In advance of changes to the Unified Rules of MMA being implemented January 1 2017, the California State Athletic Commission has employed official Big John McCarthy to break down the key changes refs and judges will be expected to enforce moving forward. To make this simple, they’ve posted a break-down video that illustrates many changes MMA officials, and fans, can expect to see.
The video, posted to the CSAC’s official Youtube channel, covers an updated rule protecting fighters from eye-pokes and preventing them from extending their fingers towards an opponent’s head while measuring distance, changes to the definition of a downed fighter, and removes a ban on heel kicks to the liver when on the ground, among other changes. For judges, changes to how fights are scored, and when to award 10-8 rounds, are discussed.
The new rules were introduced this past Summer by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, and represent the biggest changes to the rule set governing the sport since the early 2000s. New Jersey was the only state to oppose the changes.
