Most rule sets for
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
(MMA) competitions have evolved since the early days of
Vale Tudo
Vale Tudo (; en, Everything Goes/Everything Allowed), also known No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would event ...
. As a result of health, legal, and moral concerns, many different rulesets were created, which give different countries and promotions very different tactics and strategies. Similarly,
shoot wrestling
Shoot wrestling is a combat sport that originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their exciteme ...
organizations, such as
Shooto
Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...
, expanded their rulesets to integrate elements of Vale Tudo into their sport. However, for the most part, fighters accustomed to one rule set can easily acclimate to the others.
The most prevalent rule set in the world being used currently is the ''Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts'', adopted by all state athletic commissions in the United States that regulate MMA and is used most notably in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
. The Unified Rules are the ''de facto'' rules for MMA in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, and have been adopted by other promotions and jurisdictions worldwide. Other notable sets include Shooto's, which were the first to mandate padded gloves, and Pride rules, after
PRIDE Fighting Championships
PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...
, which were also adopted by UFC; and most recently the Global MMA Ruleset, a blend of best practices from Asian (PRIDE) and non-Asian rules (Unified), used by
ONE Championship
ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...
Evolution
Some main motivations for these rule changes included:
* Protection of the health of the fighters: This goal was partially motivated to clear the stigma of "barbaric, no rules, fighting-to-the-death" matches that MMA obtained because of its Vale Tudo and no holds barred roots. It also helps athletes avoid injuries which would otherwise hamper the training regimens that improve skill and ability and lead to better fights in the future.
* Providing spectacle for spectators.
Weight classes
Weight classes are divisions of competition used to match competitors against others of their own size. Weight classes are used in a variety of sports, especially combat sports (such as boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and wrestling). Altern ...
emerged when knowledge about
submission holds spread. When more fighters became well-versed in submission techniques and avoiding submissions, differences in weight became a substantial factor.
Headbutt
A headbutt is a targeted strike with the head, typically (when intentional) involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of an opponent, such as ...
s were prohibited because it was a technique that required little effort and could quickly turn the match into a bloody mess. Headbutting was common among wrestlers because their skill in takedowns allowed them to quickly transfer bouts to the ground where they could assault opponents with headbutts while not being required to alter their position. There has been some criticism that techniques banned from MMA, including headbutts, are actually very effective fighting techniques.
Small, open-finger
gloves
A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb.
If there is an opening but no (or a short) covering sheath for each finger they are called fingerless gloves. Fingerless glo ...
were introduced to protect fists in punches while still allowing for effective grappling. Gloves were first mandatory in Japan's Shooto league, but are now mandatory in matches for nearly every promotion. Although some fighters may have well conditioned fists, others may not. The small bones in an unprotected and unconditioned fist are prone to break when it hits a torso or forehead with power. Gloves also reduce the occurrence of cuts (and stoppages due to cuts) and encourage fighters to use their hands for striking, both of which enable more captivating matches.
![Ian Butler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Ian_Butler.jpg)
Time limits were established to avoid long fights on the ground with little perceivable action. No time limit matches also complicated the airing of live events. Similar motivations produced the "stand up" rule, where the referee can stand fighters up if it is perceived both are resting on the ground or are not advancing toward a dominant position.
Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts
In April 2000, the
California State Athletic Commission
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) regulates amateur and professional boxing, amateur and professional kickboxing and professional mixed martial arts (MMA) throughout the State by licensing all participants and supervising the events. ...
voted unanimously in favor of regulations that later became the foundation for the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. However, when the legislation was sent to California's capital for review, it was determined that the sport fell outside the jurisdiction of the CSAC, rendering the vote superfluous.
In September 2000, the
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board
The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New Jersey, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, second ...
began to allow MMA promoters to conduct events in New Jersey. The intent was to allow the NJSACB to observe actual events and gather information to establish a comprehensive set of rules to effectively regulate the sport.
On April 3, 2001, the NJSACB held a meeting to discuss the regulation of MMA events. This meeting attempted to unify the myriad of rules and regulations which have been utilized by the different MMA organizations. At this meeting, the proposed uniform rules were agreed upon by the NJSACB, several other regulatory bodies, numerous promoters of MMA events and other interested parties in attendance. At the conclusion of the meeting, all parties in attendance were able to agree upon a uniform set of rules to govern the sport of MMA.
The rules adopted by the NJSACB have become the de facto standard set of rules for professional MMA across North America. All state, provincial, & municipal athletic commissions that regulate MMA have assimilated these rules into their existing
unarmed combat
Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Huns ...
competition rules and statutes. For a promotion to hold MMA events in a sanctioned venue, the promotion must abide by the commission's body of rules.
On July 30, 2009, a motion was made at the annual meeting of the
Association of Boxing Commissions
The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) is a North American not-for-profit professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that organizes contests and record-keeping. It is governed by delegates of state, provincial, and tribal at ...
to adopt these rules as the "Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts". The motion passed unanimously.
Rounds
Every round is five minutes in duration with a one-minute rest period in-between rounds. Non-title matches must not normally exceed three rounds, but the governing commission can grant dispensation for non-title five round bouts, as is usually done for the Main Event in the UFC. Title matches can be sanctioned for five rounds.
Attire
All competitors must fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Shirts,
gis
A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...
or long pants (including gi pants) are not allowed. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4–6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab. A
mouthguard and
groin guard are also required and are checked by a State Athletic Committee official before being allowed to enter the cage/ring.
Furthermore, approved leg and chest (in the case of women) protectors must be provided by the contestant.
Judging criteria
The
ten-point must system is used for all fights. Three judges score each round with ten points to the winner and nine points or fewer to the other fighter. In
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7.
If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. Penalty points (usually one point for each offence, occasionally two points) decided by the referee are deducted from each judge's score for that round for the offending fighter.
The
Association of Boxing Commissions
The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) is a North American not-for-profit professional boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that organizes contests and record-keeping. It is governed by delegates of state, provincial, and tribal at ...
has published a guideline of what judges in the US should consider most when scoring a round. "Effective striking/grappling" (defined as legal strikes that inflict more damage on one fighter in that round, as well as successful takedowns, reversals, and submission attempts) is seen as the primary criteria, with judges also asked to take each round on its own merits rather than consider cumulative impact of strikes. "Effective aggression" (where judges consider who made more of an effort to finish the fight in that round) is a secondary criteria, followed by cage generalship and dictating the pace of the fight. The ABC also encourages its judges to score rounds 10-8 if a judge feels that one fighter has landed a substantial amount of "impactful" strikes or spent large amounts of time in dominant grappling positions, as "it is absolutely essential to the evolution of the sport and to demonstrate fairness to fighters" that rounds where a fighter controls much of the action are properly scored to reward that fighter.
At the end of the fight, each judge submits their total score for all rounds for each fighter, to determine the result by the following criteria.
*Unanimous decision win: All three judges have the same fighter as the winner.
*Majority decision win: Two judges have one fighter winning the fight and the third judge scores it a draw.
*Split decision win: Two judges have one fighter winning the fight and the third judge has the other fighter winning it.
*
Unanimous draw: All three judges score it a draw.
*Majority draw: Two judges score it a draw, and the third judge has a winner.
*Split draw: One judge scores it a draw, and the other two judges have different winners.
Weight classes
Fouls
As set out by the Association of Boxing Commissions:
* Grabbing the fence
* Holding opponent’s shorts or gloves
* Head-butting
* Biting or spitting at an opponent
* Hair pulling
*
Fish-hooking
Fish-hooking is the act of inserting a finger or fingers of one or both hands into the mouth, nostrils or other orifices of a person, and pulling away from the centerline of the body; in most cases with the intention of pulling, tearing, or lacer ...
* Intentionally placing a finger into any orifice, or into any cut or laceration of an opponent
* Eye gouging of any kind
* Groin attacks
* Downward pointing of elbow strikes (see
12-6 elbow)
*
Small joint manipulation
Small joint manipulation, in grappling, refers to twisting, pulling or bending fingers, toes, wrists and ankles to cause joint locks in the various joints in those appendages.
Technique
Most small joint manipulation is done on the hands or fe ...
* Strikes to the spine or back of the head or anything behind the ears (see
Rabbit punch
A rabbit punch is a blow to the back of the head or to the base of the skull. It is considered especially dangerous because it can damage the cervical vertebrae and subsequently the spinal cord, which may lead to serious and irreparable spinal c ...
)
* Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea
* Fingers outstretched towards opponent's face/eyes
* Clawing, pinching, twisting the flesh
* Kicking and knee-striking the head of a grounded opponent (see
Soccer kick
A soccer kick, also known as a soccer ball kick or PK (penalty kick) in puroresu and shoot fighting, and as tiro de meta in vale tudo, is a reference to a kick that is similar to kicks used in association football. It is the colloquial term f ...
)
* Stomping an opponent on the ground
* Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his or her head or neck (see
Piledriver)
* Swearing or offensive language in the cage
* Throwing opponent out of the ring/fighting area
* Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to opponent
* Attacking an opponent during a break
* Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee
* Timidity (excessively avoiding contact, consistent dropping of mouthpiece, or faking an injury)
* Interference from a mixed martial artist's
cornerman
In combat sports, a cornerman, or second, is a coach or trainer assisting a fighter during a bout. The cornerman is forbidden to instruct and must remain outside the combat area during the round. In the break, they are permitted to enter the ri ...
* Flagrant disregard of the referee’s instructions
* Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a "no contest" if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
Medical requirements
* Contestants shall complete all pre-licensure medical examinations and tests required by the jurisdiction licensing the contest.
* The jurisdiction licensing the contest shall conduct or supervise all pre-contest weigh-ins and may hold or supervise a rules meeting for all contestants and their cornermen.
* Post-contest medical examination.
** Immediately following a contest, each contestant shall be given a medical examination by a physician appointed by the commission. The medical examination may include any examinations or tests the commission deems necessary to determine the post-contest physical fitness of a contestant.
** Any contestant who refuses to submit to a post-contest medical examination shall be immediately suspended for an indefinite period.
Prohibited substances
* Use of prohibited substances: The use of any illegal drug, narcotic, stimulant, depressant, or analgesic of any description, or alcohol substance, by a contestant either before or during a match, shall result in the immediate disqualification of the contestant from the match and disciplinary action in accordance with the commission licensing the contest.
* Detection of prohibited substances: In order to detect the presence of any prohibited substance, a contestant shall submit to any pre-contest or post-contest urinalysis or other laboratory procedure that is ordered by the physician appointed by the commission. Refusal to submit to such testing shall result in the immediate disqualification of the contestant from the match and an indefinite suspension from the sport of MMA.
* Urinalysis:
** All contestants may be ordered to complete a pre-contest urinalysis exam to detect the presence of any drug.
** In addition to a pre-contest analysis, the local commission may, at its discretion, decide to test for the presence of performance-enhancing drugs and thereby require additional urine specimens to be produced at any time after the completion of the contest.
** Collection of specimens for urinalysis testing shall be conducted or supervised by a commission official. Refusal to submit to such testing shall result in the immediate disqualification of the contestant from the match and an indefinite suspension from the sport of MMA.
PRIDE Fighting Championships (defunct)
Historically, PRIDE's rules events and Bushido events.
[PRIDE rules](_blank)
, Official PRIDE site. Last retrieved December 5, 2006 However, it was announced on November 29, 2006, that Bushido events would be discontinued.
[PRIDE MAKING BIG CHANGES IN 2007](_blank)
, MMAWeekly.com. Last retrieved December 5, 2006 When holding events in the
US, PRIDE abided by the Unified Rules, but added the prohibition against elbows to the head.
Rounds
The first round is five minutes in duration and the second and third rounds are five minutes in duration. There is a two-minute rest period between each round.
Attire
PRIDE allowed fighters some latitude in their choice of attire, most notably the allowance of a
gi or amateur
wrestling shoe
Wrestling shoes are active wear used in competition and practice for the sport of wrestling. Generally light and flexible, they try to mimic the bare foot, while providing slightly more traction and ankle support and less chance of contracting a ...
s, but open finger gloves, a mouthguard, and a protective cup were mandatory.
Judging criteria
If the match reaches its time limit then the outcome of the bout is determined by the three judges. The fight is scored in its entirety and not round-by-round. After the conclusion of the bout, each judge must decide a winner. Matches cannot end in a draw. A decision is made according to the following criteria in this order of priority:
# the effort made to finish the fight via KO or submission,
# damage given to the opponent,
# standing combinations and ground control,
# takedowns and takedown defense,
# aggressiveness, and
# weight (in the case that the weight difference is or more).
If a fight is stopped on advice of the ring doctor after an accidental but illegal action, e.g., a clash of heads, and the contest is in its second or third round, the match will be decided by the judges using the same criteria.
Legal techniques
PRIDE allowed the following techniques that the Unified Rules disallowed:
* Stomps to the head of a grounded opponent.
* Soccer kicks to the head of a grounded opponent.
* Knees to the head of a grounded opponent.
Fouls
In addition to the common fouls, PRIDE Fighting Championships considers
elbow strikes
An elbow strike (commonly referred to as simply an elbow) is a strike (attack), strike with the point of the elbow, the part of the forearm nearest to the elbow, or the part of the upper arm nearest to the elbow. Elbows can be thrown sideways sim ...
to the head and face to be fouls.
In the event that a fighter is injured by illegal actions, then at the discretion of the referee and ring doctor, the round is resumed after enough time has been given for the fighter to recover. If the match cannot be continued due to the severity of the injury then the fighter who perpetrated the action will be disqualified.
General conduct
* If both fighters are on the verge of falling out of the ring or become entangled in the ropes, the referee will stop the action. The fighters must immediately stop their movements and will then be repositioned in the center of the ring in the same position. Once they are comfortably repositioned, they resume at the referee's instruction.
* If fighters commit the following actions, they shall be given a yellow card by officials: Stalling or failure to initiate any offensive attack, making no attempt to finalize the match or damage the opponent, and holding the opponent's body with the arms and legs to produce a stalemate. A yellow card results in a 10% deduction/fine of the fighter's fight purse.
Bushido rules
PRIDE Bushido events instituted distinct variations to the full PRIDE rules:
* Bushido bouts consist of two rounds; the first lasting ten minutes and the second lasting five. Intermissions between each round remain two minutes in length.
* In full PRIDE rules, a total of three yellow cards results in a red card (disqualification). In Bushido, yellow cards can be given out in an unlimited number without disqualification.
PRIDE discontinued Bushido events in late-2006 and their rules were last used for lightweight and welterweight fights at
PRIDE Shockwave 2006
''Pride Shockwave 2006'' was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on December 31, 2006.
Background
The main event was scheduled to be heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko defending his heavyweight championship against ...
.
As the lightweight and welterweight divisions will now be on the main PRIDE shows, the rules for the lighter classes are also changing to reflect standard PRIDE rules.
ONE Championship
ONE Championship
ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...
MMA rule set uses the Global MMA Rule Set which blends a combination of Best Practices from Asian and Non-Asian Rules. ONE also has Competitions for Muay Thai, Kickboxing and Grappling rulesets.
Weight Classes
ONE has a number of weight classes for its fighters to compete in, with a World Champion and top five competitors being ranked
ONE Championship Rankings ONE Championship rankings, which were introduced in April 2020, are generated by a voting panel made up of media members. These media members are asked to vote for whom they feel are the top fighters in ONE Championship by weight class from Mixed ma ...
in each Weight Class.
The weight classes for ONE are:
Weigh-in and Hydration
Unlike the UFC, ONE does not allow weight cutting, ONE will assign an athlete his or her weight class based on their "walking weight" (based on the daily training weight.) An athlete's "walking weight" is monitored regularly throughout the time an athlete is with contracted to ONE. Fights are strictly only offered to an athlete based on his or her “walking weight.”
Upon arrival at the start of event week athletes' weights will be checked. Every athlete must be within the restrictions of the contracted weight class or catchweight limit.
During event week, all athletes participate in a combined weigh-in and hydration test. Every athlete must submit a urine sample for a hydration check. If the athlete passes this test, he or she can weigh-in. The athlete’s must weigh-in within the restrictions of the contracted weight class or catchweight limit.
On event day, those athletes who made weight and passed the hydration test on the previous day do not have to weigh-in. However, athletes who miss weight or fail a hydration test, must pass the hydration test and make weight on event day.
If an athlete fails the hydration test on event day, he or she is not permitted to compete. Should an athlete pass the hydration test but weigh-in above the restrictions of the contracted weight class, then the bout may take place at a catchweight if the athlete is within 5 percent of his or her opponent’s official weight, and if the opponent agrees to competing at this catchweight. Additionally, a percentage of the athlete’s purse will be given to the opponent due to failure to make the contracted weight.
Post-bout weight may not exceed 5 percent over the weight class or catchweight limit. If an athlete were to commit this offense, he or she will be held to the rules below:
* First offense – athlete receives an official warning.
* Second offense – athlete will be penalized 25 percent of his or her total fight purse.
* Third offense – athlete will be penalized 50 percent of his or her purse. The athlete will also be permanently disqualified from competing in the weight class and must move up to the next higher weight class.
Rounds
Similar to the Unified Rules, each bout is three rounds of five minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds, except for World Championship bouts will be five rounds of five minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds.
Attire
Under the Global MMA Rule Set attire is limited to:
* MMA Trunks
* Spandex/Lycra shorts (that may not extend beyond the knee in length)
* Board Shorts (Shorts are not to have any exposed pockets or ties)
Fouls and Legal Techniques
Unlike the Unified Rules, in ONE the following techniques are legal and will not result in a foul:
* 12-6 elbows of the head of a grounded opponent
* Knees to the head of a grounded opponent
* Stomps of a grounded opponent (except for head stomps)
Soccer kicks were also previously legal in ONE, but have been banned since 2016 as part of the company's worldwide expansion plans.
Other than those listed above, fouls for the Unified Rules and ONE are the same.
Penalizing Fouls/Illegal Issues
In ONE and under the Global Rule Set, fouls are dealt with by the referee, and uses a yellow/red card system that will affect the fighters purse and potentially be factored in by the judges.
The referee may choose to issue Cautions, Warnings, Yellow Cards or Disqualifications based on the nature, severity, and repetition of the fouling behavior. In doing so, the referee must have thoroughly considered whether the athlete has, through their violation, damaged their opponent’s chances of victory, and if the violation was deliberately committed.
Stalling
When the action slows in the standing position, the referee will give the command “action”. When the action slows on the ground, the referee will give the commands “improve your position” or “work to finish”. If the action has not increased, the referee may stand the athletes or penalize with a yellow card. If a yellow card is displayed, the bout will resume from the standing position. Cageside judges may display a red or blue marker as a signal to the referee and cornermen that the athlete from the corner displayed is stalling. Cornermen should take this display into account and encourage their athlete to compete more actively and aggressively.
Caution
A caution is given in the event of a minor violation. It may occur without stopping the action of the bout.
Official Warning
In the event of repeated or a more significant violation, the referee will issue an official warning to the fighter. The referee will stop the action and make it clear and obvious that the athlete has been warned for their infraction.
Yellow Cards
Any flagrant disregard for the rules or stalling, may result in a yellow card. A yellow card will result in a 10% deduction in the athlete’s prize money (purse) and may factor in the judges' decision. Each yellow card is a successive 10% deduction from the athlete’s earnings. If an athlete is penalized with a yellow card, the fouled opponent will be given the choice to resume the bout from the same position as when the foul occurred or from a standing position.
Disqualification / Red Card
At the referee’s discretion an athlete may be disqualified based on repetitive or severe fouling. If an athlete is disqualified the company may deduct a minimum of 30% to a maximum of 100% of the athletes pay.
Judging and Scoring
In the event that a bout lasts the rounds, the decision for winner will go to the judges score. The scoring in ONE is significantly different to that of the Unified Rules in that matches are scored in their entirety, and not round-by-round. This difference means fighters who perform extremely well in the final round even after a slow start, and score well in the judging criteria are still able to win the bout (compared to UFC where if a fighter loses the first two rounds, but comes back in the last, they will lose the whole bout.)
Criteria
The judging criteria that ONE Judges use for scoring a bout are listed below in descending order of importance:
# Near-knockout/near-submission
# Damage (internal, accumulated, superficial)
# Striking Superiority / Ground Control (ground control and superior positioning)
# Earned takedowns or takedown defense
# Aggression
RIZIN Fighting Federation
RIZIN Fighting Federation uses a ruleset largely similar to that of PRIDE's, which is appropriate given the involvement of longtime Japanese MMA promoter
Nobuyuki Sakakibara
is a Japanese businessman and mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter. He is known for his executive role in Dream Stage Entertainment, including its promotions Pride Fighting Championships and Fighting Opera Hustle, and works as the current preside ...
in both promotions. Men's fights in RIZIN are either two rounds with Round 1 lasting 10 minutes and Round 2 lasting 5 minutes, or 3x5 minute rounds. Championship fights in RIZIN are 3x5 minute rounds, as are all women's MMA matches, and all matches are held in a ring in order to allow for both MMA and kickboxing fights to be held on the same card. Judging is done based on the entirety of a fight and the criteria goes damage/effective aggression, effort to finish the fight, and ring generalship, in that order. Soccer kicks and knees to the head of a grounded opponent are both legal. Elbows (including 12-6 elbows) to the head of a grounded opponent are allowed if both fighters agree to permit them.
Other mixed martial arts promotions
Shooto
* Uses A, B, and C levels. The C level is considered for amateurs only.
* Every level has its own rules and restrictions.
* The C level rules require headgear to be worn and prohibit striking on the ground.
* In case of a knockdown (when any part of a competitor's body touches the mat solely as the result of a strike) the referee will perform a 10-count. The competitor has until the count of 10 to return to a standing position. Three knock downs in a single round will end the bout. There is also a mandatory
standing 8 count.
ZST
* Uses two 5-minute rounds.
* Does not use judges. The fight is declared a draw if there is no KO, TKO, Submission.
* Allows elbow and knee strikes only if they are covered by padding.
* Does not allow attacking head with strikes when one fighter is in downed position.
K-1 Hero's (defunct)
* Uses two 5-minute rounds, with an extra round option should the judges be unable to determine a clear winner of the fight.
* Prohibits elbow strikes to the head, kicking by a fighter in the standing position to the face and head of a fighter in the ground position (When both fighters are in the ground position, kicking to the face and head of the opponent fighter is allowed). Knee kicking to the face and head of a fighter in the state of any ground position including 4-point position etc. is also illegal.
* Has moved to a tournament format similar to that seen in
K-1, with an eight-man tournament. However, the final matches are not decided on the same evening, but at later events.
Cage or ring
MMA is often referred to as "cage fighting" in the US as it is associated with the UFC's octagonal caged fighting area. Most major MMA promotions in the US, Canada and Britain use the "cage" as a result of directly evolving from the first
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
events. There are variations on the cage such as replacing the metal fencing with a net, or using a different shape for the area other than an octagon, as the term "The Octagon" is trademarked by the UFC (though the 8-sided shape itself is not trademarked). In Japan, Brazil and some European countries such as the Netherlands an area similar to a standard
boxing ring
A boxing ring, often referred to simply as a ring or the squared circle, is the space in which a boxing match occurs. A modern ring consists of a square raised platform with a post at each corner. Four ropes are attached to the posts and pulled p ...
is used, but with tighter ropes and sometimes a barrier underneath the lowest rope to keep grappling athletes from rolling out of the ring. The usage of the ring in these countries is derived from the history of Vale Tudo,
Japanese pro-wrestling and other MMA related sports such as
kickboxing
Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
.
The choice of cage or ring is more than aesthetic, however, as it impacts the type of strategies that a fighter can implement. For example, a popular and effective strategy in a cage is to pin an opponent into the area where the fence meets the mat, and then pummel him with strikes.
Randy Couture
Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former United States Army, U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman ...
is well known for this tactic. Defensively, the cage is often used as support to fend off take-down attempts, or as a support to get from underneath an opponent (known as "walking up the cage"). These positions are not possible in a roped ring. On the other hand, the roped ring can result in entangled limbs and fighters falling through the ropes, requiring the referee to sometimes stop the fight and reposition the fighters in the center, as well as carrying the possibility for either fighter to sustain an injury. In either a cage or ring, a fighter is not allowed to grab the fence or ropes. Some critics feel that the appearance of fighting in a cage contributes to a negative image of MMA in popular media.
The following table shows what each MMA organization uses:
, align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Organization
, align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Cage or Ring
, align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Primary Event Location
, -align=center
,
BAMMA
BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) was a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It premiered on June 27, 2009, and was shown on the television channel Bravo. BAMMA events were shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ire ...
, 8-sided cage
, UK
, -align=center
,
Bellator FC
, Circular cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
Cage Rage
Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and ma ...
, 9-sided cage
, UK
, -align=center
,
DEEP
Deep or The Deep may refer to:
Places United States
* Deep Creek (Appomattox River tributary), Virginia
* Deep Creek (Great Salt Lake), Idaho and Utah
* Deep Creek (Mahantango Creek tributary), Pennsylvania
* Deep Creek (Mojave River tributary), ...
, Ring
, Japan
, -align=center
, Extreme Fighting Championship
, 6-sided cage
, South Africa
, -align=center
,
Jungle Fight
Jungle Fight is a Brazilian mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion. It was created in 2003. The name is derived from its origin, the Amazonas state in Brazil.
History
Jungle Fight was founded by pioneering MMA fighter and long-time Brazi ...
, 8-sided cage
, Brazil
, -align=center
,
Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors (CW) is an Irish owned mixed martial arts promotion, based in London, England. The promotion was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July, 2002.
Many MMA stars have made their names under the Cage Warrio ...
, 6-sided cage
, UK
, -align=center
,
King of the Cage
King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States.
History
KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...
, 8-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
KSW
, Cage
, Poland
, -align=center
,
Invicta Fighting Championships
Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currentl ...
, 8-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
M-1 Global
M-1 Global (Mixfight-1) or MMA-1 (Mixed martial arts-1) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia which organizes between 10 and 20 competitions per year.
It hosted its first major show (rather than co-promoting with othe ...
, Ring
, Russia
, -align=center
,
MFC
, Ring
, Canada
, -align=center
,
ONE
, Circular cage
, Singapore
, -align=center
,
Pancrase
Pancrase Inc. is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki.
The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the Ancient Olympic Games. Suzuki and Funaki pr ...
, 10-sided cage
, Japan
, -align=center
, Pacific Xtreme Combat
, Circular cage
, Philippines
, -align=center
,
RESPECT.FC
, Ring
, Germany
, -align=center
,
Rizin Fighting Federation
, Ring
, Japan
, -align=center
,
Road FC
Road Fighting Championship (Road FC; ) is a South Korean-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched in 2010. Prior to December 2016, Road FC had held 52 events in three countries - South Korea, Japan, and China.
Abou ...
, 8-sided cage
, South Korea
, -align=center
, Full Contact Championship
, 6-sided cage
, India
, -align=center
, GMC
, 8-sided cage
, Germany
, -align=center
,
RINGS
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
, Ring
, Japan
, -align=center
, Super Fighting League
, 8-sided cage
, India
, -align=center
,
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
, 8-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
URCC
, Ring
, Philippines
, -align=center
,
XFC
Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a premier international mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in Spring Lake, Michigan, with offices throughout the United States and South America. The XFC showcases both male and female fighters, ad ...
, 8-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
World Series of Fighting
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by Venture capital, venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fight ...
, 10-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
ZST
ZST (pronounced ''Zest'') is a Japan-based mixed martial arts promotion and sanctioning organization holding amateur and semi-professional MMA events. ZST adopts unique rules in the MMA industry and also used to hold tag-team MMA matches.
Hist ...
, Ring
, Japan
, -align=center
, Superior Challenge
, 8-sided cage
, Sweden
, -align=center
, One Pride MMA
( id)
, 8-sided cage
, Indonesia
Defunct organizations:
, align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Organization
, align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Cage or Ring
, align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Primary Event Location
, -align=center
,
Affliction Entertainment
Affliction Entertainment was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company created by Affliction Clothing in 2008. The UFC prohibited its fighters from wearing Affliction clothing after learning Affliction was applying to become an MMA ...
, Ring
, USA
, -align=center
,
Art of War FC
, Ring
, China
, -align=center
,
Dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
, Ring
, Japan
, -align=center
,
EliteXC
Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a United States-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on Decemb ...
, 8-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
K-1 Hero's
Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the ''K-1 Romanex' ...
, Ring
, Japan
, -align=center
,
IFL IFL may refer to:
;American football
*Intense Football League, (2004–2008) in the United States, merged into the Indoor Football League
*Indoor Football League, (2008–present) in the United States
*Intercontinental Football League, a European l ...
, Ring
, USA
, -align=center
,
Legend FC (Hong Kong)
, Ring
, Hong Kong
, -align=center
,
Pride FC
PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...
, Ring
, Japan
, -align=center
,
Strikeforce
Strike Force may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game
*'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game
*'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game
*''Marvel Strike Force'', ...
, 6-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
WEC
, 8-sided cage
, USA
, -align=center
,
World Victory Road
World Victory Road (WVR) is a defunct Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) organization which promoted the Sengoku Raiden Championship (SRC) in Japan. The organization was formed in 2007 following the purchase of PRIDE FC by Zuffa. It operated in ...
, Ring
, Japan
Amateur MMA rules
UWW promotes amateur MMA with its own set of rules.
Protection gear
Competitors shall wear UWW approved head guards, gloves, knee pads and shin-instep guards of their assigned red or blue colour. They shall also wear personal groin and mouth guards. Female
competitors may wear a chest protector. Protection gear may not contain any metal part whatsoever.
The protection gear shall be in a generally clean and serviceable condition and the padding shall not be displaced, broken or imperfect in any way.
Illegal actions
* Strikes to the neck, throat, spine, kidneys, joints, groin/testicles, knees and below
* Kicks and knees to the head in ground position (from either athletes)
* Stomp kicks
* Intentional breaking of bones or joints (i.e. not giving the opponent’s enough time to tap in submission situations)
* Head butts, malicious cross faces
* Biting
* Eye, ear, or nose gouging, fish hooking
* Pulling of hair, nose or ears
* Spikes (i.e., standing throws onto the head or neck and landing onto the thrower’s knee)
* Slams in defense of submission attempts and if opponent’s body is above waist level
* Back splashes from standing position
* Combination of joint locks and throws
* Use of the fingers for throat/trachea choking techniques
* Inside or outside heel hooks
* Chin ripping
* Neck cranks (crucifix, full-nelson, can opener, etc.)
* Small joint manipulation
* Holding fewer than 4 fingers or toes
* Coating the skin with any kind of substance or using gauzes or any kind of protective materials without the authorization of the Head medical officer and in agreement with the referee
* Intentional grabbing of competition uniform and protection gear
* Initiating an attack once both competitors are out of bounds
* Pretense of injury
Government regulation
In the U.S., state athletic and boxing commissions have played a crucial role in the introduction of safety rules because they oversee MMA in similar ways as they do for boxing. Small shows usually use more restrictive rules because they have less experienced fighters who are looking to acquire experience and exposure that could ultimately lead them to getting recruited into one of the larger, better paying promotions.
In Japan and Europe, there is no regulating authority over MMA competitions, so these organizations have greater freedom in rules development and event structure.
In general, a balanced set of rules with some organization-specific variances has been established and is widely used, and major rule changes are unlikely, allowing for fighters in one organization to transition to others easily.
See also
*
Combat sport
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the oppon ...
References
{{reflist
Mixed martial arts
Sports rules and regulations