the NBA. Like Premier League soccer.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t want to see that in MMA.<\/p>\n<p>But it&#8217;s a tough question. We don&#8217;t want fighters suffering with compromised vision. Eye pokes can change the entire course of a fight.<\/p>\n<p>Remember how much hate Aljamain Sterling got for not getting up after being kneed illegally? So much hate for Aljo. Fighters are stuck between protecting themselves and being called quitters.<\/p>\n<h2>The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>In Ciryl Gane&#8217;s defense: <strong>both gentlemen were guilty<\/strong> of constantly having their hands forward.<\/p>\n<p>There was a chance Gane could have been the one poked. Both men kept hands open, fingers pointed forward. Both used their fingers to gauge distance, slap hands away, grab, and stop forward progress.<\/p>\n<p>It was an accidental poke. But the accidental poke came from a fight where both men created the conditions for it to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully they can run it back soon. Aspinall was <strong>not<\/strong> steamrolling Gane as people predicted. It was a close first round \u2014 I&#8217;d give the edge to Gane, actually.<\/p>\n<p>Aspinall&#8217;s nose was bloody, but noses bleed all the time. That&#8217;s not decisive.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s decisive is that the heavyweight division is on hold while one of its best recovers from eye surgery. And the question of how to prevent this keeps getting asked, with no good answers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I really want to see this rematch.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Looking for gear? <a href=\"https:\/\/taipeibjj.com\/zh\/\u5e97\u92ea\/\">Check out the shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>You Might Also Like<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/taipeibjj.com\/zh\/?p=1503\">Tom Aspinall Eye Poke: Why This Foul Wins 74% of Fights<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/taipeibjj.com\/zh\/?p=1620\">UFC BJJ Road to the Title: Season 1 Recap<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Aspinall vs Gane eye poke was ugly \u2014 but a frame-by-frame analysis shows both fighters were equally guilty of fighting with open hands throughout the round. Here&#8217;s the case for Ciryl Gane.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[103,55,88,198,199,159,129,68,20,121],"class_list":["post-1561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mma-articles","tag-1-million","tag-10thplanet","tag-adcc","tag-african-mma","tag-african-wrestling","tag-aiga","tag-armbar","tag-article-and-video","tag-asia-bjj","tag-asjjf"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":17,"label":"MMA 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