What exactly IS a 12 to 6 elbow? How do point deductions work? How much can you weigh in at? What strikes can you use on a grounded opponent? Hell, what makes someone a grounded opponent? While there are a few exceptions, most of the Unified Rules of MMA aren't that hard to understand. However, you wouldn't think so from the things a lot of fighters say and do... A lot of rules in MMA today are misunderstood. Fighters will get called for violating them by referees, fans and executives will complain about them, and it'll sounds like people just don't get some rules. However, many of these rules are in place for a reason and they aren't that hard to understand. The "Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts" as they are called, have been the standard for US MMA since the beginning of the decade. They have evolved over the years but they are still very simple. The Unified Rules were first established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board in 2001 after the state had allowed MMA fights to take place in the state to observe the competitions. The whole purpose was to come up with a uniform set of rules for the sport so that the State Board could then regulate the sport. It eventually became the de facto rule set used by almost every athletic commission in North America and by many commissions worldwide. They have undergone small modifications since then for good reason. The UFC has taken to implementing the same rules when they hold events outside of commission jurisdictions. Regardless, here are the rules that most people often get wrong.
Matthew Salzer fell in love with Mixed Martial Arts when he watched Pride Fighting Championships on Japanese TV. He is a lifelong wrestler having earned a Bachelor of Science at Missouri Baptist University. Matthew is the Senior Editor at MMA Freak and has written for Funky Monkey MMA, H4 Entertainment, and MMA Fiends.
