Rose Namajunas has reignited the discussion surrounding eye pokes in mixed martial arts. She recently shared an update indicating she has recovered from the injury sustained during her fight against Natalia Silva at UFC 324. In an Instagram post on April 20th, Namajunas stated that her thumb and eye have been “fixed,” and she has received clearance to resume training. This recovery period lasted approximately three months.

During this update, the former UFC strawweight champion used the opportunity to advocate for a change in the rules. Namajunas believes that eye pokes should be treated with greater seriousness. She proposed an immediate deduction from a fighter’s purse, even if the poke was accidental, emphasizing that such incidents can have long-lasting health implications. She expressed gratitude that her injury wasn’t more severe and used the hashtag “#itsnotthegloves,” suggesting the issue lies with enforcement rather than the equipment.

Namajunas underwent surgery for her eye following the fight with Silva. Reports indicated the procedure involved the insertion of a canalicular tube to repair damage to her tear drainage system. At the time of the injury, Namajunas had mentioned being poked in the eye multiple times during the bout.

The complexity of this issue lies in the discrepancy between the established rules and their real-time application. Under the Unified Rules, point deductions are mandatory for intentional fouls causing injury, with the possibility of disqualification for severe injuries. Accidental fouls allow for up to five minutes of recovery time. If the fight cannot continue, it may result in a no contest or a technical decision, depending on the timing of the stoppage.

Namajunas is advocating for a more stringent approach than the current system. Her proposal aims to bypass the debate over intent and impose a financial penalty on all eye pokes, regardless of whether they were intentional or accidental.

While Namajunas has returned to training, her statement has transformed a personal recovery update into a broader examination of MMA’s foul system. The sport acknowledges the inherent risks of fingers nearing the eyes. Namajunas’s argument is straightforward: given the recognized danger, the penalties should adequately reflect this risk to prevent future fighters from requiring surgery.

English Translation:

Rose Namajunas: “I Hope Eye Pokes Will Be Taken More Seriously in the Future”

Rose Namajunas has reignited the debate around eye pokes in MMA after revealing she is finally healthy again following the injury she suffered in her UFC 324 fight with Natalia Silva. In an Instagram post shared on April 20, Namajunas said her thumb and eye are “all fixed up,” that she is now cleared to train, and that she spent about three months recovering before reaching that point.

The former UFC strawweight champion used the update to push for a rule change. Namajunas wrote that eye pokes should be taken “more seriously” and proposed an instant purse deduction “even for an accident,” arguing that a mistake in the cage can still affect a fighter’s health for the long term. She added that she was grateful the damage was not worse and tagged the post with “#itsnotthegloves,” a line that points away from equipment and toward enforcement.

Namajunas underwent eye surgery after the Silva fight, while other reports explained that the procedure involved a canalicular tube placed to repair damage in the tear drainage system. Namajunas had said at the time that she had been poked in the eye multiple times during the bout.

Where the issue gets messy is in the gap between the written rule and what happens in real time. For intentional fouls that cause injury, point deductions are mandatory under the Unified Rules, and a disqualification can follow if the injury is severe enough. For accidental fouls, the fight can continue after up to five minutes of recovery time, or end in a no contest or technical decision depending on when the stoppage happens.

Namajunas is asking for something stricter than that current structure. Her proposal would remove part of the intent debate and attach a financial cost to every eye poke, whether deliberate or not.

For now, Namajunas is back to training, but her post has turned a recovery update into another test for MMA’s foul system. The rules already recognize the danger of fingers reaching toward the eyes. What Namajunas is arguing is simple: if the sport knows the risk, the penalty should reflect it before another fighter ends up needing surgery.