Picture: veteran UFC referee Marc Goddard leads the first IMMAF certification course for officials in Prague, Czech Republic. The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) are scheduled to vote on August 2nd regarding proposed changes to the Unified Rules of MMA, headed by the MMA rules and regulations committee. Reported by Marc Raimondi; respected official John McCarthy spoke for the committee, and most notably proposed alterations regarding the definition of a grounded fighter and the reduction of eye pokes on Monday at the 28th annual ABC Conference in Las Vegas, USA.
Via MMAFighting.com: In the proposed rule with regards to a grounded competitor, a fighter would need to have both palms or fists touching the mat, or anything else other than the soles of his or her feet touching, to be considered grounded. When a fighter is grounded, a knee or kick to the head against that fighter is an illegal attack.
Currently, the rule states that a fighter is grounded if he or she has any body part other than the soles of their feet touching the canvas. That has led to many fighters doing what officials call “playing the game” — leaning over with a fingertip touching the floor to become legally grounded and unable to legally receive kicks or knees to the head.
In addition, the committee proposed the introduction of a new rule that will prohibit competitors from advancing with extended fingers in the direction of an opponent’s face. The proposed rule is intended to influence a reduction in eye pokes. Competitors during bouts will be made aware of any infringement with warnings and point deductions, just like any other foul. The agenda also included proposals for the removal of fouls for heel kicks to the kidneys and grabbing the clavicle, in addition to clearer scoring criteria and standardized regulations for women’s MMA apparel. The rules have each been passed through the ABC’s medical committee, chaired by California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive officer Andy Foster. Members of the rules and regulations committee also include Sean Wheelock, former Bellator play-by-play commentator and current Kansas Athletic Commission commissioner, plus UFC Hall of Famers Randy Couture and Matt Hughes. Former UFC Welterweight champion Hughes also serves as a board member of the United States MMA Federation (UMMAF), the USA’s national governing body under IMMAF. While the ABC can officially vote to pass the updated rules, individual states are not obliged to adopt any changes. Visit MMAFighting.com for more. In the IMMAF Q&A Youtube series #AskGoddard, veteran UFC official Marc Goddard highlighted the upcoming rules review with regards to the definition of a grounded fighter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V178iQNe1tw Visit abcboxing.com for more information on the Unified Rules of MMA.]]>
