Remind me again why is ground knees illegal?

[Misanthropist]

Is it because it’s “dangerous” or is it because they want to soften “cagefighting” rules to make UFC go mainstream and get everyone to watch it?

It should be completely legal.

 

[TheCryingElite]

Is it because it’s “dangerous” or is it because they want to soften “cagefighting” rules to make UFC go mainstream?

It should be completely legal.

I think it’s because there’s less give for the head and neck in those positions, making the impact more intense?

 

[jeff7b9]

I’d like to see knees/soccer kicks legal.

but some guys in suits met in a room and decided it was bad so we can’t have it.

 

[Viva]

Because the UFC's arbitrary ruleset has been the litmus for American MMA for decades now.

Fuck that, give us knees and soccer kicks.

This is FIGHTING, not the fucking NBA.

 

[elreece]

bring it back

 

[The-AxeMurderer]

It should be legal.

It's probably illegal for the same reason 12-6 elbows are.

Some dumbass commission member saw a martial artist downwards elbow some bricks in half and thought that shit was too dangerous for MMA.

 

[Chart69r]

Illegal against the cage would make sense, same with soccer kicks.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

I’d like to see knees/soccer kicks legal.

but some guys in suits met in a room and decided it was bad so we can’t have it.

They should have another meeting.

 

[Dirge]

They are more for when a fighter's head is on the mat and there is no room for the head to travel away from the impact. At least that was the original intent.

 

[Finding Deebo]

Because you touch yourself at night.

 

[StoneWT]

Yeah, it should be legal. Like others have said, head on the ground or against the bottom of the cage maybe, but there is no functional difference between a guy squatting low and the same guy with a knee/hand on the ground.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Is it because it’s “dangerous” or is it because they want to soften “cagefighting” rules to make UFC go mainstream and get everyone to watch it?

It should be completely legal.

It's because it's a "bad look", and in the mid-late nineties Tipper Gore (and McCain) were going on a very public moral-panic crusade against "human cockfighting". I suspect it also had to do with most American fighters being wrestlers that shoot in a lot, and would get destroyed by that kind of technique (which, for example in Pride, they did). Weirdly, Pride didn't allow elbows (for causing too many cuts), but lining up a field goal on an opponent on all fours was all good.

 

[Mavrilicious]

It should be legal.

It's probably illegal for the same reason 12-6 elbows are.

Some dumbass commission member saw a martial artist downwards elbow some bricks in half and thought that shit was too dangerous for MMA.

12-6 elbows would make blows to the back of the head head happen a lot more

 

[Brutus.......]

Fighters who put a hand on the ground to save themselves in a bad position deserve to get kneed in the head.

Flying knees, perfectly legal, are more dangerous IMO.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Allowing them would make the sport more entertaining. Let's start a petition.

 

[Kwic]

Yup. Stupid. Bring them on.

 

[Volador]

I think I heard something about not wanting fighters to get their head trapped against the cage, which doesn't really happen in a ring. I can imagine a Silva-Sonnen 2 type of knee, but to the head instead of the body being pretty brutal.

But the rules are also part of the legacy of trying to get MMA legalized in all states many years ago, and it's extremely unlikely the commissions would allow for any drastic changes to the ruleset, especially to add techniques considered "dangerous".

 

[DrunkMonkMeth]

Knees and kicks to a down opponent takes away alot of the skill of the game.

Mma is better without.. also soccer kicks are insanely brutal. Ufc would be a fringe spot if they allowed it.

 

[Greg House]

ONE allows them in their events along with 12 to 6 elbow and they have events almost every week. Nothing bad has happened. It's just another strike. There is no reason for them not to be legal

 

[SeattleFightFan]

As you can see TS, lots of opinions few concrete answers.

The committee - of which BJM was a member - was tasked to find a rule set that made the sport more palatable AND the State ACs would agree to. These were the compromises they landed on.

BJM’s famous story about the 12-6 elbows was denied by other committee members BTW. I’m not saying he was lying or that he misremembers things or that they were lying. I’m just saying it was never corroborated. If I’m wrong I hope someone posts a link.