Jorge Masvidal wants eye pokes treated like financial crimes, and he has a specific penalty structure in mind that he believes would eliminate the problem almost overnight.
Speaking on Deep Waters, Masvidal drew on personal experience with two severe eye pokes during his career to make the case for immediate point deductions combined with purse penalties, describing a system similar to what is used in Japanese combat sports.
“Go Japan style. Hit him with the yellow card right away. Pay deductions and points,” Masvidal said. “I’ve been eye poked in a fight two different times and one of them actually stuck with me for, like, three weeks. Colby’s bitch ass f***ing dug his nails in my eye and that was, like, three weeks later I was still seeing spots and it was bad and my eye was swollen, I had to go to the doctor to get it checked. I had to get medication, antibiotics on my eyes, it sucked.”
Masvidal argued that the only meaningful deterrent for a professional fighter is financial.
“Immediate point deduction, yellow card. Take money from the purse, too. Take 20 percent.”
He was equally clear about where that money should go.
“To the other fighter. Not to no commission, not no damn commission. I’m done with these commissions getting exchange, all to the guy that got poked in the eye. Everybody’s robbing us, man.”
Deep Waters co-host Dustin Poirier agreed that degrees of severity matter and that particularly harmful infractions need to be addressed immediately rather than through repeated warnings. Masvidal acknowledged that five percent on the first offense might be a more realistic starting point, but maintained the principle is what matters.
“I’m telling you, ain’t nobody eye poking no more. That’s how it should be, don’t f***ing eye poke people.”