MMA Rules

The rules of Mixed Martial Arts fighting are almost all about what you cannot do. You can beat your opponents face into a bloody pulp, but make sure you don’t gouge him in the eye while handing out your beating because that’s illegal.

When MMA first burst on to the scene more than a decade ago, the draw was that the fights were no holds barred with no rules. The MMA organizations have smartened up a little since then and implemented a few rules to not only keep the fighters safer, but also to make the fights more entertaining.

One of the first rules instituted in the MMA world a number of years ago was the addition of weight classes. This happened because of an increase in submission moves, which can be a quick fight stopper if one fighter is 200 pounds and the other is 175 pounds.

Other small rules were also gradually added, such as the wearing of open-fingered gloves to protect hands and reduce cutting, and the addition of time limits to speed up the fights and make shows easier to put together. One important rule added was the standup rule, which got rid of boring fights in which the fighters hit the mat and did nothing for 10 minutes.

The list all MMA fighters have to memorize is what they can’t do in the ring. Executing one of the following illegal moves can mean the difference between winning a fight and getting disqualified. The list of illegal moves starts with head-butting, eye-gouging, hair-pulling, biting, fish-hooking, and attacking the groin. Strikes to the back of the head, spine and kidneys are all illegal, as are strikes to the trachea. Intentionally throwing your opponent out of the ring/cage or leaving the ring/cage yourself is not allowed, nor is grabbing the ring rope or cage fence.

That’s it. Everything else is legal. So instead of biting your opponent, just knock his teeth out. It will serve the same purpose in the end and likely win you the bout.