12-6 elbow allowance, grounded fighter

Changes to the Unified Rules of MMA are expected to be announced early next week.

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) will convene for its annual conference in Louisville, Ky., starting Monday, with the rule vote set for Wednesday.

Two proposed rule adjustments are up for discussion. MMA Junkie obtained a draft of the proposal on Friday from ABC committee members Andy Foster and Mike Mazzulli.

One of the proposed changes involves potentially lifting the ban on using linear downward “12-6 elbows.” The other proposal aims to clarify the criteria for defining a grounded fighter.

The prohibition of 12-6 elbows has been a topic of debate for many years. Originally, these elbow strikes were considered more dangerous than angled elbows, but this belief has since been challenged by many in the MMA community.

The rule on 12-6 elbows famously resulted in the only loss in Jon Jones’ UFC career, as he was disqualified during a fight against Matt Hamill that he was winning convincingly.

Regarding the grounded fighter rule, the ABC is aiming to provide clarity and ensure safety in situations where a fighter is transitioning from a grounded position. The current rule defines a fighter as grounded if one hand or any other body part is touching the ground, leading to confusion and strategic hand placement tactics.

The existing language of the rule states:

“Any part of the body, other than the soles of the feet, touching the floor. To be considered grounded, a fighter must have the palm of one hand (flat palm) down and/or another body part touching the floor. A single knee or arm can also deem the fighter grounded without needing any other body part to touch the floor. At this time, head kicks and knees are prohibited.”

The proposed new language would read as follows:

“A fighter will be considered grounded and cannot be legally kicked or kneed in the head when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas.”

If these rule changes are approved, commissions will have the option to implement them immediately, although the process may be subject to delays depending on state legislation.

A discussion session is scheduled for Monday before the official vote on Wednesday.

For more information, you can view the full 2024 ABC Annual Conference agenda here.