Dana White gets proposal to use ‘oven mitts’ for gloves as eye-pokes continue to haunt UFC

UFC veteran makes a hilarious suggestion for CEO Dana White in order to stop rampant eye pokes in UFC fights.

Dana White gets proposal to use ‘oven mitts’ for gloves as eye-pokes continue to haunt UFC

Dana White gets advised to use oven mitts to prevent eye pokes in UFC (via Imago/X)

Unlike boxing, MMA involves grappling, which requires fighters to keep their fingers exposed in open-finger gloves. Over the years, Dana White has repeatedly addressed this problem and experimented with different solutions to minimize it. However, UFC veteran Derek Brunson recently proposed a solution that stands out—not for its practicality, but for its absurdity. 

In the main event of UFC Vegas 103, Manel Kape won against undefeated fighter Asu Almabayev via TKO. During the fight, the Kazakh fighter complained about an eye poke, but it went unnoticed by the referee. Later, Derek Brunson shared the highlight of that eye poke and made his hilarious suggestion to stop them. 

At this point mma gloves about to be baking mitts.

Derek Brunson via X
YouTube video

Eye pokes in MMA often ruin fights, altering outcomes and causing serious injuries. Poor glove design contributes to accidental fouls. High-profile fights like Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad and Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier have been marred by eye pokes. This has highlighted the urgent need for better equipment and stricter enforcement of rules.

FS Video

Last year at UFC 302, the promotion debuted new gloves, which were designed to restrict eye pokes but fighters hated it. They were eventually removed it, leaving the sport as it was, filled with eye pokes. Currently, this is one of the biggest topics of concern among MMA experts. 

UFC veteran gets serious about the impact of eye pokes in MMA 

Last week at UFC Seattle, former UFC champion Henry Cejudo went against Song Yadong, which ended controversially. During the fight, ‘Triple C’ got his eye poked and took a five minute break, but still couldn’t continue the fight. Instead of no-contest, the Chinese national was declared the winner via technical decision.

Henry Cejudo after getting eye poked at UFC Seattle
Henry Cejudo after getting eye poked at UFC Seattle (via MMA Fighting)

After the fight, Cejudo shared images of his injured eye which looked extremely bad. UFC CEO Dana White wanted the fighter to continue, but it was clear that the injury was serious. After last night’s eye poke, it prompted Cejudo to share his opinion on the situation. 

Eye pokes are the greatest threat to the growth of this sport (unbiased) #UFCVegas103.

Henry Cejudo via X 

After Cejudo’s bizarre accident, many legends such as Jim Miller came out and backed the narrative against eye pokes. Former UFC champion Michael Bisping, who fought with one eye, was also critical about the lack of point reduction for eye pokes. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see whether UFC takes any strong action in order to prevent these in the future.

Related: UFC Top 5 ‘Knockouts of the Year’ 2024