Finally, the 12 to 6 elbow rule has been
eliminated and the grounded opponent rule has been changed.Andy Foster does it again. pic.twitter.com/uEuY930Mlt
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
July 23, 2024
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The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts will change in a couple key
areas this November.
On Tuesday, the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative
Sports voted unanimously to eliminate a ban on 12-to-6 elbows and
update the definition of what constitutes a grounded fighter. The
committee included the likes of California State Athletic
Commission executive director Andy Foster, Nevada Athletic
Commission executive director Jeff Mullen, veteran officials Herb
Dean, John McCarthy and Marc Goddard and judges Derek Cleary and
Sal D’Amato, among others. Ariel Helwani was first to report the
changes on social media.
The downward elbows were often a point of confusion for fighters
because it could be difficult to determine that exact angle from
which those strikes were being thrown. The rule as it was
previously defined is as follows:
The use of a linear “straight up straight down” elbow strike is
prohibited. Any variation of this straight up and down linear elbow
strike makes the strike legal. Any arc, or any angle change from
straight up to straight down makes the strike legal. Any variation
of position does not alter the legality of the strike.
Now that ban will be eliminated from the Unified Rules. The most
prominent example of the 12-to-6 rule taking effect occurred at
“The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale on Dec. 5, 2009, when Jon Jones
suffered a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill for landing what
were determined to be illegal downward elbows. It was a fight that
Jones was well on his way to winning, and it remains the only
official loss on his record to this day.
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Jones didn’t wait long to react to the rule change on social
media.
“Undefeated then, undefeated now,” he wrote. [Dana White], we gotta
get that loss out of the history books.”
The definition of a grounded fighter rule has also been a source of
confusion in recent years, with fighters often attempting to play a
dangerous game by placing their hands on the canvas to avoid being
kneed or kicked. The new rule is as follows:
A fighter shall be considered grounded and may not be legally
kneed or kicked to the head when any part of their body other than
their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas (ground).
Compare that to the old version of the rule:
Any part of the body, other sole of the feet touching the
fighting area floor. To be grounded, the palm of one hand (a flat
palm) must be down, and/or any other body part must be touching the
fighting area floor. A single knee, arm, (not fingers) makes the
fighter grounded without having to have any other body part in
touch with the fighting area floor. At this time, kicks or knees to
the head will not be allowed.
Now, a fighter must have a knee or elbow on the canvas to be
considered down. If only their hands are on the mat, kicks and
knees will be allowed.
The changes to the rules won’t officially go into effect until Nov.
1. This will allow for referees and physicians to undergo training
to prepare for the changes and will allow fighters to adapt to the
new rules. Additionally, individual athletic commissions will have
to vote to approve the new rules.