MMA Rule Changes May Change Past & Present History of the UFC
Jon Jones wants that loss of his record. When the Association of Boxing Commissions decided to change the rule regarding 12-6 elbows and the definition of a grounded opponent, Jones immediately took to social media to say he wanted a past wrong rectified. During a fight in December 2009, Jones was in full mount on Matt Hamill.
Jones, then 9-0 at the time, began to rain down elbows on Hamill. The referee ended up stopping the fight toward the end of the first round due to illegal strikes. Jones ended up taking a loss, something that he would never again experience.
Jones, who is fighting Stipe Miocic to defend the heavyweight title at some point this year, has a 27-1 (one no contest) record in his career. While MMAfighting news shows the fight against Hamill wasn’t ideal, it didn’t slow Jones’ career. He became one of the few multi-division champions in the UFC’s history.
Jones made 11 championship defenses at light heavyweight and still has to prove himself at heavyweight.
Why Do the Unified Rules Exist?
When the UFC debuted in the early 1990s, it wasn’t welcomed by the general public. Many saw it as a sport that was for the fringes of society due to its extreme violence. But the best MMA news sites show that, despite former Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain once calling the sport “human cockfighting,” the UFC hasn’t had too many nasty incidents during its 30 years of existence.
No fighter has died in the cage in the UFC. The athletic commissions in various states pushed for rules to be added to make it safer for the athletes. One of the major sticking points for early commissions was elbows delivered in a 12-6 motion, while the commission also banned soccer kicks to the head, which were popular in PRIDE fighting.
The ABC Commission also wanted to establish that a fighter on the ground wouldn’t be kneed in the head. The definition of a downed fighter and how to handle those situations has caused some of the more chaotic moments in MMA during recent years. There was a real push to try and get the rules changed.
What are the Changes Being Made?
All the various athletic commissions have to adapt to the changes they are officially implementing, there is a lot of excitement among fighters about the changes. In addition to legalizing the 12-to-6 elbow, the definition of a downed fighter is being changed. Previously, a fighter was considered down if any part of the body other than the sole of the feet was touching the fighting area floor.
When the fighter was considered down, they could not be kneed or kicked in the head. That definition has been amended to say that a fighter is only considered downed if any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the ground.
Allowing fighters to be down by having their hand on the mat had caused plenty of chaos. More than once, a foul had to be given. But the catalyst for change was an incident in a championship fight.
Yan Loses Title
Petr Yan losing the UFC Bantamweight title at UFC 259 in March 2021 was a decision that outraged many fans. However, unlike Jones, Yan did get a warning from the referee before he connected on an illegal knee that brought an end to the fight in the fourth round.
Well there was no doubt that Yan committed a foul, there is still some debate about how his opponent Aljamain Sterling handled the incident. Many people wanted to see him continue because there’s a championship fight, but after receiving an illegal strike to the head he understandably was worried about the impact on his health and possibly his performance.
If the current rules for grounded opponents were employed, Yan would have won the fight. But since they were in place, Yan took a disappointing loss that seemed to linger over his next few performances in the UFC. He lost three of his next four fights, including two via split decision.
Can Jones’ Loss be Overturned?
Jones wanting to get his loss overturned as a result of this rule change likely won’t have much impact on the history books. While he has appealed to the UFC in order to change this decision, it is unlikely because of the previous rule set. After the fight initially happened, Jones appealed to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
MMA latest updates show the appeal was denied at the time. But Jones shouldn’t be worried about having that loss in the record books impacting his legacy. Fans who closely follow the sport know the loss came during unusual circumstances.
Rules Changes Will Help
Changing the rules of a grounded fighter is a good step forward for MMA in the United States. Many fighters and fans alike have advocated for this change to be made in order to clear up confusion during fights. Oftentimes, fighters would be in a weird spot when in the clinch because whoever was being held would immediately try and put their hand on the ground in order to prevent being kneed in the head.
The result would usually be comical. With one fighter attempting to lift the other one up so that their hand would come off the ground in order to fire a knee period. That made life difficult for everyone.
It wasn’t easy for fighters trying to be aggressive. Nor was it easy for the officials to make sure the rules are being followed. Sports are always looking to evolve and adapt as things happen. This is a good step forward for MMA.
Jones may not get his win back, but future fighters will be able to avoid suffering the same fate.
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By Dean McHugh.
