Intentional eye pokes are psycho stuff.

[Rubios]

I get it. They’re cage fighters, and everything they throw is meant to hurt the other guy.
But an eye poke? You apply just a little more force than you should, the contact lasts just a bit longer, the other guy doesn’t have time to close his eyelid or you catch him as he’s moving forward and you can blow out his damn eye.

Looking back at the footage, an intentional eye poke should result in a suspension. Period.
They’re professional fighters. They know how to throw a kick and disturb and manage distance without extending their fingers. And if they don’t, they should learn.

As for Justin's thumb: that used to happen constantly and unintentionally in boxing until they started sewing the thumb into the glove. I don’t know if it was intentional, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Harlekin]

At least take 10% of their purse away for every eyepoke. Accidental or not. Don't even let the referee decide the purse takeaway. Just monitor it after the fight.
This won't fix it, but let's see Gane and Gaethje go home with 40% less money, or Jon jones with 0.

This will reduce the eyepokes down to 1. But probably make them even deadlier

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

Pfffft, stop lol
They'll solve weight cutting before eyepokes. They'll get rid of Buffer before they solve eyepokes

Any suggestion that starts with "Automatic ____
First offense" will present many new, but as of yet unforeseen dilemmas where prelim fighters get fucked over for making a mistake the first thing they do.

The most feasible solution is for refs to start enforcing the rules we have already and when they meet with the fighters in the back,

"Here’s what you better do/definitely don't do any of this. Your first warning is your last warning, then it's immediately points"

 

[jeskola]

Some fighters literally train cheating and how to game the rules.

 

[Alpha_T83]

I think I agree with doctors that have explained why the rule requiring fingers to be pointed up, not towards an opponents face, is a flawed rule.

Even if you are following this rule, as you extend your hand to the end of your reach, your fingers are actually forced down, pointing them forward towards your opponent. This is basic biology. You can try it yourself. Put out your palm facing away from you, fingers pointing up, and then extend out your reach as far as you possibly can towards a wall. You'll feel the stretch and your fingers being forced to point towards the wall.

The rule needs to require fingers to be curved and pointed down or away from your opponent.

 

[ricc505]

It's gotten so bad, I'd like to see statistics. It feels like they're are more pokes but they're are more fights. It is mostly intentional on my opinion.