Eye pokes have long been an obstacle in MMA that needs to be tackled.
One eye poke can be the difference between winning and losing a fight and, in the worst cases, can negatively impact a fighter’s career, as seen with Tom Aspinall. Those who land an illegal shot on their opponent often get a first warning. This unwritten rule has been commonplace in the sport for decades, allowing a fighter to gain an unfair advantage with an illegal blow. But there may finally be a fix.
After years of debate, veteran referee Marc Goddard has proposed a solution to combat eye pokes. While serving as the official in charge of Brendan Allen vs. Christian Leroy Duncan‘s headlining bout on Saturday, Goddard deducted a point from Duncan after his outstretched finger caught Allen’s eye. The difference: it was his first foul.
So, why is this a better solution than giving warnings for illegal strikes? Marc Goddard explained it in a social media post. He insisted that the first warning comes in the back before either fighter has made their way to the octagon. They know what’s expected of them. And instead of allowing them one mistake in the fight, immediate point deductions should be handed out to offenders.
“I’d like to offer some clarity on this as I believe it’s a teachable moment & gives insight into what we are doing as officials to overcome certain obstacles,” Goddard said.
“As referees we go over the rules one to one with fighters in the back before the fight begins, here we specifically cover potential eyes pokes. If you watch you will hear me warn CLD in round one for outstretched fingers toward the face. I then again, before the start of the next round, ask him to be careful & mindful of the hands. It is then when the eye poke occurs do I take definitive action.”
While his ruling will continue, Marc Goddard knows it’s nearly impossible to alter years of habit-building that lead to fouls with just a few-minute conversation.
“CLD is a credit to the sport of MMA & an exceptional athlete,” Goddard added. “There’s so much more, mechanically to addressing eye pokes in MMA both preventatively (before the action) and correctively (after the action) it is very hard to expect an athlete to change 20 years of training & habit with a few minutes of conversation pre fight. Just know that both myself and my colleagues know it is a firm priority to address & fix this.”
“All respect to the athletes & our sport. Thank you.”
I’d like to offer some clarity on this as I believe it’s a teachable moment & gives insight into what we are doing as officials to overcome certain obstacles.
As referees we go over the rules one to one with fighters in the back before the fight begins, here we specifically… https://t.co/X16pTnvycH
— Marc Goddard (@marcgoddard_uk) October 11, 2026