Michael Bisping points to glove design, rule changes as ways to prevent eye pokes in MMA

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Michael Bisping knows how detrimental an eye injury can be.

Bisping, a UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC middleweight champion, fought the majority of his career with one eye after he suffered a detached retina from a Vitor Belfort kick back in 2013. Bisping currently sports a prosthetic eyeball that covers his damaged eye.

Eye pokes have been a large topic of discussion as of late, especially after the most recent incident that happened to Belal Muhammad in his UFC Fight Night 187 headliner vs. Leon Edwards on March 13.

Muhammad was rendered unable to continue after he was accidentally poked in the eye in Round 2. The damage on Muhammad’s eyelid was evident, but thankfully he made a full recovery.

The unfortunate ending sparked a debate about the UFC’s current gloves, and Bisping suggested something similar to Trevor Wittman’s Onx gloves, which are curved and prevent fighters’ fingers from being pointed outwards.

“One thing they can do is the gloves,” Bisping told MMA Junkie. “I think the gloves just need a different design. A while ago, I was talking about it, and I said I’m sure there’s gonna be some kind of design where you can put elastic into the gloves that forces the fingers to bend like that (forward motion) and then to straighten it, you have to use the strength of your fingers, but you don’t even need that. There are gloves that make them go like that anyway and then you can do that with the strength of your fingers. I think it’s as simple as that.

“Also there’s this rule where the fingers have to be up. Not like that (points them out); they have to be up. That’s gotta go, as well, because if someone is coming in, it only takes a fraction of a second, not even that, just to do that (point them straight) and if someone is coming in to close the distance, you’re gonna try and grab anyway, so the fingers come down, so I think they should change the rules where the fingers have to be like that (fist) – not a clenched fist but a loose fist, and at all times.”

Bisping would like the change to be implemented not only to prevent damage but also unfortunate fight-ending sequences in matchups that have pivotal implications.

“I think making those changes are worthwhile because eye pokes, yes they do hurt, but there’s more to it,” Bisping said. “I mean, look at Belal Muhammad there and Leon Edwards. Massive fight, a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice, time away from family, Leon’s flown across the country – you might not feel sorry for Leon because he was the poker, but the pokee, Belal, he’s flown down from Chicago, massive opportunity, and it’s taken away. And it hurts. Not only that, on top of it, it hurts badly. Fortunately he was OK, but you never know. Something bad could happen one day.”