I've been going a yet another marathon of old fights lately, started back at UFC 1 about 6 weeks ago and finished up UFC 16 Battle in the Bayou last night. I always love watching the old ones because it's intersting to see how many changes have taken place in so many areas. The skill set, conditioning, format, attire, size of audience, ownership and so much more but I thought I'd get a thread going for TMMAC on the evolving rule set specifically in the UFC. Not everyone agrees on the current rule set, some love the PRIDE set and others would just like to see less rules as overall, things like knees/kicks to a grounded opponent is discussed often. Here's some info cut from Wiki as far as rules that have come and gone and the time they happened. I'd like to see our historians like
@MMAHAWK
@Galanis
@Kneeblock
@Leigh and whoever else chime in with any insight to the events surrounding the changes if possible.
UFC 1 – Although the advertising said There Are No Rules, there were in fact some rules: no biting, no eye-gouging and no groin attacks. Fights ended only in the event of a knockout, submission or the corner throwing in the towel. Despite this, the first match in UFC 1 was won by referee stoppage, even though it was not officially recognized as such at the time.
Who can forget this?
The first official "Holy Shit!" moment in the UFC comes in the first match ever and quickly. Quite a bit of confusion for everyone but it served as a nice reality check for those not sure what the deal was.
UFC 2 – Groin attacks were unbanned. Time limits were dropped ending the need for judges. Modifications to the cage were added (the fence became 5 feet tall but would continually grow in height afterwards and the floor became the canvas that is still used today).
I'd love to hear how the meeting for the unbanning of groin attacks went down, effective tactic but still...
UFC 3 – The referee was officially given the authority to stop a fight in case of a fighter being unable to defend himself. A fighter could not kick if he was wearing shoes. This rule would later be discarded, then changed to ‘no kicking with shoes while on the ground’ and then reinstated, before finally being discarded.
@teamquestnorth asked a good question to BJM during his Q&A here on the ref stoppage.
TQN - John
From my understanding, referees were not allowed to stop fights on their own during UFC 2 without a towel being thrown in or a tap/ko.
On a scale of 1-10, how relieved were you when Pat Smith stopped on his own after demolishing Scott Morris?
Was there a point where you would have stepped in anyway? Is it true that this fight is what basically changed the rules to where the ref had the power to stop fights at their discretion?
Thanks for stopping by and answering questions. You are a true legend and its an honor to have you here.
BJM - That is true, I was not allowed to stop the fight. On a scale of 1 - 10 it was an 11. Pat stopped because he thought I was yelling at him, but I was yelling at the cornermen of Scott Morris to throw the towel. It is one of the fights that happened that night that made me realize that I needed to have the power to stop the fight or someone was going to get seriously hurt
UFC 4 – After tournament alternate Steve Jennum won UFC 3 by winning only one bout, alternates (replacements) were required to win a pre-tournament bout to qualify for the role of an alternate.
Excellent decision here. The way a guy could fight just once and be called a tournament winner was brutal, Jennum had a good advantage over Howard coming into that fight.
UFC 5 – The organizers introduced a 30-minute time limit. UFC 5 also saw the first Superfight, a one-off bout between two competitors selected by the organizers with the winner being crowned ‘Superfight champion’ and having the duty of defending his title at the next UFC.
UFC 6 – The referee was given the authority to restart the fight. If two fighters were entangled in a position where there was a lack of action, the referee could stop the fight and restart the competitors on their feet, in their own corner. In UFC 6 they officially adopted the 5-minute extension to the 30-minute rule which had been used in UFC 5.
Breaking up fighters, sometimes good sometimes bad (see last Northcutt fight for bad)
Ultimate 1995 – This event was the first to introduce the no fish-hooking rule and to reinstate judges. Time limits were changed to 15 minutes in the quarter-finals, 18 minutes in the semi-finals and 27 minutes in the finals.
I ask BJM a question about rules being changed and he addressed the fish hooking.
BW - Can you list some of the fights that instigated a rule change immediately after and why? I think on twitter you answered me about when Tank tried to throw his opponent over the top of the cage. You said at the time it was OK if he did but the rules changed right after, hoping for a few other examples like that.
Also now that you have more than the 140 characters limited by twitter can you tell us what was going through your mind while watching this?
BJM - In the early days I was installing rules all the time based upon things happening in the cage. There are still many fouls that are part of the Unified Rules today that started back then.
Fishhooking- started after UFC 6 when Tank tried to stick his fingers in Olegs mouth to pull his lips apart.
No placing fingers in a cut or orifice started after UFC 7 when Joel Sutton placed his fingers in a half inch cut on Geza Kalmans forehead and ripped the skin all the way down to his eye
I tried to do no fence grabbing after the Ultimate Ultimate when Oleg grabbed the fence to pull himself to a standing position against Marco Ruas. The owner loved that and I couldn't get it changed until after UFC 12, because of 2 fights. Jerry Bolander vs Fabio Gurgel & Wallid Ishmael vs Takahashi
No grabbing the trunks or gloves... Started after UFC Brazil because of Pat Miletich and Mikey Burnett
it just goes on and on
UFC 8 – Time limits changed to 10 minutes in the first two rounds of the tournament, 15 minutes in the tournament final and Superfight. Time limits would continually change in the later UFC events. Fights could now be decided by a judge’s decision if the fight reached the end of the time limit. The panel was made up of three judges who simply raised a card with the name of the fighter they considered to be the winner. In this fashion, a draw was not possible since the only two possible outcomes of a decision were 3 to 0 or 2 to 1 in favor of the winner.
This style of judging sounds more reliable than whats been going on lately.
UFC 9 – To appease local authorities, closed fisted strikes to the head were banned for this event only. The commentators were not aware of this last-minute rule that was made to prevent the cancellation of the event due to local political pressures. Referee “Big John” McCarthy made repeated warnings to the fighters to “open the hand” when this rule was violated. However, not one fighter was reprimanded. UFC 9 was also the last UFC event to feature the superfight.
Ultimate 1996 – This event was the first to introduce the “no grabbing of the fence” rule.
WAAAAAY back in 1996 we get the introduction of no fence grabbing yet we rarely if ever see any sort of disciplinary action given towards those who do so, one of my biggest pet peeves as far as fouls go. One grab = warning next grab should be a point.
Game changing fence grab IMO here, just one of many
Bullshit way to get leverage to get opponent down.
Too many to list really. Watching older fights were its legal is crazy, guys would just trap a dude in the corner, grab the fence and fuck them up until they were finished or use it to defend countless TDs
@lookoutawhale asked BJM here.
LOAW - Should there be an automatic 1 point deduction for a fence grab instead of a warning?
BJM - Anytime you put automatics on fouls, you are screwing up. A foul is all about the intent and the effect. If you try to take me down and I grab the cage, but you still take be down, there was little effect on the fight by the grab. A warning should suffice
UFC 12 – The main tournament split into a heavyweight (over 200 lbs.) and lightweight (200 lbs. and under) division; and the eight-man tournament ceased. Fighters now needed to win only two fights to win the competition. The Heavyweight Champion title (and title bouts) was introduced, replacing the Superfight title (albeit matches were still for a time branded as “Superfights”).
Intro of weight classes was expected, strange it took that long I'd say.
UFC 14 – The lightweight division was re-branded middleweight. The wearing of padded gloves, weighing 110 to 170 g (4 to 6 ounces), becomes mandatory. Gloves were to be approved by the UFC. Hair-pulling, groin strikes and kicks to a downed opponent became illegal.
Keith Hackney milked this one dry.
UFC 15 – Limits on permissible striking areas were introduced. Headbutts, elbow strikes to the back of the neck and head and small joint manipulation became illegal.
UFC 21 – Five minute rounds were introduced, with preliminary bouts consisting of two rounds, regular non-title bouts at three rounds, and title bouts at five rounds. The “ten-point must system” was introduced for scoring fights (identical to the system widely used in boxing).
This is a constant topic of debate in MMA forums, the 10 point must system...UFC 21 took place in 1999 and about 17 years later it's still not agreed upon by many as the best way to go.
UFC 28 – The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board sanctions its first UFC event, using the newly developed Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Major changes to the UFC’s rules included barring knee strikes to the head of a downed opponent, elbow strikes to the spine and neck and punches to the back of the neck and head. Limits on permissible ring attire, stringent medical requirements, and regulatory oversight were also introduced. A new weight class system was also introduced. This new set of rules is currently the de facto standard for MMA events held in the U.S. and is still in use by the UFC.
Another question given to BJM during Q&A about illegal strikes.
BW - Right after this I think Jon gave a look like "WTF?"
I think you replied something like "well you wanna play the game..." Was there a part of you that had to hold back a smirk to see little in cage tactics spoiled like this? Can you name another time when a fighter thinks they've found a potential loop hole then then get hit or at least an attempt and look to you for help?
BJM - This is a problem in MMA. If you watch the clip you will see that Jon lifts his hands off of the mat to protect himself when Vitor throws the kick, which is what any trained fighter is going to automatically do. Jon was told in the back about this very type of activity and what I would allow and what I would let go. He knew what was expected of him
UFC 31 – Weight classes are re-aligned to the current standard. Bantamweight moves from 150 to 155 and becomes known as lightweight. Lightweight becomes known as welterweight, middleweight becomes light heavyweight, and a new middleweight class is introduced at 185 pounds.
UFC 43 – In the event of a stoppage fights restart in the position the fight was stopped.
UFC 94 – After an incident where Georges St-Pierre was accused of putting vaseline on his back, corner men were disallowed from bringing vaseline into The Octagon. Lubricant may now only be applied outside The Octagon before the commencement of the first round.
UFC 97 – Foot-stomps are banned. (For this event only)
UFC 133 – Speedo style trunks are banned.
And here's Dennis Hallman at UFC 133 lol
Dana gonna Dana...
DW - "I'm seriously pissed off at the guys who work for us who let him walk out with those things on," he said. "I've never been so embarrassed to be in the UFC."
Later, he said he was "horrified" by the moment.
"It was as bad as bad can get," he said, shaking his head.
White felt so strongly about it that he gave a $70,000 bonus to Hallman's opponent Brian Ebersole after he knocked Hallman out in the first round (WTF LOL). He called it the first-ever "getting-those-horrifying-shorts-off-TV-as-soon-as-possible" bonus. It will also likely be the last.
Ebersole, himself known as a colorful character, finished Hallman at 4:28 of the first round with some brutal ground and pound, but not until escaping some danger of his own. At one point, Hallman took him down and took his back, threatening with a rear naked choke. Asked about the situation afterward, Ebersole said he was comfortable with his defense, but not with the entire situation.
"I was just worried about his cup, and worried about his uniform malfunctioning," he said to a laugh.
Dennis Hallman's Shorts Upset Dana White
UFC 138 – First 5-round non-title main event.
Not sure if that covers all of it but it's got to be close. It seems now with the arrival of Conor McG we are seeing a new precedent possibly being set as far as holding multiple titles at the same time. I'm very curious if this will be something that is allowed or encouraged across the entire roster or if this will be one of the most blatant acts of favoritism displayed by ZUFFA to date.
Here's the link to BJM Q&A incase some of you missed it.
Q&A w/ Big John McCarthy - Friday 8/14 @ 3pm ET | The MMA Community Forum
@MMAHAWK
@Galanis
@Kneeblock
@Leigh and whoever else chime in with any insight to the events surrounding the changes if possible.UFC 1 – Although the advertising said There Are No Rules, there were in fact some rules: no biting, no eye-gouging and no groin attacks. Fights ended only in the event of a knockout, submission or the corner throwing in the towel. Despite this, the first match in UFC 1 was won by referee stoppage, even though it was not officially recognized as such at the time.
Who can forget this?
The first official "Holy Shit!" moment in the UFC comes in the first match ever and quickly. Quite a bit of confusion for everyone but it served as a nice reality check for those not sure what the deal was.
UFC 2 – Groin attacks were unbanned. Time limits were dropped ending the need for judges. Modifications to the cage were added (the fence became 5 feet tall but would continually grow in height afterwards and the floor became the canvas that is still used today).
I'd love to hear how the meeting for the unbanning of groin attacks went down, effective tactic but still...
UFC 3 – The referee was officially given the authority to stop a fight in case of a fighter being unable to defend himself. A fighter could not kick if he was wearing shoes. This rule would later be discarded, then changed to ‘no kicking with shoes while on the ground’ and then reinstated, before finally being discarded.
@teamquestnorth asked a good question to BJM during his Q&A here on the ref stoppage.TQN - John
From my understanding, referees were not allowed to stop fights on their own during UFC 2 without a towel being thrown in or a tap/ko.
On a scale of 1-10, how relieved were you when Pat Smith stopped on his own after demolishing Scott Morris?
Was there a point where you would have stepped in anyway? Is it true that this fight is what basically changed the rules to where the ref had the power to stop fights at their discretion?
Thanks for stopping by and answering questions. You are a true legend and its an honor to have you here.
BJM - That is true, I was not allowed to stop the fight. On a scale of 1 - 10 it was an 11. Pat stopped because he thought I was yelling at him, but I was yelling at the cornermen of Scott Morris to throw the towel. It is one of the fights that happened that night that made me realize that I needed to have the power to stop the fight or someone was going to get seriously hurt
UFC 4 – After tournament alternate Steve Jennum won UFC 3 by winning only one bout, alternates (replacements) were required to win a pre-tournament bout to qualify for the role of an alternate.
Excellent decision here. The way a guy could fight just once and be called a tournament winner was brutal, Jennum had a good advantage over Howard coming into that fight.
UFC 5 – The organizers introduced a 30-minute time limit. UFC 5 also saw the first Superfight, a one-off bout between two competitors selected by the organizers with the winner being crowned ‘Superfight champion’ and having the duty of defending his title at the next UFC.
UFC 6 – The referee was given the authority to restart the fight. If two fighters were entangled in a position where there was a lack of action, the referee could stop the fight and restart the competitors on their feet, in their own corner. In UFC 6 they officially adopted the 5-minute extension to the 30-minute rule which had been used in UFC 5.
Breaking up fighters, sometimes good sometimes bad (see last Northcutt fight for bad)
Ultimate 1995 – This event was the first to introduce the no fish-hooking rule and to reinstate judges. Time limits were changed to 15 minutes in the quarter-finals, 18 minutes in the semi-finals and 27 minutes in the finals.
I ask BJM a question about rules being changed and he addressed the fish hooking.
BW - Can you list some of the fights that instigated a rule change immediately after and why? I think on twitter you answered me about when Tank tried to throw his opponent over the top of the cage. You said at the time it was OK if he did but the rules changed right after, hoping for a few other examples like that.
Also now that you have more than the 140 characters limited by twitter can you tell us what was going through your mind while watching this?
BJM - In the early days I was installing rules all the time based upon things happening in the cage. There are still many fouls that are part of the Unified Rules today that started back then.
Fishhooking- started after UFC 6 when Tank tried to stick his fingers in Olegs mouth to pull his lips apart.
No placing fingers in a cut or orifice started after UFC 7 when Joel Sutton placed his fingers in a half inch cut on Geza Kalmans forehead and ripped the skin all the way down to his eye
I tried to do no fence grabbing after the Ultimate Ultimate when Oleg grabbed the fence to pull himself to a standing position against Marco Ruas. The owner loved that and I couldn't get it changed until after UFC 12, because of 2 fights. Jerry Bolander vs Fabio Gurgel & Wallid Ishmael vs Takahashi
No grabbing the trunks or gloves... Started after UFC Brazil because of Pat Miletich and Mikey Burnett
it just goes on and on
UFC 8 – Time limits changed to 10 minutes in the first two rounds of the tournament, 15 minutes in the tournament final and Superfight. Time limits would continually change in the later UFC events. Fights could now be decided by a judge’s decision if the fight reached the end of the time limit. The panel was made up of three judges who simply raised a card with the name of the fighter they considered to be the winner. In this fashion, a draw was not possible since the only two possible outcomes of a decision were 3 to 0 or 2 to 1 in favor of the winner.
This style of judging sounds more reliable than whats been going on lately.
UFC 9 – To appease local authorities, closed fisted strikes to the head were banned for this event only. The commentators were not aware of this last-minute rule that was made to prevent the cancellation of the event due to local political pressures. Referee “Big John” McCarthy made repeated warnings to the fighters to “open the hand” when this rule was violated. However, not one fighter was reprimanded. UFC 9 was also the last UFC event to feature the superfight.
Ultimate 1996 – This event was the first to introduce the “no grabbing of the fence” rule.
WAAAAAY back in 1996 we get the introduction of no fence grabbing yet we rarely if ever see any sort of disciplinary action given towards those who do so, one of my biggest pet peeves as far as fouls go. One grab = warning next grab should be a point.
Game changing fence grab IMO here, just one of many
Bullshit way to get leverage to get opponent down.
Too many to list really. Watching older fights were its legal is crazy, guys would just trap a dude in the corner, grab the fence and fuck them up until they were finished or use it to defend countless TDs
@lookoutawhale asked BJM here.LOAW - Should there be an automatic 1 point deduction for a fence grab instead of a warning?
BJM - Anytime you put automatics on fouls, you are screwing up. A foul is all about the intent and the effect. If you try to take me down and I grab the cage, but you still take be down, there was little effect on the fight by the grab. A warning should suffice
UFC 12 – The main tournament split into a heavyweight (over 200 lbs.) and lightweight (200 lbs. and under) division; and the eight-man tournament ceased. Fighters now needed to win only two fights to win the competition. The Heavyweight Champion title (and title bouts) was introduced, replacing the Superfight title (albeit matches were still for a time branded as “Superfights”).
Intro of weight classes was expected, strange it took that long I'd say.
UFC 14 – The lightweight division was re-branded middleweight. The wearing of padded gloves, weighing 110 to 170 g (4 to 6 ounces), becomes mandatory. Gloves were to be approved by the UFC. Hair-pulling, groin strikes and kicks to a downed opponent became illegal.
Keith Hackney milked this one dry.
UFC 15 – Limits on permissible striking areas were introduced. Headbutts, elbow strikes to the back of the neck and head and small joint manipulation became illegal.
UFC 21 – Five minute rounds were introduced, with preliminary bouts consisting of two rounds, regular non-title bouts at three rounds, and title bouts at five rounds. The “ten-point must system” was introduced for scoring fights (identical to the system widely used in boxing).
This is a constant topic of debate in MMA forums, the 10 point must system...UFC 21 took place in 1999 and about 17 years later it's still not agreed upon by many as the best way to go.
UFC 28 – The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board sanctions its first UFC event, using the newly developed Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Major changes to the UFC’s rules included barring knee strikes to the head of a downed opponent, elbow strikes to the spine and neck and punches to the back of the neck and head. Limits on permissible ring attire, stringent medical requirements, and regulatory oversight were also introduced. A new weight class system was also introduced. This new set of rules is currently the de facto standard for MMA events held in the U.S. and is still in use by the UFC.
Another question given to BJM during Q&A about illegal strikes.
BW - Right after this I think Jon gave a look like "WTF?"
I think you replied something like "well you wanna play the game..." Was there a part of you that had to hold back a smirk to see little in cage tactics spoiled like this? Can you name another time when a fighter thinks they've found a potential loop hole then then get hit or at least an attempt and look to you for help?
BJM - This is a problem in MMA. If you watch the clip you will see that Jon lifts his hands off of the mat to protect himself when Vitor throws the kick, which is what any trained fighter is going to automatically do. Jon was told in the back about this very type of activity and what I would allow and what I would let go. He knew what was expected of him
UFC 31 – Weight classes are re-aligned to the current standard. Bantamweight moves from 150 to 155 and becomes known as lightweight. Lightweight becomes known as welterweight, middleweight becomes light heavyweight, and a new middleweight class is introduced at 185 pounds.
UFC 43 – In the event of a stoppage fights restart in the position the fight was stopped.
UFC 94 – After an incident where Georges St-Pierre was accused of putting vaseline on his back, corner men were disallowed from bringing vaseline into The Octagon. Lubricant may now only be applied outside The Octagon before the commencement of the first round.
UFC 97 – Foot-stomps are banned. (For this event only)
UFC 133 – Speedo style trunks are banned.
And here's Dennis Hallman at UFC 133 lol
Dana gonna Dana...
DW - "I'm seriously pissed off at the guys who work for us who let him walk out with those things on," he said. "I've never been so embarrassed to be in the UFC."
Later, he said he was "horrified" by the moment.
"It was as bad as bad can get," he said, shaking his head.
White felt so strongly about it that he gave a $70,000 bonus to Hallman's opponent Brian Ebersole after he knocked Hallman out in the first round (WTF LOL). He called it the first-ever "getting-those-horrifying-shorts-off-TV-as-soon-as-possible" bonus. It will also likely be the last.
Ebersole, himself known as a colorful character, finished Hallman at 4:28 of the first round with some brutal ground and pound, but not until escaping some danger of his own. At one point, Hallman took him down and took his back, threatening with a rear naked choke. Asked about the situation afterward, Ebersole said he was comfortable with his defense, but not with the entire situation.
"I was just worried about his cup, and worried about his uniform malfunctioning," he said to a laugh.
Dennis Hallman's Shorts Upset Dana White
UFC 138 – First 5-round non-title main event.
Not sure if that covers all of it but it's got to be close. It seems now with the arrival of Conor McG we are seeing a new precedent possibly being set as far as holding multiple titles at the same time. I'm very curious if this will be something that is allowed or encouraged across the entire roster or if this will be one of the most blatant acts of favoritism displayed by ZUFFA to date.
Here's the link to BJM Q&A incase some of you missed it.
Q&A w/ Big John McCarthy - Friday 8/14 @ 3pm ET | The MMA Community Forum
