UFC Set to Make Drastic Rule Changes After Tom Aspinall Eye Poke
A former MMA fighter wants to see the UFC act following the controversy between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane.
The UFC are planning to make drastic 'rule changes' following Tom Aspinall's controversial no contest against Ciryl Gane and they are set to come in 'quick'.
Aspinall vs. Gane ended in a no contest after the Frenchman poked his rival in the eye.
The Brit was unable to continue following the foul, with referee Jason Herzog waving off the UFC championship contest.
The result of the UFC 321 main-event has since been challenged after it was declared a no contest.
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Critics, including Ariel Helwani, have implored the UFC to amend the rules given Gane's unintentional foul resulted in a no contest.
Well, according to ex-UFC fighter Josh Thomson, the promotion have listened to the criticism in the wake of the no contest by holding talks to make rule changes.
Thomson, who fought Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson in the UFC, claims changes will be made to the sport and it will happen 'pretty quickly'.
"It's not Tom Aspinall's fault," he said on the Weighing In podcast. "I talked to Jason Herzog. He planned on taking a point. It never got to that because Aspinall couldn't continue.
"There will be changes and they will happen probably here pretty quickly."
Thomson later added: "There probably will be changes to the rules. And what I mean by changes to the rules is there's things coming because obviously they don't want their main-events, their pay-per-view main-events, to finish like this.
"There's already been discussions about how they could change the rules, what they can do."
What rule changes could be introduced?
Thomson revealed talks are underway to make rule changes in the UFC amid the eye poke controversy.
He suggests that a point could be taken away from a fighter after a hard warning if their hand continues to be open.
So, even if a fighter is in a standing position and not engaging but their hand is open, then a point could be deducted.
But Thomson argues it would 'open Pandora's box', questioning whether a fighter would be able to open their hand at all.
He also called for the UFC to do their part by making changes to their gloves.
Thomson backed the gloves worn in Pride, which had a natural curve to prevent fingers from pointing out.
He wants the UFC to manufacture a curved glove to eradicate eye pokes inside the Octagon.
Topics: Tom Aspinall, UFC
Nasir Jabbar