Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier doesn't appear pleased with one upcoming change to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.
The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) held its annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky, late last month. During it, a rule vote resulted in the approval of two long-awaited changes.
In addition to redefining what constitutes a grounded opponent, the ban on fighters throwing “12-6” elbows is set to be lifted later this year. The linear downward elbow was notably the cause of the sole defeat on the record of light heavyweight legend and current UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
Many in the community have long argued against claims that the direction of the elbows are more dangerous than a conventional, angled strike. With that, the confirmed rule change was positively received by a large portion of fans, fighters, and pundits.
One ex-UFC athlete, however, is concerned about the ball of lifting the prohibition on certain moves now rolling...
Cormier Worried About 'Street Fight' Moves Returning To MMA
During the latest episode of his Funky and the Champ YouTube show alongside Ben Askren, Cormier gave his take on the long debate surrounding "12-6" elbows and the recent ABC ruling regarding the move.
"DC" voiced his opposition to allowing the banned strike, insisting that the decision to reverse long-standing prohibitions will only pave the way for further "street fight" moves finding their way back into the sport and affecting its legitimacy.
I don't like that. I don't like 12-6 elbows and I don't like soccer kicks," Cormier said. "I don't want — here's my thought...I just do't want everything that makes fighting look like a street fight. That's it. ... John McCain, before he passed, was against fighting because he said, 'It's human cockfighting.' They would show these videos of gang fights and people on the ground and they would just kick them in the face. If we get to soccer kicks, it starts to look like that again, and that's not good.
I don't like the 12-6 elbows. The 12-6 elbow I don't feel as strongly about. I don't care as much about 12-6 elbows (as soccer kicks)," Cormier continued. "But I think the moment we start opening those rules again, it's gonna be more, and more, and more, and eventually we'll get back to soccer kicks.
Cormier's view would appear to be in the minority, with many praising both the removal of that ban and the new definition of a grounded opponent following the ABC conference in July.
Both adjustments will officially come into place on November 1, 2024.
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