Penalty for turning your back in MMA

[fight4ippon]

Hi Friends,

It has been almost a year since my last post until the Rousey / Holm fight. That was a great one and got me excited about MMA again.

During the fight I noticed that Holly backed up and circled a lot to keep her distance when Rousey was swinging big open punches, but I can't recall one moment when Holly turned around and ran from Rouseywith her back turned.

Should there be a penalty for fighters that run away with their back turned to an opponent in an MMA fight? Ex: Gustaffson vs Cormier (which was a great fight btw)

I am no expert in striking. To me turning your back to the opponent seems to waste the overall time of the fight, it is disengaging, and it seems to contradict the spirit of fighting and showing gameness.

I used to compete in Judo and there were rules against stalling the opponent, or simply not engaging. That is probably where I got my point of view from so it might be different with a boxing/striking view point.

Thoughts?

 

[myjohnson9]

In mma yea it's called a yellow card and made fights exciting. In the ufc with athletic commissions, it won't happen tho

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

No.

 

[Gabe]

Blatantly running, yes. What you have to understand though is there's nothing wrong with wanting to be in the center of the cage. Would you want to have your back against the cage against a guy like Diaz or DC?

 

[fight4ippon]

In mma yea it's called a yellow card and made fights exciting. In the ufc with athletic commissions, it won't happen tho

yah I remember that in pride. hmm is there a penalty for that in boxing?

 

[Philo-Publius]

There already is a penalty. It's called getting punched in the face from behind.

 

[Vojislav]

It wouldn't be a good idea to ban only one element of stalling. If you penalize stalling then you'd have to punish the kind of stalling that favours wrestlers too like wall and stall and lay and pray.

I don't think that literally running away can be used as a legitimate stalling method, it's more a non-engaging defensive strategy than stalling. And defensive disengaging elements will always exist, it's essential part of fighting in every combat sport.

 

[Source]

Being punch while not being able to see it coming is all the punishment required.

 

[fight4ippon]

Blatantly running, yes. What you babe to understand though is there's nothing wrong with wanting to be in the center kg the cage. Would you want to have your back against the cage against a guy like Diaz or DC?

Id still rather not turn my back on DC Bc With DC If I turn my back for a second he will pick me up and throw me to the floor lol.

I see what you mean.

 

[Mattitude V1]

Hi Friends,

It has been almost a year since my last post until the Rousey / Holm fight. That was a great one and got me excited about MMA again.

During the fight I noticed that Holly backed up and circled a lot to keep her distance when Rousey was swinging big open punches, but I can't recall one moment when Holly turned around and ran from Rouseywith her back turned.

Should there be a penalty for fighters that run away with their back turned to an opponent in an MMA fight? Ex: Gustaffson vs Cormier (which was a great fight btw)

I am no expert in striking. To me turning your back to the opponent seems to waste the overall time of the fight, it is disengaging, and it seems to contradict the spirit of fighting and showing gameness.

I used to compete in Judo and there were rules against stalling the opponent, or simply not engaging. That is probably where I got my point of view from so it might be different with a boxing/striking view point.

Thoughts?

The guy is just trying to keep his back off the fence.

 

[Upchuck22]

We all saw what happened when ronda had her back to Holly.

 

[Bojka]

I don't see a problem with it. Gus found it quicker to circle away while running forward. Whatever. He was not refusing to engage. He was avoiding getting cornered. In a real fight you are allowed to do that. Pressure fighters already have the advantage of the cage, which doesn't exist in real life.

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

Maybe you should watch this crap

[YT]i2UsQ5KDxS4[/YT]

 

[Bulletproof Acc]

It looks ugly and it's not the defense they teach you in any striking art. BUT the penalty is always a shot to the face and an earful from your coach.
No need for more rules. Limits the free art of fighting. Guys run in street fights as well.

 

[DeathByBeer]

In mma yea it's called a yellow card and made fights exciting. In the ufc with athletic commissions, it won't happen tho

The penalty is your opponent is about to do something to you and you have no idea whats coming.

....and the yellow cards...had a place, but there are many many examples of bad reffing using the yellow cards to disrupt and ruin perfectly good fights due to incompetence on their part.

Do you really want to give the UFC's ref's, many whom are a joke, a yellow card option?

God please never.

I watched too many fights in Pride and Dream where I was left screaming at the tv when the ref blew a call and wrecked the momentum of a fight.

 

[Ivanhoe]

Should there be a penalty for fighters that run away with their back turned to an opponent in an MMA fight?

Not automatically, it all depend on the context. Holly turned her back toward Ronda at least twice in the fight, while moving away from her. It was not to stall but just so she could reset her position in the center of the octagon.
You can stall a fight with lot more methods than by just turning your back to your opponent and run away all the time.

 

[myjohnson9]

The penalty is your opponent is about to do something to you and you have no idea whats coming.

....and the yellow cards...had a place, but there are many many examples of bad reffing using the yellow cards to disrupt and ruin perfectly good fights due to incompetence on their part.



Do you really want to give the UFC's ref's, many whom are a joke, a yellow card option?

God please never.

I watched too many fights in Pride and Dream where I was left screaming at the tv when the ref blew a call and wrecked the momentum of a fight.

Yeah I hear ya. It really lit a fire under rampages ass in the Randleman fight tho

 

[Air Lats]

Sometimes you have to turn your back to free your leg and get away from a wrestler.

Generally, you get punished for turning your back by getting ko'd or choked out.

I don't think there needs to be more rules.

 

[Air Lats]

It looks ugly and it's not the defense they teach you in any striking art. BUT the penalty is always a shot to the face and an earful from your coach.
No need for more rules. Limits the free art of fighting. Guys run in street fights as well.

Yeah this. This is how I should have said it.

 

[VulcanNervPinch]

For all of you saying "the penalty is getting hit from behind when you don't see it coming".....exactly how many times have you seen that happen after someone turns their back to run away?


In a large, (for all practical purposes) circular arena, it's too easy to flee that way.

A smaller cage, a square shape, or a referee penalty is necessary if you want it to stop.