White: Fans ‘going overboard’ over Jones eye pokes
“People are always going to go overboard with Jon Jones because they don’t like him,” said UFC president Dana White of light heavyweigh champ Jon Jones.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones used an open handed pawing style vs. Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 that a series of opponents have complained can lead to eye injury.
In an interview with Steven Marrocco, UFC president Dana White said Jones needs to alter his technique, but added that the degree of fan outrage was unwarranted.
I mean, people are always going to go overboard with Jon Jones because they don’t like him, said White.
Jones has that range and he can do it, but lots of guys do it because that’s how you block punches. So you keep your hands open and you slap punches down. Then guys are rushing in and you’re doing whatever, and guys get poked in the eyes.
Guys have got to start closing their hands, and if you’re going to keep your hands open to block shots, which everybody does, you’ve got to keep your hands closer to your face, not extended in your opponent’s face.
He poked him in the eye twice, and then the referee warned him about it, and he never did it again. They’re making it sound like he was targeting his eyes and sticking his fingers in his eyes the entire fight and nobody did anything about it. He did it twice, he was warned, and he never did it again in a five-round fight.
