All Strange And Unusual MMA Questions Answered
MMA is a very simple sport. Fighters square off against one another in a cage and win by either knockout, submission, stoppage from an outside participant (such as a doctor) or decision. The rules of MMA are generally not too complicated and vary a little for each promotion. As a general rule though, headbutts, eye pokes and groin shots are all illegal across the board.
However, as MMA is still a relatively young sport, there are many nuanced situations that can arise during a fight. Whilst most of these scenarios have been played out before, they are still very rare and you will not see them very often. Casual observers have described MMA as both barbaric and lawless, but neither of these things could be further from the truth. There are many rules which keep the fighters safe from real danger. Of course, in any combat sport, you are taking risks with your body, but in all truthfulness, there is no more danger in MMA than any other sport such as Muay Thai.
This article answers real questions that have been asked about the UFC and MMA in general. You may not have even thought about what would happen if these situations occurred. But rest assured there are answers to all of the questions.
Table of Contents
Can You Throat Punch In The UFC?
No strikes are allowed to the neck in UFC. Whilst fighters are allowed to choke their opponent using a guillotine grip or a standard rear naked strangle, these can both be instantly released upon submission or referees stoppage causing no damage at all.
This is completely different to a punch or elbow to the throat. The reason these techniques are illegal is that the blunt trauma could cause a blockage in the windpipe which would only be rectifiable by surgery. Whilst the risk of this happening might be quite low, if something were to go wrong, the result could be death. Therefore this is a very reasonable and sensible rule by the UFC to ban punching to the throat.
Where Is MMA Most Popular?
The main countries where MMA is most popular are:
- USA – (UFC, Bellator)
- Poland – (KSW)
- Russia – (Fight Nights Global, ANC)
- Japan – (PRIDE, Rizin)
- Brazil – (Junglefight)
All of these countries have (or have had) many professional companies within their borders producing fight shows for decades. Whilst MMA is popular in other countries, it is still a growing sport and does not have the same history as the above nations.
After these countries there are many other where MMA has exploded in popularity due to either the nation’s previous interest in combat sports, or a superstar becoming a UFC champion. Some of these countries are:
- UK – (long history of boxing and Michael Bisping became UFC champion)
- Ireland – (long history of boxing and Conor McGregor became UFC champion, as well as a global superstar)
- Canada – (Georges St Pierre)
- Australia & NZ – (Robert Whittaker, Mark Hunt & Israel Adesanya)
- Cuba – (long history of both wrestling and boxing champions, as well as Yoel Romero)
- South Korea – (Korean Zombie aka Chan Sung Jung)
- Netherlands – (long history of kickboxing champions as well as Bas Rutten)
- Mexico – (long history of boxing champions and Brandon Moreno)
What Punches Are Illegal In The UFC?
Most punches are 100% legal in the UFC. Here are the exceptions:
- Strikes to the back of the head
It is illegal to punch someone in the back of the head, neck or spinal column. This is because any of these areas can cause both temporary and permanent paralysis. If you are on the back of an opponent, it is already very easy to hit them in the head or attempt a choke. Therefore there is no excuse to go out of your way to try and cripple an opponent.
Referees will usually warn a fighter if they are accidentally punching to the back of the head. If this behavior is repeated, points will be taken and/or disqualification.
- Punches to the groin area
This is far more unusual and has been illegal ever since UFC 1. The main reason punches to the groin are illegal because they can affect the fighter’s ability to reproduce. Knocking someone out is one thing that both fighters agree could happen at any moment, but taking away their ability to have children is a step too far.
Can You Kick The Knee In UFC?
Yes. All kicks to the knee are 100% legal against both standing and grounded opponents in UFC rules. Often referred to as the oblique kick, this was largely popularised by Jon Jones during his reign as champion. The kick is somewhat controversial and has been discussed at length whether it should be allowed or not. Most martial arts other than MMA do not allow oblique kicks since they can instantly destroy a fighter’s knee ligaments in a single strike.
When comparing knee submissions such as heel hooks or kneebars to an oblique kick, there is an opportunity for the fighter to tap out. As a kick to the knee is so fast, it can cause damage instantly much like a knockout.
Can You Suplex In The UFC?
Suplexes are allowed in the UFC, but are banned in other MMA promotions such as ONE. In general, suplexes are not too common since they are a high energy move compared to a single or double leg takedown. However, they still occur in fights and are mostly used when one fighter is behind the other and wants to put their opponent on the floor with power. On occasion, suplexes have been known to stop a fight when the opponent gets knocked out, but this is very rare.
The expectation to this rule are WWE wrestling moves such as the piledriver or tombstone which was a popular finishing move by the Undertaker. These suplexes are defined as “illegal slams” and involve the head of the opponent facing directly downwards whilst their feet are in the air above their head. It would be extremely difficult for one trained fighter to pull this off against another, but they are illegal anyway.
The reason for piledrivers and tombstones being illegal is because they can cause permanent paralysis. If someone is dropped directly onto their head, this can tear the spinal cord. An example of this illegal throw is Bob Sapp vs Antonio Nogueira at a Pride fight during the early 2000’s.
Can You Kiss Your Opponent In The UFC?
Strangely enough, this is a question that many people want to know the answer to. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), there are no rules surrounding kisses in the UFC. Whilst we have seen fighters kiss one another before a fight to irritate the opponent, during a fight this has never happened.
It is possible that the referee would interpret this as flicking sweat and/or blood into an opponent’s mouth and therefore disqualify you for a kiss.
Either way, it is recommended that fighters do not try and kiss one another during fights. It likely will not end well.
Why Are Downward (12-6) Elbows Illegal?
Since almost all other elbow strikes in the UFC are legal, it doesn’t make much sense that downward elbows are illegal. After all, it would be difficult to argue that a downward elbow is any more dangerous than a standard Muay Thai style elbow to the head of an opponent.
During a Joe Rogan podcast, veteran UFC referee Big John McCarthy outlined just why downward elbows became illegal.
In April 2001 at a unified rules meeting McCarthy claims “they tried to get rid of elbows [completely]”. He adds that a doctor in the meeting said “I’ve seen them break big blocks of ice like that! That’s a dangerous elbow and we can’t have that”.
It’s possible that this rule will be changed in the future since a 10-4 elbow is not really any less dangerous than a 12-6 elbow. Not only this, but the entirety of ground and pound is very similar to a downward elbow in terms of both damage and force.
Can You Kick To The Head In UFC?
Yes, although you are only allowed to throw head kicks against a standing opponent. In the UFC you are not allowed to kick or knee a downed opponent. The ruling for a downed opponent means that they have two legs and at least one hand (or elbow) on the floor. Another definition of a downed opponent is having one or both knees on the floor. In either of these situations a fighter is not allowed to kick their opponent in the head.
This is different from both ONE and original PRIDE rules. ONE championship allows fighters to knee downed opponents in the head, whereas pride allowed any kind of strikes, including soccer kicks to the head!
The reasoning for kicks to a downed opponent being illegal in the UFC is because of the knockout force which can be generated from a knee or a soccer kick. This pushes the sport into the realm of becoming very dangerous in terms of brain damage and concussions, so is sensibly not allowed.
Can You Punch Legs In UFC?
Punching the opponent in the leg is legal in both UFC and all other forms of MMA. The reason we do not see many strikes to the leg is that you will need to lower your base and put your head in a dangerous position to land a leg punch. It makes a lot more sense to throw a leg kick, since you do not need to put your own head in danger to do this.
The risk-reward ratio of punching someone in the leg is very poor. Legs are also very muscular and can absorb strikes a lot better than a head or ribs.
Are You Allowed To Break Bones In UFC?
Yes, this is what all submissions (other than chokes) are. Breaking the bones of an opponent is a way to stop the fight if the opponent does not submit and is legal in all forms of MMA. Perhaps the most notable break was Frank Mir vs Tim Sylvia at UFC 48. During this match, Frank Mir broke the arm of Tim Sylvia who would have continued to fight if it were not for the keen eyes of referee Herb Dean. Frank Mir won the match by referees stoppage.
If the referee was not to notice a broken arm or leg, it would be possible for a fighter to continue, although unless this was in the closing seconds of the fight, they would not be able to fight efficiently for very long at all.
What Would Happen If Somebody Died During A UFC Fight?
As long as the rules were adhered to, there would be no charges against a fighter if they killed their opponent during a fight. Both men or women are professional athletes in the UFC, so they are well trained and know the risks of combat sports. It is very unlikely that anyone would die during a fight as they are usually relatively even and are surrounded by top level medical professionals.
The only exception to this would be if a fighter went beyond the rules of the fight and repeatedly struck their opponent after the referee had pulled them off, or continued to choke someone well past the point of unconsciousness. This would be a clear and obvious attempted murder which was nothing to do with the sport or competition they were involved in.
There may well be frivolous lawsuits after an accidental death, although there would be no criminal charges against the fighter provided they stuck to the unified rules of MMA.
Can You Elbow The Top Of The Head In UFC?
Yes, elbowing the top of the head is perfectly legal in UFC. However, elbowing the back of the head is illegal. During a fight, you may see a referee stop a ground and pound scenario and stand the fighters up due to this. A referees job becomes very difficult when someone is elbowing the top of the head repeatedly against a moving opponent. It is very difficult to see whether each strike landed on either the top of the head, the back of the head or a grey area in between.
Therefore you may see some “bad” decisions made in this position.
Can Anyone Fight In The UFC?
Within reason, anyone can fight in the UFC. It is likely that the UFC or a state athletic commission would not allow someone to fight if they thought it was too dangerous as they could get sued due to injury.
Examples of this would be:
- A blind person
- A very old person
- A very unhealthy person
It is extremely unlikely that any of the above people would be cleared to fight in the UFC due to their risk of getting seriously injured inside the cage. Generally you would have to have a winning amateur record or be an extremely proven athlete from another combat sport to get anywhere near the UFC octagon.
Are Kidney Punches Illegal In The UFC?
Kidney punches are illegal in the UFC due to the dangerous nature of the strike. It would not be too difficult for a professional fighter to rupture the kidney of another with a clean strike. If this did happen, it would likely require the kidney to be removed, leaving the fighter with only one functional kidney remaining. Due to the importance of a human’s kidneys, this is simply not worth the risk.
Are Up Kicks Legal In MMA?
Up kicks are legal in MMA, although for some reason many casual fans believe them to be illegal. There has been many knockouts from upkicks as the force generated is extremely powerful if the heel connects with the opponent’s head.
Perhaps the most well known example of this was when Renzo Gracie was being comfortably beaten by Oleg Taktorov before stopping the fight with an up kick.
It is likely that some fans get confused when a referee tells a fighter to stand up. This does not mean that they cannot kick, it just means that their opponent does not wish to risk getting kicked by trying to pass the guard, so has asked for their adversary to be stood up.
Why Do MMA Fighters Shave Their Legs?
Most MMA fighters will shave their legs to make them more slippery. Whilst this will not really matter too much in the opening minutes of a fight, as soon as the legs begin to sweat it makes them a lot more slippery. This gives two advantages against someone who has either dry or very hairy legs.
Firstly it allows a fighter to defend takedowns a lot easier. If an opponent is very deep on a single leg takedown entry, the added slipperiness can be enough for you to get away from the contact and continue standing. This is a much better scenario than being forcibly taken to the floor.
Another clear benefit of having shaved legs is to defend leg locks, specifically heel hooks and kneebars. If the legs of a fighter have less friction on them, it is going to be a lot harder controlling them in a leg entanglement for an extended period of time.
Do UFC Fighters Wear Cups?
All male UFC fighters must wear a cup when fighting. This is to protect themselves against any wayward strikes – specifically leg kicks. If you’ve ever watched a UFC event, there is a very high chance that you will have seen the fight stopped for an accidental groin strike, which usually lasts a minute or two. If the fighter was not wearing a cup, this stoppage would likely be a lot longer, or perhaps even end the fight if the kick was strong enough.
Can You Grab Wrists In MMA?
Wrist grabbing is 100% legal in all forms of MMA. Many fighters grab and control the wrists of their opponents to either pass their guard to a better position, or to strike them in the head or body.
Not only this but wristlocks are also allowed in MMA, although rarely seen due to the bulky nature of gloves, as well as the low percentage finishing rate of the submission.
The only type of hand submission not legal in MMA is small digit manipulation. This simply means grabbing the fingers of an opponent and twisting them.
How Much Weight Do UFC Fighters Cut?
This always depends on bodyweight. Heavier fighters are going to cut a higher absolute number than light fighters. Overall though, even though fighters are already in a low bodyfat range with athletic physiques, they still cut a lot of weight. This number is usually around 10% of their active bodyweight.
For example, a lightweight fighter who needs to check in at 70.3kg will usually walk around at around 77kg a couple of weeks before the fight. After this point, he will try and cut around 7kg in bodily fluids which will be put back into his body before the fight. By cutting water weight, fighters are able to weigh in at 70kg~ and fight at 77kg just a day or two later.
Why Do UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears?
Not all UFC fighters have cauliflower ears due to genetics, however, it is quite clear that most of them do.
Cauliflower ear happens when trauma is inflicted upon the ear. This can either be from being hit in the ear by either a punch or kick. As well as just grinding an ear off the body of your opponent when wrestling, or simply escaping a very tight submission such as a triangle.
Constant training will not allow any hematomas on the ear to heal properly and will become more aggravated over time. This is why veteran fighters often have the worst cauliflower ear.
How Heavy Are UFC Gloves?
UFC allows gloves that weigh between 4 – 6 ounces. You will typically find that almost no fighters wear 6 ounce gloves due to the fact that they are a lot more bulky.
By choosing to wear 4 ounce gloves, fighters are more easily able to maneuver their hands and get better grips on the opponent. This is especially useful when trying to connect your hands for a guillotine or sink in a rear naked choke. The lighter the gloves on your hands, the easier it is to accomplish this.
