Fighters Only

Issue 173

December 2018

The story behind the 27 unified rules of MMA and their pivotal role in the survival and success of the world's fastest-growing sport.

In a presumably fortuitous historical echo, these were the exact same two rules used in 648BC, when Pankration (“Total combat”) first introduced MMA to the sporting world at the Greek Olympic Games.

In fact, no incarnation of mixed martial arts has ever been truly lawless. Even the legendary no-holds-barred ‘Gracie Challenge’ ruled a fight must end if someone tapped or the towel came in (as it did when Masahiko Kimura nearly snapped Helio Gracie’s arm off).

When Muhammad Ali fought legendary Japanese pro wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1975, it would be the biggest mixed-martial- arts contest of all time. It would also be defined by the anti-wrestling rules insisted on by Ali’s camp. No throws, no locks, no ground strikes. Cue the dullest contest of all time.

Pre-dating the UFC by weeks, Japan’s Pancrase attempted a janky mishmash of rules borrowed from boxing and pro wrestling: you could only strike the head with an open hand, and no elbows, knees or head stomps or heel hooks were allowed.

But back in 1993, truth be told, UFC 1 was a remarkable shambles. No weight classes, no time limits, no gloves (optional, since Art Jimmerson wore a single boxing glove), no gum shields (sure enough, it took just seconds for teeth to take flight). Any ‘rules’ felt more like ‘suggestions’. When a desperate Gerard Gordeau bit Royce Gracie’s ear in the final, he risked his purse but not disqualification. Certainly, the crowd didn’t understand the rules. Nor did the referee, who failed to stop the fight when Shamrock tapped to Royce Gracie’s RNC.

Yet bizarrely, some believed UFC 1 already had too many rules. Co-founder Art Davie convinced Rorion Gracie to allow groin shots. Then suggested removing the referee completely, since Joao Alberto Barreto had done such an abysmal job. And rounds were dropped as no fight had lasted more than a few minutes.

It was all part of the plan. Controversy was the jet-fuel driving the UFC’s early marketing strategy. They used the line ‘Banned in 49 States’ when they’d only been banned in seven. They delighted when TV Guide called it “the bloodiest, most barbaric show in history”. Even co-founder Art Davie's fighters’ contract was worded for maximum outrage: “Each match will run until there is a designated winner, by means of knockout, surrender, doctor’s intervention or death.”

But by the late 1990s, the UFC found itself burning to death in its own fire. Arizona Republican John McCain was on a quest to stamp out “human cock-fighting” and had petitioned all 50 American states to ban it. Thirty-six of them did.

The UFC hurriedly added rules, hoping to appease its attackers. UFC 6 followed Shooto’s lead, bringing in grappling-friendly padded gloves to make fights seem more like a sporting contest than a street-brawl. Many other rules emerged from fight to fight. At UFC 7.5, Marco Ruas grabbed the fence to stand up against Oleg Taktarov, prompting a ban on fence-grabs. Tank Abbott’s attempts to fishhook (poor old Taktarov, once again) and hurl his opponent out of the cage were both banned. Headbutts, hair-pulling, groin strikes and kicking a downed opponent all followed.

But even when there were rules, those outside the sport believed there weren’t. And there was a bigger problem. Different judges in different states ordered different rules. UFC 9 went ahead only after co-founder Bob Meyrowitz agreed to a judge’s demand for no headbutts or punches with closed fists. Dan Severin and Ken Shamrock duly found themselves in a tentative slap-fight dubbed the “Dance in Detroit”.

UFC 12 would be a pivotal battle. New York politicians drew up a 114-page rulebook, seemingly designed to wreck this and all future events. The rules required headgear, banned head-kicks and insisted on a 40ft structure (the Octagon was 30ft). The entire show had to be moved overnight to Alabama, causing the UFC a savage financial hemorrhage.

Once the UFC was effectively banned in New York, cable companies stepped away. The sport’s fiscal lifeblood had been twisted off. The “human cock-fighting” label stuck hard. Endless legal battles relentlessly drained the UFC’s coffers and morale.

Two weeks before UFC 30, in January 2001, the Fertitta brothers completed their buyout of the UFC. Their first job? Gain legitimacy. They needed rules to keep the sport alive more than the fighters. Rules were the secret to fending off politicians and keeping audiences entertained.

It helped that Lorenzo was on the Nevada State Athletic Commission, America’s most prestigious athletic commission. After UFC 30, promoters, New Jersey officials and other key stakeholders sat down to agree a single set of rules to regulate mixed martial arts events.

Dana White had feared MMA might be completely declawed. But the sport came out largely unscathed. They created nine weight divisions, banned shoes and the gi, while outlawing attacks like knees on the ground and piledrivers. They agreed three or five five-minute rounds. A referee. Three judges. Boxing’s 10-point Must System.

On 30 July, 2009, a motion was passed by the Association of Boxing Commissions to adopt these rules as the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. It remains the chief ruleset for MMA in the United States and beyond. Even John McCain was happy, claiming that the sport had “grown up”. Indeed, MMA is living sport. And anything that is alive will change. This ruleset is helping the entire sport move forward together into a new era of legitimacy, growth and profitability. But it will continue to rebuild and evolve as the sport itself does.

The 27 Unified Rules Of MMA:

Do whatever it takes to win, as long as you don't do these...

1. Headbutts

It’s legal in lethwei and was a fight- (and-face-)changing favorite of Mark Coleman, but your head can no longer be used as a deliberate striking weapon in the UFC. Press, post and grind with it, sure. But no nodders.

2. Eye gouging

Jon Jones seemed not to have gotten the memo at times, but you can’t stick anything smaller than a fist in your opponent's eye socket. Toes, oddly, are a legal weapon. They’re not dextrous enough to be deemed a deliberate strike.

3. Biting and spitting

It happens. But not often. Jason Knight was docked a point for defending a guillotine with his teeth at UFC Fresno. And hocking one out at Jorge Rivera’s corner at UFC 127 was not Michael Spitsbing’s finest hour.

4. Fish-hooking

Putting your fingers into your opponent’s mouth, nose or ears and giving the skin a yank. You may have noticed Eddie Alvarez sneakily fish-hooking Dustin Poirier’s ear in their rematch.

5. Hair pulling

Before being outlawed, this could be a game-changer. Back at UFC 3, Royce Gracie was in trouble against Kimo until he grabbed a fistful of ponytail to turn the fight around. It was still legal at UFC 4, but Guy Mezger and Jason Fairn even made a gentlemen’s agreement not to.

6. Spiking

Spinal compression, anyone? Inverting your opponent and pile-driving him down on top of his head – like Bob Sapp did to Big Nog at Pride Shockwave – is now illegal. It becomes legal when you throw your opponent in an arc... See Kevin Randleman’s famous Fedor slam.

7. Strikes to the spine or back of the head

“Back of the head” is defined as the area starting at your crown (where your head starts to curve) and running down the centreline of your head with a one-inch variance to each side. The entire rear of your neck and the length of the spine is also off-limits.

8. Throat strikes or trachea grabs

You can’t deliberately strike the throat, but you can pressure it with the web of your hand. Look for the letter-shape your hand makes on your opponent’s throat: L(egal) is allowed but C(lamp) is not.

9. Fingers outstretched toward an opponent’s face/eyes

An attempt to stop eye pokes, this rule has problems. Holding out an open hand parallel to the floor is a natural motion: fighters do so to measure distance, to put up a fence and to enable grappling. None of which will make Stipe Miocic feel any better...

10. 12-6 elbows

Perhaps MMA’s most notorious rule and the one blemish on Jon Jones’ record. It was borne from a misinformed belief in the terrifying force generated by vertical downward elbows used to smash blocks in karate demos. In reality, 12-6 elbows were the sacrificial lamb that allowed MMA to keep other elbow strikes. Which, of course, includes 11-5 elbows or 1-7 elbows. If there’s an angle, there’s a legal strike.

11. Groin attacks

At UFC 4, Kenpo master Keith Hackney forced the tap by punching Joe Son seven times in the plums. It was a not a good look for the sport. Striking, grabbing, twisting, whatever, is just not okay.

12. Kneeing/kicking the head of a grounded opponent

Bit of a disaster, this one. Originally, if you had three points on the mat - one hand down, two feet - you were considered a downed fighter. In the ABC’s revised rules, a downed fighter must have two palms/fists fl at and two soles of feet on the canvas. Problem: Nevada still uses the old ruleset. As a guide: Mousasi’s knees on Weidman, perfectly legal; Alvarez’s knees on Poirier, not so much.

13. Stomping on a grounded opponent

There are only two legal stomps: foot stomps and hand stamps (if the fighter is standing and has one hand down). You can, however, use axe kicks (straight leg, heel strike) to a grounded fighter a la GSP.

14. Holding opponent’s gloves or shorts

You can grab your own gear as much as you like. But you cannot control your opponent’s clothing or the material of their gloves.

15. Holding or grabbing the fence or ropes with fingers or toes

What refs are really looking for is a deliberate grip and an effect on the fight. Has the position changed because of the foul? Pivotal fence-grabs include Aldo vs Mendes I (unpunished) and Romero vs Jacare (punished).

16. Small joint manipulation

Meaning, you can’t attack your opponent’s fingers and toes. We’re pretty sure no one has ever attacked someone’s toes.

17. Throwing an opponent out of the cage

It’s spelled M-M-A not W-W-E. Sorry, Tank Abbott. Thanks for the memories.

18. Placing a finger into any orifice, cut or laceration of your opponent

And that means any orifice. But mostly this aims to stop savvy veterans forcing cuts open with their fingers, as Chad Mendes did to Conor McGregor during their brief, brutal scrap.

19. Clawing, pinching, twisting flesh

Devastating spinning elbows, yes. Chinese burns, no. You can’t twist your opponent’s nose or ears or any other fleshy body-bits.

20. Timidity

You’re here to fight. So purposely avoiding a fight or stalling to buy time – spitting out your mouthpiece or faking an injury – can be penalised. A rule designed to protect us from staring contests like Ngannou vs Lewis and Holm vs Correia.

21. Abusive language

The Diaz brothers proved you can talk a good fight even when you’re in the middle of one. But there’s a line where smack-talking becomes obscenity. And the ref draws it.

22. Flagrant disregard of the referee’s instructions

A catch-all no-brainer. Obviously, fighters must follow the ref’s instructions at all times.

23. Unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to your opponent

Sportsmanship remains more crucial to MMA than any other sport, as it continues to rehabilitate its rep and re-educate the mainstream. If you can’t play within the rules, you don’t belong in the game.

24. Attacking an opponent after the bell

Post-buzzer sucker punches (like the one that got Paul Daley axed from the UFC) are clearly not okay. But one thing to know here: the buzzer does not end a round or a fight, the ref does. It’s his or her signal to stop the action. Or not, as Holly Holm found out against Germaine de Randamie.

25. Attacking an opponent during the break

If the referee calls time-out – or declares any kind of break in the action – you step back and disengage.

26. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee

Just in case you didn’t get it from the last two rules… When the referee steps in to stop the contest or save a fighter from further damage, you stop. We’re looking at you, Rousimar Palhares.