- 12-to-6 Elbows, which are downward strikes straight up and down with elbows, have been banned by MMA rules for years. The definition of a downed fighter has also been changed.
- As of Tuesday, July 23, those elbow strikes have now been deemed legal by the Association of Boxing Commissions.
- This could mean an overturning of Jon Jones’ only loss on his resume, which came against Matt Hamill in December 2009.
While mixed martial arts is brutal, there is a set list of rules that fighters need to adhere to. You can find these rules under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. These are enforced by the Association of Boxing Commissions.
According to an MMA Fighting report, two rules were changed on Tuesday, July 23, as 12-to-6 elbow strikes and the definition of a downed fighter have been changed in the Unified Rules. This could mean a change in the record of one of the main MMA contenders, Jon Jones.
New Rule Changes Go into Effect on November 1, State Commissions Still Have to Vote
Number 10 of the Fouls section of the Unified Rules states:
“Downward pointing elbow strike (12-to-6): 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.”
ABC president Mike Mazzulli confirmed with MMA Fighting that this rule will be changed, meaning the strikes will be legal now. There has also been a change to the downed-fighter rule. Currently, if a fighter has one hand on the mat and one other body part (such as a knee when kneeling), they can’t be kicked or kneed in the head. But with the rule change, they’re now in danger because they can be kicked or kneed.
These are massive changes to rules that have been around for a long time. The 12-to-6 rule change has been lobbied for by UFC commentator Joe Rogan, as recently as November 2023.
The MMA Fighting report also states that the rule changes won’t go into effect until November 1, 2024, to give fighters and referees a chance to be trained on these adjustments. Furthermore, the athletic commissions around the United States still have to vote to adopt these rules on their own.
Will Jon Jones’ Loss Be Overturned?
The most infamous use of these 12-to-6 elbows came in December 2009, when a young Jon Jones fought Matt Hamill.
Around the 1:20 mark of this video, you’ll see the elbows that Jones was disqualified for, as he was battering Hamill. This led to the only loss that Jones has on his record to this day. Of course, he was truly interested in these rule changes.
You can bet that Jones is going to appeal that loss, as Ariel Helwani noted on X:
As Helwani says, however, the best Jones can hope for, is to get that loss turned to a no-contest since it was almost 15 years ago. While Jones was well on his way to winning the fight anyway, it was still a rule at the time, regardless of how useful anyone thinks it was.
But Jones, who is favored by UFC betting sites in his upcoming heavyweight title defense against former champion Stipe Miocic, would love to have a “0” in the loss column, instead of the current “1” there.
