Joe Rogan has previously shared his comprehensive perspective on addressing eye pokes within the UFC.

On Saturday, Tom Aspinall defended his heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi. Nevertheless, their bout was overshadowed by drama after the contest was halted in the opening round following the titleholder being poked in both eyes by the French fighter.

Aspinall received five minutes to recuperate under referee Jason Herzog’s supervision, but despite his determined attempts to overcome the discomfort, the British fighter was unable to proceed. The bout was ultimately ruled a no contest, and shortly afterward, Aspinall was transported to the hospital for additional evaluation. Dana White later made his feelings clear on the incident.

Since the UFC’s establishment in 1993, eye pokes have remained a significant issue within the organization. Renowned commentator Rogan – who frequently voices his opinions on how specific regulations should be modified in MMA – has previously expressed his thoughts on preventing eye pokes.

During a podcast episode in September 2024, the American stated: “I keep saying it, but I feel they should cover those fingertips. You’ve got to cover the fingers. There’s no reason to not cover the fingers like a bad glove. 

“Just have a piece of leather that goes over the fingertips, so you have one thing. It’s not gonna invade your grappling, and it’s not gonna change your striking. It’s not going to change anything.

“This way, at least if you get poked in the eye you are getting a blunt thing, you are not getting something that goes into your eyeball. Have them all covered and have a soft-foamed ridge over the top of it. So even if you are getting poked in the eyes, you are not getting an individual thing going deep into your eyeball with an eyeball, which is what you get now. You get f– fingernails!”

Rogan’s remarks surfaced again in February after Henry Cejudo’s bout with Song Yadong. Yadong secured a technical decision win when an eye poke left Cejudo unable to carry on with the contest. The former two-division champion has subsequently urged the promotion to modify the regulations.

Regarding Aspinall’s future, UFC boss Dana White confirms he will immediately reschedule the heavyweight championship bout. “It’s total pain in the ass but yes,” he said.

“They’re both in shape, other than whatever’s wrong with his eye. Both guys are not injured. [We will do it] as soon as possible.

“It’s unfortunate that it ended the way that it did. And yes, I think that there probably will be a lot more interest after they saw [how Gane performed]. He had Tom bloodied up and Tom didn’t want to continue in the fight. The rematch is very interesting.”