MMA Rules Explained. Everything You Should Know About One of the Cruelest Kinds of Sport

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a kind of sport that roots back to the 90s, and it was born in the United States of America. The main difference of MMA from other combat sports is that its fighters are allowed to use a great number of techniques and kicks that are impossible within the framework of a single martial art. The first MMA promotions were attended by grapplers, boxers, kickboxers, and masters of ju-jitsu as well as karate.

Over the time, the sport of MMA has transferred into martial arts where fighters use various techniques to beat their opponents – they grapple, kick one another with hands and legs as well as do submission and choke holds. In other words, MMA is currently combining almost all the known martial arts at the same time.

Cage

The cage is a symbol of MMA and a fighting place that is peculiar to the given kind of sport only. Despite the feat that is felt by unprepared people when they see the cage for the first time, it is not used to lock the fighters inside until one of them beats the daylights out of the other one. The fact here is that the cage is more convenient than a ring is. To explain, fighters cannot fall out of the cage and get injured and it is not necessary to stop the fight and remove the fighters who are wrestling in a kneeling position near a ring edge.

Besides, the cage provides the fighters with additional opportunities – they are able to lean against the cage to raise from a kneeling position or use it as a footing to make one of those popular showtime-kicks. Cages can be either rounded or with corners. Octagon is a popular cage with eight corners.

Fight Duration

Regular fights can last no more than three rounds, while title fights can last the maximum of five rounds. Each round then lasts for 5 minutes with a minute interval between them.

Weight Classes

It does not matter where and how you fight. One of the fundamental MMA principles is that people will fight with other people of approximately the same weight. In other words, a man who weighs 60 kilograms will never fight against a male who weighs more than 90 kilograms according to the MMA rules. Thus, fighters’ weight is strictly supervised by the authorized body that is to disqualify those who fail to preserve their weight within particular limits.

So, there is the list of official weight classes according to the MMA rules:

• Flyweight – up to 56 kilograms;
• Bantamweight – 56-61 kilograms;
• Featherweight – 61-66 kilograms;
• Lightweight – 66-70 kilograms;
• Welterweight – 70-77 kilograms;
• Middleweight – 77-84 kilograms;
• Light Heavyweight – 84-93 kilograms;
• Heavyweight – 93-120 kilograms;
• Super Heavyweight – over 120 kilograms.

Some MMA organizations have eliminated all the classes up to 145 and over 265 pounds.

If an official weigh-in before the fighting reveals that one of the fighters has extra pounds, he is allowed to shed them provided they do not exceed two pounds. The shedding should happen no later than in an hour after the initial weigh-in.

Wear and Equipment

Considering the fact that it is one of the most straightforward kinds of sport, it is not a surprise that MMA fighters do not need any equipment. Moreover, they do not have many clothes. According to the official rules, a fighter should wear the special shorts approved by the authorized body. Moreover, the fighters should not wear any shoes or any other materials that cover feet.

Judging Method

In accordance with the MMA rules, every judge should evaluate fighters and determine a winner using the following system:

1. The best fighter of the round gets 10 points, while his opponents – correspondingly fewer points;
2. If it was an equal round, each of two fighters gets 10 points;
3. Judges may not award fractional points;
4. Points are awarded immediately after a round is over.

When a fight is over, cards with the points awarded by three judges go to a commentator who is to proclaim a decision through an acoustic system. By the way, the decision is made according to the majority principle. If it fails to be achieved, a tied is declared.

MMA Fouls

It should be mentioned at once that fouls can be either intentional or unintentional. If a fighter violates the rules against his opponent, a referee can punish him by depriving him of some points. Unless otherwise provided by the ruling organization, a referee is able to determine the number of points to be dismissed for every single case. The number depends on the severity of the violation and its consequences for the opponent’s health.

If the points are to be dismissed, a referee has to notify the penalized fighter of this fact. These points should not have any influence on the points gained by the given fighter in all the remaining rounds.

Then, here is the list of prohibited actions in MMA:

• Groin attack;
• Beating opponents’ heads with knees when he is grounded;
• Strikes to the back of the head or the spine;
• Head-to-head strikes;
• Eye gouging;
• Fish hooking;
• Biting;
• Hair pulling;
• Manipulation with fingers and toes;
• Strikes of the throat.

Match Outcomes

All the MMA competitions can end in one of the following outcomes:

1. Submission – a fighter who is about to lose can either tap out on his opponent’s body or the mat or make a verbal announcement of his intentions;
2. Knockout – this outcome happens when one of the fighters loses consciousness because of his opponent’s strikes and kicks;
3. Technical knockout – a referee stops the fight; a doctor stops the fight; fighters’ cornermen stop the fight by throwing out a white towel; each of these decisions can follow the situation when the fighter is not able to defend himself;
4. Disqualification – if a fighter keeps repeating illegal moves, a referee can disqualify him after his third try.
5. Forfeit – if a fighter gets injured before the fight begins, he can announce forfeit;
6. Decision – a fight lasts all the planned rounds, and it is now up to judges to decide who is a winner; there can be such decisions as unanimous, split, and majority ones.

As for decisions, it should be mentioned separately that three judges evaluate fighters according to their skills in the following areas:

1. Striking;
2. Grappling;
3. Aggression;
4. Control over the cage square.