Finally, the 12 vs 6 el ball rule was abolished and the rules for opponents on the ground were changed.
Andy Foster has done it again. pic.twitter.com/uEuY930Mlt
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
July 23, 2024
The unified rules for mixed martial arts will be changing in some significant areas this November.
On Tuesday, the Boxing and Martial Arts Association voted unanimously to remove the 12-on-6 elbow ban and update the definition of a fighter who takes the ground. 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, and referees Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato. Ariel Helwani first reported the change on social media.
The downward elbow strike has often been a source of confusion for fighters as it is difficult to determine exactly what angle the strike is coming from. The previously defined rules are as follows:
A straight “straight up, straight down” elbow strike is prohibited. Any variation of this straight up, 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.
Going forward, this prohibition will be removed from the Unified Rules. The most notable example of the 12-on-6 rule in effect was when Jon Jones was disqualified by Matt Hamill for delivering an illegal downward elbow to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 10 on December 5, 2009. Jones was on track to win the bout, and to this day, this remains his only official loss.
UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad airs Saturday at 10pm ET on ESPN+. Order yours now! Jones was quick to respond to the rules change on social media.
“Unbeaten then, unbeaten now,” he wrote. [Dana White]We must erase that defeat from history.”
The definition of the rules for fighters on the ground has also been a source of confusion in recent years, with fighters often trying to make the bout more dangerous by putting their hands on the canvas to avoid knees and kicks. The new rules are as follows:
A fighter is considered to be on the ground and cannot legally receive a knee or kick to the head while any part of the body other than the hands and feet is in contact with the canvas (ground).
Let’s compare this with the older version of the rule:
Any part of the body, or the soles of the feet, are touching the floor of the fighting area. To be on the ground, one hand (flat palm) must be facing down or any other part of the body must be touching the floor of the fighting area. One knee, arm (not fingers) can put a fighter on the ground even if no other part of the body is touching the floor of the fighting area. Kicks or knees to the head are not allowed at this point.
Currently, a fighter must have a knee or elbow on the mat to be considered down. If only the hands are on the mat, kicks and knees are allowed.
The rule changes won’t officially go into effect until Nov. 1, allowing umpires and doctors time to train for the changes and for players to adjust to the new rules. Additionally, each athletics committee must vote to approve the new rules.
