Updated Unified MMA Rules 2008

The unified MMA rules have been recently updated by the Association of Boxing Commissions.  These updates are meant to increase safety and also changes a few other things.

The biggest rule change in this bloggers opinion is the removal of an elbow restriction to strike.  Previously downward elbows were not allowed, this restriction is now removed.  However, they still are illegal to certain parts of the body such as the back of the head.

“Allowing downward elbows makes sense,” Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, told MMAjunkie.com. “I think we were over-regulating that aspect with the way the rules were written. It’s where the blow lands that makes elbows dangerous. The reasoning behind this change makes sense.”

I have to say I agree 100% with the thought and reasoning behind this rule change.  It wasn’t the elbow that was dangerous, it was the manner the elbow was used that made it unsafe and why it was illegal before.  This rule change definitely makes sense and is a good move by the ABC.

The other big, and what some are calling unwaranted, change was in the weight classes.  I’m still trying to figure out what is the reasoning behind it.  Keith Kizer is still trying to make sense of the change as well:

“I don’t get that one,” Kizer said. “I’m surprised by it. I need to understand the reasoning behind the change. I didn’t think there was a big concern over how the weight classes were structured. This change creates a significant weight differential in the division and leaves only a 40-pound gap at heavyweight.”

I think most fans will agree with you Keith.  The heavyweight range is now 226lbs to 265lbs.  Hopefully they take another look at the weight class changes as it doesn’t seem that it was needed to re-organize this.  Chuck Liddell would now be considered Light Heavyweight with the new class which UBER RETARDED.  Here are the weight classes:

The fourteen weight classes include:

flyweight (up to 105 lbs)
super flyweight (over 105.1 to 115 lbs)
bantamweight (over 115.1 to 125 lbs)
super bantamweight (over 125.1 to 135 lbs)
featherweight (over 135.1 to 145 lbs)
lightweight (over 145.1 to 155 lbs)
super lightweight (over 155.1 to 165 lbs)
welterweight (over 165.1 to 175 lbs)
super welterweight (over 175.1 to 185 lbs)
middleweight (over 185.1 to 195 lbs)
super middleweight (over 195.1 to 205 lbs)
light heavyweight (over 205.1 to 225 lbs)
heavyweight (over 225.1 to 265 lbs)
super heavyweight (over 265.1 lbs)

The most amusing part of all this is it is still up to the state’s athletic commission on whether or not they want to adopt the unified rules.  This is rather confusing to me personally.  How can you call something a set of unified rules if it isn’t mandatory for the states to accept the rules.  Doesn’t really make them unified if all the states aren’t using them.

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