LAS VEGAS — It's a new day in mixed martial arts.
The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) approved a package of rules changes Tuesday that amount to the greatest alterations to MMA's Unified Rules since their inception. The new rules include clearer language for judging and a redefinition of what makes a fighter grounded.
The rules, recommended by the ABC's rules and regulations committee and medical committee, were voted in at the group's annual conference by a vote of 42 to 1 with one abstention. New Jersey was the only state to dissent. Tennessee abstained.
The most significant change is more clarity in the scoring criteria, long a bugaboo for fans and fighters alike.