The chaotic ending to UFC 321 is already shaping the next wave of regulatory debate in the sport.
When Tom Aspinall was unable to continue following an accidental eye poke by Ciryl Gane, the bout was ruled a no contest, leaving fans frustrated and officials under scrutiny.
Aspinall, who told the cage-side doctor “I can’t see” before the fight was stopped, has continued to receive treatment for his damaged eye. While some have defended his decision to halt the contest, others have questioned whether stricter penalties for eye pokes could have prevented the outcome.
Now, officials within the sport — led by veteran referee Herb Dean — believe the moment has finally arrived for change.
Herb Dean: ‘Something Is Going To Be Done’
In a recent conversation with Helen Yee Sports, the respected official explained that the growing discontent among fans, fighters, and referees has reached a breaking point.
“Well, first of all, I think enough people are fed up with the eye poke situation that something is going to be done,” Dean said.
Dean revealed that a formal meeting has been scheduled for November 4, where commissioners and officials will review possible rule adjustments.
“We have to try something, so I think that people are ready to move on and try something with that,” he continued. “There’s gonna be a meeting. People have been talking already. There’s going to be a meeting where we kind of go over that. But yeah, definitely something’s going to happen.”
According to Dean, the incident at UFC 321 has reignited a conversation that the sport had long avoided. The referee believes the frustration among key figures has finally tipped the balance toward real reform.
A New Framework for Eye Poke Penalties
When asked what kind of reform could make the biggest difference, Dean pointed toward a change in how referees evaluate the act itself.
“Well, there’s a word I suggest. I like the word reckless,” he said.
Dean argued that determining intent in real time is nearly impossible, so using a term like “reckless” could give referees a more practical standard for assessing fouls.
He added that several ideas will be reviewed at the meeting, including immediate point deductions.
“Some suggestions are going to be automatic point, and see what happens with that. Some suggestions are that, automatic point taken away. The thing with eye pokes is difficult because they’re happening in real time and you have to call it.”
MMA Community Pushes for Swift Action
Referee Josh Thomson, who now co-hosts the Weighing In podcast, echoed Dean’s expectation that change is coming soon — and fast.
“It’s not Tom Aspinall’s fault,” Thomson said. “I talked to Jason Herzog. He planned on taking a point [from Ciryl Gane]. It never got to that because Aspinall couldn’t continue. There will be changes and they will happen probably here pretty quickly.”
Thomson emphasized that the UFC does not want another major pay-per-view ending on such a disappointing note.
“There probably will be changes to the rules. And what I mean by changes to the rules is there are 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.”
According to Thomson, new guidelines may be implemented sooner than expected — potentially in time for UFC 322, scheduled for Madison Square Garden next month.
“They could rush this [rule change] to the front by UFC 322,” he noted.
If that timeline holds, UFC 321 could be remembered as the turning point that pushed the organization and regulators to modernize how fouls are handled.
With Herb Dean and other senior officials pushing for consistency, the sport may soon see new standards designed to protect fighters and preserve the integrity of future title fights.
