Two key MMA rule changes went into effect on November 1, 2024, and were debuted on a major stage at UFC Edmonton on November 2.
The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports approved updates to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts in July to make 12-to-6 elbows legal and amended the definition of when a fighter can be kneed or kicked in the head.
According to ESPN, the ABC voted on July 23, 2024, to approve the rule changes. The individual commissions that oversee MMA cards also had to vote to approve the changes, ESPN reported. The Edmonton Combative Sports Commission, which is sanctioning the November 2 UFC card, approved the rule changes, according to its website.
In a promo video for the Edmonton fights, UFC President Dana White said, “For those of you watching tomorrow, the rules change. The 12-to-6 elbow is now legal tomorrow and the grounded fighter rule where you put one hand down on the ground, gone. So, you can’t do that anymore and 12-to-6 is legal tomorrow night’s fight night.”
The Change to the Knee to a Grounded Opponent Rule Takes Hands Out of Play
According to the updated rule set, “A fighter shall be considered grounded and may not be legally kneed or kicked to the head when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas (ground).”
In a helpful video from the California Athletic Commission, referee Mike Beltran explained the changes to the rule set. Fighters will now be able to kick or knee an opponent in the head if they have one or two hands down on the ground, Beltran explained in the video. “Both hands or one hand down, it doesn’t matter, that is legal.
Beltran added, “If a fighter is on his knee or his butt or his forearm touches the ground, or on his back, that is considered to be a grounded opponent, therefore it is illegal to kick or knee to the head.”
At UFC Edmonton, Jack Shore threw a legal knee while his opponent, Youssef Zalal, had both of his hands down on the mat, forcing Zalal to drop to his knees to avoid another knee to the head.
An Illegal 12 to 6 Elbow Led to Jon Jones’ Only Career Loss
The rule update also removes the section that bans fighters from using a “downward pointing elbow strike (’12 to ‘6 strike).”
Beltran also explained in the video, “The 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock, north south,” elbow, “This rule is going to be taken out of the unified rules.” As retired UFC fighter Urijah Faber demonstrates, Beltran says in the video, “That’s a north-south elbow. As of November 1, that is going to be a legal blow. … To the head or to the body, as long as you are targeting a legal area, it is now considered to be legal.”
The elbow rule is most known for being the cause of Jon Jones’ only career loss. Jones was disqualified in the first round of his UFC Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale fight against Matt Hamill on December 5, 2009, when referee Steve Mazzagatti determined he used an illegal north-south elbow during ground-and-pound. Hamill was unable to continue because of an injury and was awarded the win by DQ.
At UFC Edmonton, Cody Gibson was the first fighter to deliver a now-legal 12-to-6 elbow to his opponent, Chad Anheliger. After the fight, Gibson told reporters, “I knew if I landed in a dominant position like mount I’d be trying to throw them and I did. … If nothing else I’ll go down in the history books for that one.”
After the new rules were announced, Jones wrote on Instagram, “Undefeated then, undefeated now.. @danawhite we gotta get that loss out of the history books.”
Hamill also took to Instagram, responding to Jones, “et’s cut this chase… @danawhite – I know you’re desperate to get @jonnybones an undefeated record. I see how you want to profit from that! Is also why you bail him out of all the other things… How about a rematch?! I’ll be happy to fight him for a heavyweight title. If I beat him, I want a UFC belt. Let me know if Stipe Miocic backs out. I’ll take short notice, just remember he already lost to me!”
Jones is set to defend his UFC heavyweight championship against Miocic at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024.
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WATCH: Explaining the New MMA Rules That Debuted at UFC Edmonton