Guilherme Bravo Suggests UFC Use Pride Gloves to Reduce Eye Pokes in Fights

Guilherme Bravo has weighed in on the eye-poke controversy that occurred in the bout between Chris Weidman and Bruno Silva at UFC on ESPN 54.

Bravo, a key figure in MMA judging and refereeing in Brazil, offered some critiques of referee Gary Copeland on his weekly YouTube program, “Momento Bravo.” While the bout was initially a stoppage win for Weidman, it was later changed to a technical decision victory for the ex-middleweight champion when it was determined that Silva was affected by eye pokes during the stoppage.

"He clearly used double standards,” Bravo said of Copeland. “In Herbert Burns' fight against Julio Arce, he made perfect use of the video replay. Immediately after warning Burns that he had applied an illegal knee, he used the replay to check a second knee and removed the points immediately.”

Bravo also criticized Copeland’s attitude in the Weidman-Silva fight.

"Lately we have had a change in the conduct of fouls caused by finger to the eye. In addition to having five minutes to recover, the athlete can use gauze and serum on the spot,” Bravo said. “In the first poke of the second round, Bruno indicates that it hurt and Gary doesn't even ask for time, in addition to clearly rushing the fighter to return to the fight, an attitude that neglects the integrity of the athlete.”

Bravo went on to explain the fact that an athlete fighting with his hand extended can already be considered a foul.

"The concept of risk is the possibility of causing damage due to an attitude considered dangerous. This is how the fighter's intention is defined,” Bravo said. “Weidman fought the entire time with his hand outstretched and Copeland didn't say anything.”

Bravo believes that more than one point should have been deducted for Weidman’s infractions in the bout.

"When there is a intentional fault with injury it is mandatory to take two points and that´s the case, in my opinion,” Bravo said. “Before Bruce Buffer announced the result, Copeland should access the replay and upon realizing that there was a foul with injury, deduct two points. If ‘Blindado’ could continue the fight until the end, then go to score cards. The technical decision could only occur if the referee interpreted the foul as unintentional and, after medical attention, Bruno could not continue.”

At the end of the program, Bravo also suggested that the UFC start using gloves like those used in Pride.

"It's not possible that with the number of persistent cases of eye pokes, the biggest event in the world continues to use this glove that poses so much risk to athletes,” he said. “They bought Pride, they can use that glove. If they don't want to, they could at least use gloves similar to Bellator’s, which greatly reduce the possibility of getting a finger in the eye."