Okay, so I’ve been diving deep into the world of UFC lately, and man, there’s a lot more to it than just knockouts and submissions. I got super curious about the “banned moves” – you know, the stuff you can’t do in the Octagon. So, I started digging around, and here’s what my little investigation turned up.
The “No-No” List
First, I hit up some the official UFC website. They have the rules, but it’s presented super formal. And there’s other websites that just copy the list word for word. I had to cross check the information to really make sure.
Then I went and watched some fights, especially some older ones, and some fights that were flagged as controversial.
Here’s the gist of what I put together, in plain English:
- Headbutts: Seems obvious, right? I mean, who wants a skull cracked? I saw a couple of old fights where this happened before it was a clear rule, and it looked brutal.
- Eye Gouging: Again, super dangerous. Even accidentally poking someone in the eye can end a fight. Nobody wants that.
- Biting: Are we toddlers? Seriously, no biting. Mike Tyson, anyone?
- Hair Pulling: This one surprised me a little, but I guess it makes sense. Imagine getting your hair yanked while trying to fight. Nope.
- Fish Hooking: This is sticking your fingers in someone’s mouth or nose and pulling. Nasty stuff, and totally banned.
- Groin Attacks: Low blows are a no-go. Enough said.
- Small Joint Manipulation: This means things like bending fingers or toes back. It’s easy to break something that way, so it’s out.
- Putting a finger into any cut: That’s increasing the risk of infection.
- Downward Pointed Elbow Strikes: You can’t spike someone with your elbow pointing straight down. This is the “12-6” elbow rule everyone talks about. It is designed to reduce injury.
- Throat Strikes, and grabbing trachea: Can’t choke someone out like that.
- Clawing, Pinching, Twisting Flesh: More just really mean stuff that’s not allowed.
- Kicking/Kneeing the head of someone on the ground: If your opponent is down, you can’t just kick them in the head. It causes severe injury.
- Spiking someone on the head/neck: Throwing someone straight down on their head, like a piledriver is a big nono.
- Holding onto the fence: You can’t use the fence to help.
- Holding shorts/gloves: You can’t grab your opponents shorts or gloves to gain an advantage.
So, that’s what I found out! It’s a long list, but it all boils down to keeping the fighters as safe as possible, while still allowing for a seriously intense and skillful competition. I am going to keep researching other UFC rules in my spare time.