MMA might seem like a brutal sport but some moves are illegal and banned by the UFC and other promotions
MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world as it brings some of the best combat athletes and lets them show off their skills inside a cage or Octagon.
The UFC is possibly the biggest promotion when it comes to MMA and has some of the biggest names in the fighting world too.
Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, Amanda Nunes and Stipe Miocic are some of the names that have made the brand what it is today, and they still keep fighting.
MMA, as the name suggests, is mixed martial arts, and it feels like anything goes once a fight stars. Brutal punches, knee strikes, elbows and submissions are all part of the game but there are some moves that are deemed too dangerous even for MMA.
The UFC follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts set that has listed out what is legal and illegal while fighting.
Some are moves while other tactics are also looked down upon and could lead to points being taken off a fighter. Many promotions also used the same set of rules while some tweak them too.
There are several moves which are actually banned in the UFC and those will be shared first before going into some tactics that are not allowed:
1) Headbutting
As the name suggests, you cannot use your head to butt an opponent. Accidental headbutts lead to a stoppage in UFC fight while there aren’t many cases of blatant headbutts being used.
2) Biting or spitting on an opponent, Hair pulling
3) Fish hooking
This is a term where a fighter puts his finger into the mouth or nose or any other orifice of a rival and tries to pull.
4) Groin attacks
Unintentional groin kicks and punches do take place, as Islam Makhachev vs Drew Dober brought up at UFC 259.
If the hit is severe, a fighter might be docked a point, but in most cases, it is unintentional and the referee provides a timeout for the person hit to take a break and get their composure back.
This is also one reason why UFC stars have to wear cups at all times, especially the men.
5) Eye gouging
6) Downward elbow attacks
While elbow strikes are legal in the UFC, you cannot use a downward elbow strike and most of the time we see spinning elbows. These are also called 12-6 elbow strikes.
7) Small joint manipulation
Fingers and toes cannot be attacked, twisted or bent. However, wrist locks and ankle locks are allowed in the UFC.
8) Hits to the back of the head, spine or behind the ears
9) Throat strikes, pinching/twisting flesh, stomping an opponent on the ground
10) Kicking or using a knee strike on a grounded opponent
This took place at UFC 259 when Bantamweight champion attacked a downed Aljamain Sterling with a knee strike.
Yan was disqualified in the fight and his title was handed over to Sterling, a first in UFC history.
11) Attacking a rival during the round break, when an opponent is under the care of a referee, after the bell has sounded
12) Slamming an opponent head or neck first, called a piledriver
13) Throwing an opponent out of the ring/Octagon
There are some tactics that are also banned in the UFC. While some of these are serious, many of these lead to warnings from the referee before a point is deducted for consistent fouling etc.
1) Grabbing the fence
2) Holding an opponents glove or shorts
3) Putting a finger into a cut or laceration
4) Fingers stretched towards the face or eye of an opponent
5) Swearing or offensive language
This is a bit of a weird one as many UFC stars do abuse in the Octagon and they are never censured for this.
6) Unsportsmanlike conduct that could injure an opponent
7) Interference from the corner of a fighter (coaches or cornermen)
8) Timidity
This is basically not fighting or trying to avoid a fight, avoiding contact or even dropping the mouthpiece.
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