Changes to mixed martial arts’ unified rules are coming soon that could upend a UFC record that has long been a sore spot for one of the sport’s legends.
The Boxing and Martial Arts Association has unanimously voted in committee to change the infamous 12-on-6 elbow rule.
The committee included California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Jeff Mullen, veteran referees Herb Dean, John McCarthy and Mark Goddard, as well as judges Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato. Sheldog report.
“Dana White, we need to erase this loss from history.”
The controversial rule was created in the sport’s early days by a committee that included McCarthy, along with several of the sport’s leading figures at the time.
In 2016, McCarthy said:The Joe Rogan Experience“The rule was basically born out of a concern that hitting with the elbow down was too dangerous, and one committee member said he’d seen people breaking ice blocks that way.”
McCarthy said he didn’t continue his fight against the rules because his superiors told him it wasn’t worth fighting.
The rules that will soon be phased out are:
“A straight ‘straight up and straight down’ elbow strike is prohibited. Any variation from this straight up and straight down elbow strike is legal. Any arc or change in angle from straight up to straight down is also legal. Any variation in position does not change the legality of the strike.”
This rule change could have a major impact on Jon Jones, one of the greatest fighters of all time. Jones’ only loss was in 2006. 27-1 The record was achieved in December 2009 when he was disqualified from a fight against Matt Hamill for illegal elbow strikes.
UFC president Dana White has long spoken about trying to overturn the loss.
“He’s never lost a game. We have that loss on his record. [overturned]”We’re not going to let it go,” White said in 2019. MMA Junkie“It was a time and place where the Nevada State Athletic Commission was at its worst,” he added.
Commentator Joe Rogan also called it “one of the dumbest rules in combat sports.”
Heavyweight Jones responded to the news of the rule change: Instagram The page echoes sentiments that White has long advocated for.
“Unbeaten then, unbeaten now. Dana White, you need to erase that loss from history,” he wrote, along with a photo symbolizing the moment of his only defeat.
The committee also changed the definition of a fighter on the ground. Always a source of confusion for even the most skilled athletes, previously a fighter was considered on the ground if “any part of the body or the sole of the foot is touching the floor of the fighting area.”
The previous rule continued, “To be grounded, one hand (flat palm) must be facing down or any other part of the body must be touching the fighting area floor. One knee, arm (but not fingers) will ground a combatant, even if no other body part is touching the fighting area floor. No kicks or knees to the head are allowed at this point.”
The rule meant fighters desperately tried to touch the floor with their hands, and slow-motion replays were used to determine the exact moment when fighters’ hands left the ground after receiving a blow to the head.
Debate over the rule has been ongoing for years, with fighters and fans alike calling for clarification or changes to the definition.
The new rules are much simpler, eliminating simple hand contact with the ground.
“A fighter is considered to be on the ground and cannot legally receive a knee or kick to the head while any part of his body other than his hands or feet is in contact with the canvas.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censorship and sign up for our newsletter to receive stories like this directly to your inbox. Register here!
