'Undefeated then, undefeated now': New rule changes could rewrite the history of the UFC forever

The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts will soon change and have the potential to overturn UFC records that have long been a sore spot for one of the sport's legends.

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports voted unanimously in a committee to make changes to the the infamous 12-to-6 elbow rule.

The committee included California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster, Nevada Athletic Commission Executive Director Jeff Mullen, and veteran referees Herb Dean, John McCarthy, and Marc Goddard. Judges Derek Cleary and Sal D'Amato were also included, among others, Sherdog reported.

'Dana White we gotta get that loss out of the history books.'

The controversial rule was developed in the early days of mixed martial arts by a committee of which McCarthy was also a part of, with several other representatives of the sport at the time.

In 2016, McCarthy explained on "The Joe Rogan Experience" that the rule essentially came from the fear that a downward elbow strike was too dangerous, with one of the committee members citing seeing people break blocks of ice that way.

McCarthy said he was told that it wasn't worth the battle by his superior, and that he didn't press on in the fight against the rule.

The soon-to-be-defunct rule is as follows:

"The use of a linear 'straight up straight down' elbow strike is prohibited. Any variation of this straight up and down linear elbow strike makes the strike legal. Any arc, or any angle change from straight up to straight down makes the strike legal. Any variation of position does not alter the legality of the strike."

This rule change could have significant effect on one of the greatest fighters of all time, Jon Jones. Jones' only loss on his 27-1 record came in a December 2009 first-round disqualification against Matt Hamill due to those illegal elbows

UFC President Dana White has long talked about trying to get the loss overturned.

"The guy's never lost a fight ever. That one loss on his record, we're trying to get that [overturned]," White said in 2019, per MMA Junkie. "It was at a time and a place in the Nevada State Athletic Commission when it was at its worst," he added,

Commentator Joe Rogan also called it "one of the dumbest rules in combat sports."

Jones, now a heavyweight, responded to news of the rule change on his Instagram page and echoed sentiments White has long espoused.

"Undefeated then, undefeated now. Dana White we gotta get that loss out of the history books," he wrote, along with a picture that cemented the very second he suffered his only loss.

The definition of a grounded fighter was also changed by the committee. A consistent source of confusion for even the most seasoned athletes, a fighter was previously considered grounded if "any part of the body, other sole of the feet touching the fighting area floor."

The previous rule continued, "To be grounded, the palm of one hand (a flat palm) must be down, and/or any other body part must be touching the fighting area floor. A single knee, arm, (not fingers) makes the fighter grounded without having to have any other body part in touch with the fighting area floor. At this time, kicks or knees to the head will not be allowed."

The rule led to fighters desperately attempting to make contact with the floor with their hands, resulting in slow-motion replays to determine exactly when fighters' hands would come off the floor as they were getting hit in the head.

Arguments over the rule had been made for years, with fighters and fans alike asking for clarification or changes to the definition.

The new rule is much simpler, eliminating simple hand touches to the ground.

"A fighter shall be considered grounded and may not be legally kneed or kicked to the head when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas (ground)."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!