Issue 102

June 2013

Using Pride-style kicks and knees to grounded foes would be taking the sport back 15 years

A weighty discussion, argument and ever-present debate is the changing of, or potential at least, to the Unified Rules of MMA. This ongoing saga can take on many forms but the usual suspects and areas for change seem to crop up again and again. Downward elbows, round length and weight categories are all but some of the recurring themes passed from month to month. Discussion board to discussion board and the pros and cons are thrown back and forth with some wildly differing ideals and opinions.

MARC GODDARD

Each issue UFC referee Marc Goddard brings fight fans the ref’s side of the story.

One of the more recent debates that seems to be gathering more than a little weight and attention is for the inclusion of knees to the head of a grounded opponent. Currently a grounded fighter (a combatant with anything other than the soles of their feet in contact with the canvas) is afforded the protection of not being able to be struck by either kicks or knees to the head and face, only punches and elbows. 

I can quite quickly deal with and put to bed the notion for those who favour and would look for the return of kicks, soccer kicks no less, to the head of a grounded fighter – a la Pride FC resurgence. For me the answer is and always will be no. A definite and resounding no! We are on the cusp of massive growth and widespread coverage. This brings ever-new attention and the emerging spotlight on our sport – yes I just said sport. 

So imagine those in positive favour of mixed martial arts, let’s focus on the ‘martial art’ here and the presentation of our industry being led by, as we constantly preach, cross-trained athletes competing in a sport. Now, fast forward to a video clip of a fighter delivering a soccer kick and repeated stomping to the head and face of a semi-conscious and prone foe... I think you get my point.

More debated and discussed would be the calling of those in favour of allowing knees to the head of a downed fighter. This is often seen as a tactic to speed up and counter that of lay and pray, the guard pull, a stalemate grounded position or the constant shot of a wrestler happy to drag the fight to the ground in any fashion. Whilst upon first glance this is not as aesthetically wild or uncouth as a blatant soccer kick or stomp tactic, let’s still consider the consequence and potential of such a manoeuvre.  

When a fighter is on their feet, kicks, knees and punches delivered to the head and face have some range of motion diluted and absorbed by the ability of the head being able to ‘snap back.’ Now let us consider a fighter upwards of 265lb delivering knees to his opponent who is flat on their back pinned in side control or a north-south position, the back of their head planted firmly on the canvas and against the cage wall or a post. The ability to ‘snap back’ is no longer present and these kind of strikes take on a whole new level, meaning and consequence for undefended or unnecessary blows. Those calling for the inclusion or re-emergence of this kind of outlawed strike, I fear, are not looking at MMA as a sport, more a freakish return to the shock value witnessed 15–20 years ago.

The term Unified Rules implies just that: a single common and recognisable rule-set no matter where we may be in the world. But in a movement still far from ‘unified’ I think we are jumping the gun a little and looking at revolution and not evolution in some instances. 

Mixed martial arts has evolved for good reason, much like many other sports. Round lengths, gloves, unsolicited strikes, head-butts and soccer kicks are all things of the past and should remain so. Whilst I am most certainly not saying that the Unified Rules should not be under continual review with new and improved techniques and strategies being considered, trialled and then adopted we must be mindful of the fact that we are portraying ourselves as a sport and should remain so. 

Today’s heavily endorsed and cross-trained multi-disciplined athletes lead from the front and by example and we must reflect that in each and every capacity.