MMA Fighting - 2016 ABC meeting news, updates, changes and ruleshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52789/mma_minimal_navy..jpg2016-08-04T10:00:08-04:00http://www.mmafighting.com/rss/stream/121357572016-08-04T10:00:08-04:002016-08-04T10:00:08-04:00MMA rules committee to discuss 12-6 elbows, more
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<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p>LAS VEGAS — In its first year of existence, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) MMA rules and regulations committee recommended a package of amendments that ended up being the most significant change to MMA's Unified Rules since their inception.</p>
<p>And beginning next month, the committee will be back to work trying to put together another package for next year, according to chairman Sean Wheelock.</p>
<p>This week, the ABC general body <a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/2/12363980/abc-body-approves-changes-to-mma-scoring-criteria-new-rules-in" target="_blank">approved the committee's rules package</a> at its annual conference by a vote of 42-1 with two abstentions. Included in the amendments were clearer criteria for scoring, a revised definition of a grounded fighter and a foul to reduce eye pokes.</p>
<p>Wheelock plans on having a conference call with the other nine members of the committee, which includes the likes of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3485/john-mccarthy">John McCarthy</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/41/randy-couture">Randy Couture</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/113/matt-hughes">Matt Hughes</a>, next month, as scheduled. The whole group, Wheelock said, will be back in place to recommend more new rules for next year's ABC Conference at Mohegan Sun.</p>
<p>"We will literally do this until somebody tells me to stop," Wheelock told MMA Fighting. "If somebody tells me to stop and they're sick of me, I hope they bring in somebody new and do this forever, because it's important."</p>
<p>Wheelock already has some ideas about what he'll discuss with the committee coming up, beginning with the abolition of the ban on 12-to-6 elbows in fights. The rules committee unanimously voted to recommend that foul be removed from MMA's Unified Rules this year, but the removal was struck down by the ABC medical committee.</p>
<p>There just wasn't enough support for it this year, so Wheelock said he will propose the start of a pilot program in late 2016 into 2017. His plan includes asking five to six commissions to remove the 12-to-6 elbow ban temporarily and collect data on its usage. The rules committee will then present that data to the medical committee before next year's ABC Conference.</p>
<p>"First, let's see if it's even being thrown," Wheelock said. "Then let's see if any fights are being finished by it, if we're seeing lacerations, if we're seeing concussions. Empirical evidence."</p>
<p>The rules committee had success doing something like that this year, testing out proposed rules changes at multiple MMA events with willing commissions. Of course, Wheelock said, a promoter will have to be OK with his or her event being a kind of guinea pig. But the former Bellator play-by-play man and current Kansas commissioner is adamant that the 12-to-6 elbows foul should be scrapped, especially since all other elbow strikes are legal.</p>
<p>"To me, it has nothing to do with safety," Wheelock said. "If this were the old PRIDE rules and there were no elbows to the head of a grounded opponent and we're arguing for [12-to-6 elbows], that's a tough battle. But if we're allowing diagonal elbows and downward elbows and upward elbows and side elbows and forearm smashes, that personally doesn't make any sense to me."</p>
<p>The next thing he wants the committee to tackle is the use of instant replay, which is already being implemented by some boxing sanctioning bodies. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman spoke about instant replay this week and Wheelock plans on picking his brain.</p>
<p>"If there's technology, embrace it," Wheelock said. "I don't use maps anymore. I don't use a phonebook anymore. I think we need to evolve with the technology."</p>
<p>The big questions would revolve around when replay would be used. Wheelock is thinking of a situation where a fight ends due to a strike to an illegal target. Replay could determine if the strike did land to something like the groin or if it was really landed to the body. Instant replay could also be used if a strike lands after the bell.</p>
<p>"We would have to really, clearly define what we're looking at," Wheelock said.</p>
<p>Another thing Wheelock wants to discuss — and he's not sure how it'll be received — is overtime rounds when a fight ends in a draw. The Unified Rules prohibit a fighter competing for more than 25 minutes in one night, so that would make an overtime round in championship fights a difficult proposition. It's also unclear what kind of support this would get from the medical committee, though it would likely have plenty from fans uninterested in seeing fights end in a tie.</p>
<p>"Maybe it's the worst idea ever, but I won't know if it's the worst idea ever or the best idea ever until we talk about it," Wheelock said.</p>
<p>Lastly, Wheelock wants to discuss making amateur rules standardized across the board in every state. Right now, commissions are doing a host of different things with amateur bouts and there is no uniform regulations on a national level. Wheelock is interested in putting together a sort of Unified Rules for amateurs.</p>
<p>ABC president Mike Mazzulli implemented the MMA rules and regulations committee last year when he was elected. Wheelock, McCarthy, Couture, Hughes, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/89/jeremy-horn">Jeremy Horn</a>, referees Kevin MacDonald and Rob Hinds, ringside physician Dr. David Watson, Nebraska Athletic Commission director Brian Dunn and Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission director Matt Woodruff are the committee members.</p>
<p>Any rules changes recommended by the committee will first have to go through the medical committee and then be voted on by the ABC general body at the annual conference.</p>
<p>For the full details on the new rules approved by the ABC this week, <a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/2/12363980/abc-body-approves-changes-to-mma-scoring-criteria-new-rules-in" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/4/12373548/mma-rules-committee-to-discuss-12-to-6-elbows-instant-replay-nextMarc Raimondi2016-08-03T19:09:08-04:002016-08-03T19:09:08-04:00Novitzky: USADA ramping up UFC drug testing more
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<figcaption>Esther Lin, MMA Fighting</figcaption>
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<p>LAS VEGAS — The USADA Era hasn't even reached its peak yet.</p>
<p>Though the UFC's anti-doping policy and failed drug tests have become one of the biggest stories of the year, the program was only just implemented completely last month.</p>
<p>UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky told MMA Fighting on Wednesday at the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) Conference that USADA will test around 700 fighters in the third quarter of 2016. That's up from 450 to 550 tests per quarter previously and 150 to 250 tests per quarter last year, he said.</p>
<p>"We're very happy with where the program is, considering we started from scratch," said Novitzky, who gave a presentation on anti-doping and weight management at the ABC Conference. "I'm amazed the progress that we've had getting this off the ground. This will be the first quarter — the third quarter of 2016 — where we have a fully implemented program."</p>
<p>USADA and the UFC's anti-doping program have been under the microscope in recent weeks with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/47/jon-jones">Jon Jones</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/27/brock-lesnar">Brock Lesnar</a> failing drug tests. Jones was pulled from his <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fight-card/746/ufc-200">UFC 200</a> main event fight against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/373/daniel-cormier">Daniel Cormier</a> three days before the event after failing an out-of-competition test. Lesnar's positive test came back after his win over <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/139/mark-hunt">Mark Hunt</a> at UFC 200.</p>
<p>Both Jones and Lesnar are facing two-year suspensions from USADA as well as sanctions from the Nevada Athletic Commission.</p>
<p>Though Jones being pulled from an historical event shows the UFC's commitment to its anti-doping program, which began in July 2015, Novitzky said he would prefer if situations like that did not happen. That being said, it does set the tone for the rest of the program.</p>
<p>"Let me be clear: Just because this is my program, those days and those occurrences are challenging," he said. "I never want to see that happen. I don't take any pleasure that the program is working, seeing that happen. Sometimes one or two of those needs to happen for everybody to open their eyes. If anybody had any reservations about the seriousness, about the independence of the program, that it doesn't matter if you're the first on the depth chart of the roster or the last you're going to be treated the same under this program."</p>
<p>Novitzky said he sat down with USADA regarding the Lesnar situation, asking the agency what can be done to get those test results back before the fight. Hunt has been publicly furious with the UFC and USADA over the situation.</p>
<p>It is sometimes difficult to get back every single test result, because USADA does not want to have blackout dates where they don't test athletes. If an athlete knows he or she won't be tested a week out of the fight, that can be taken advantage of.</p>
<p>"We never want to see that," Novitzky said of Lesnar fighting after giving a dirty sample. "The whole reason of this program being in place is to prevent things like that from happening, prevent two individuals from getting into an Octagon where one has an unfair advantage. But based on timing, that potentially could be inevitable."</p>
<p>Jones and Lesnar are just the latest on the list of fighters who have been sanctioned by USADA or who are facing anti-doping violations. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/73/b-j-penn">B.J. Penn</a> is serving a six-month suspension after admitting to IV use. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/226/chad-mendes">Chad Mendes</a> was just hit with a two-year ban for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/387/yoel-romero">Yoel Romero</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/1608/tim-means">Tim Means</a> were given six-month suspensions after proving they took tainted supplements, causing their positive tests. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/24/mirko-filipovic">Mirko Cro Cop</a> was banned two years after admitting to using growth hormone.</p>
<p>While fighters being caught shows the UFC's program with USADA is working, Novitzky would prefer a clean sport without having it come to fighters being out for a long period of time.</p>
<p>"A perfectly successful program is where the deterrent is on the front end and they realize how comprehensive it is and they realize what the penalty is going to be if they test positive and say, I'm gonna make the decision not to dope on the front end rather than catching them on the back end," Novitzky said. "But the reality is sometimes it takes a few of those hard lessons to happen for everybody to get the message that this is real and this isn't on paper or a theory. This is a real program where you're seeing the main event of UFC 200 be pulled because of a potential violation."</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/3/12371654/jeff-novitzky-usada-has-begun-ramping-up-ufc-drug-testing-even-moreMarc Raimondi2016-08-03T15:15:04-04:002016-08-03T15:15:04-04:00New MMA rules to be implemented early next year
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<p>LAS VEGAS — There will be a delay in the implementation of the changes to MMA's Unified Rules.</p>
<p>After a public discussion with the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) body Wednesday, ABC president Mike Mazzulli announced that the amendments will go into effect beginning Jan. 1, 2017.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/2/12363980/abc-body-approves-changes-to-mma-scoring-criteria-new-rules-in">The new rules</a> include a revised definition of what constitutes a grounded fighter and a cleaning up of the scoring criteria language.</p>
<p>Some commissions like Mohegan Sun and California could have put the rules in as early as this week, but every commission is different. There are jurisdictions that will have to get a majority vote from its commissioners to approve the rules. Other states or tribes will have to pass the new rules as legislation, which could take longer.</p>
<p>The ABC does not have authoritative power over its commission members, but it does control the language of MMA's Unified Rules. Whether or not the individual commissions implement the changes is solely up to those respective jurisdictions.</p>
<p>The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) dissented to the rules package voted on Tuesday. The package, recommended by the ABC's MMA rules and regulations committee and medical committee, was voted in, 42-1, with two abstentions. New Jersey was the only nay vote. Mississippi and Tennessee both abstained.</p>
<p>If New Jersey chooses not to use the new rules, that is the commission's right. Missouri and Ohio did not attend the ABC Conference this week and officials from those commissions are involved in the starting an off-shoot body called the Association of Combative Sports Commissions (ACSC). They are considered inactive members of the ABC. It's unclear if Missouri and Ohio will adopt the rules changes.</p>
<p>Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) director Cristiano Sampaio, in attendance here at the conference, said his regulatory body will follow the new rules passed by the ABC, even though CABMMA is not yet a voting member of the body.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/2/12363980/abc-body-approves-changes-to-mma-scoring-criteria-new-rules-in">Click here</a> for a breakdown of the new rules voted on by the ABC on Tuesday.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/3/12370276/new-mma-rules-to-be-implemented-beginning-jan-1-2017Marc Raimondi2016-08-03T09:00:08-04:002016-08-03T09:00:08-04:00Video: Couture blasts NJ rep over rule dissent
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<p>LAS VEGAS — <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/41/randy-couture">Randy Couture</a> took part of New Jersey's dissent to proposed rule changes personally.</p>
<p>The UFC Hall of Famer spoke out at the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) Conference on Tuesday after New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) deputy commissioner Rhonda Uttley-Herring presented the state's case against two proposed MMA Unified Rules amendments.</p>
<p>Couture, a member of the ABC's MMA rules and regulations committee that recommended the new rules, took particular umbrage with Uttley-Herring's comments about some fighters not wanting regulation.</p>
<p>"Obviously, I fought in New Jersey, I fought in your great state," Couture said at the podium after Uttley-Herring's presentation. "As an athlete that's been involved in this sport for over 15 years, I'm a little offended that you would assume that all us athletes and fighters don't want to be regulated, that we have not done everything we can, in fact go to every single state meeting in the 50 states that have it improved and try to be regulated.</p>
<p>"You include us all in the same pool and I'm spending my time and energy over the last 17 years and frankly found the presentation to be a bit condescending. Just my opinion."</p>
<p>The NJSACB was against two rule changes voted on Tuesday due to medical reasons: one that redefined the definition of a grounded fighter and another that would remove the heel kicks to the kidney foul. Uttley-Herring read the official dissent written by NJSACB counsel Nick Lembo on Tuesday in front of the body.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/2/12363980/abc-body-approves-changes-to-mma-scoring-criteria-new-rules-in" target="_blank">entire new rules package recommended by the committee was approved</a> by the ABC body, 42-1 with two abstentions. New Jersey was the only nay vote. Tennessee and Mississippi abstained.</p>
<p>"I'm very happy to see that fighters are addressing this group and asking to amend rules," Uttley-Herring said to begin her presentation. "And one thing I can say about that is thank God for commissions. Because many fighters would rather they didn't have a commission, would rather we didn't have rules and regulations, would rather that we didn't put them on suspension. Some fighters would rather be able to fight with bullets in their brains, with early CTE symptoms. And again, thank God for commissions. As regulators, I am asking all of you to dig way down deep inside and ask yourselves, are you doing the right thing when you vote for these amendments? As regulators. Because what I saw here today and what I saw yesterday was not regulators."</p>
<p>The remarks about fighters not wanting regulation upset Couture, a former two-division UFC champion and longtime fighter advocate.</p>
<p>"I think first of all starting out by saying that we as fighters would fight with bullets in our head or are people opposed to regulation of our sport is absolutely ludicrous," Couture told MMA Fighting. "We've done nothing but run to be regulated, because we want to be considered a real sport. And that really bothered me."</p>
<p>The new grounded fighter definition seeks to eliminate fighters from "playing the game," or putting a finger tip down to establish themselves as grounded and thereby making any leg attacks to the head a foul. The rule will stay the same — anything other than the soles of the feet on the mat is considered grounded — but if it's a hand that's down, it has to be both palms or fists.</p>
<p>Couture and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/89/jeremy-horn">Jeremy Horn</a>, also on the rules and regulations committee, demonstrated physically how that is actually safer for a fighter, in the committee's opinion, because an athlete "playing the game" presumes he or she is safe from a knee to the head, but an opponent might not realize a hand is down. Changing the definition of grounded opponent will make fighters more willing to change positions in those defensive situations, the committee hopes.</p>
<p>"Your presentation was misinformed," Couture told Uttley-Herring from the podium "If you were paying attention to the demonstration, we are not advocating creating positions or situations where fighters get kicked or kneed or punched in the head any more than they are. We're, in fact, trying to clarify those rules and make it so that they don't get punched in the head and they can't play the gray line. As a fighter, I understand how they operate. They're playing the gray line and they're getting hit more now with the interpretation and the way the rules stand now."</p>
<p>Lembo wrote in the NJSACB's official dissent to the new grounded fighter definition that the elimination of "playing the game" can simply be addressed in the rules meeting prior to an event, rather than creating a new rule.</p>
<p>"To be in favor would be in opposition of past commentary provided by neurologists and ringside physicians affiliated with such institutions such as UCLA, Mount Sinai, the Cleveland Clinic, Rutgers and other notable medical institutions," Lembo said. "In fact, no medical institution ever contacted was in favor of the proposal at hand here. Absent overwhelming medical evidence, we are not in favor of any type of expansion of striking to the head, let alone a change that would allow powerful, potent knees to the head of a downed fighter. We should be wary of the NFL litigation, NHL and WWE head injury issues, and we should not be hasty with regard to matters involving the human brain and it's well being."</p>
<p>New Jersey also opposed the removal of a foul for heel strikes to the kidneys. The NJSACB can choose not to adopt any new rules voted in Tuesday. The ABC has no authoritative power over state governments.</p>
<p>Other blows to the kidneys are perfectly legal in MMA, which is the argument the committee made in its presentation Tuesday. Lembo proposed in his letter that all blows to the kidneys be illegal in the sport.</p>
<p>"Major trauma and repeated multiple minor injuries to the kidneys have been associated not only with short term medical problems (blood in the urine, kidney rupture, sub capsular bleeding), but also long term issues such as hypertension," Lembo wrote. "It is our duty to protect our athletes, not only during the bout, but to try to ensure that they will be able to live comfortably after they decide to retire from combative sports. This means minimizing long term risks to the best of our current knowledge when we consider rule changes."</p>
<p>The ABC's MMA rules and regulations committee was put in place last year by ABC president Mike Mazzulli. It is chaired by former Bellator play-by-play man Sean Wheelock and includes Couture, Horn, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/113/matt-hughes">Matt Hughes</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/3485/john-mccarthy">John McCarthy</a>, referee/judge Rob Hinds, ringside physician Dr. David Watson, referee Kevin MacDonald, George Athletic and Entertainment Commission director Matt Woodruff and Nebraska Athletic Commission director Brian Dunn.</p>
<p>Couture stands by the rules recommended this year by the committee and now approved by the ABC. He plans on continuing with the group moving forward.</p>
<p>"The fact that we haven't had any addressing of the unified rules since 2001, that's crazy to me," Couture said. "I think we have a great committee. It's a knowledgeable cross-section of our sport. We're gonna make wholehearted, good decisions to bring real things forward to [the ABC] and try and affect the rules going forward every year in a positive way."</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/3/12365442/randy-couture-offended-by-new-jersey-s-misinformed-presentationMarc Raimondi2016-08-02T19:24:11-04:002016-08-02T19:24:11-04:00ABC approves new MMA scoring criteria, rules
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<p>LAS VEGAS — It's a new day in mixed martial arts.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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 two abstentions. New Jersey was the only state to dissent. Tennessee and Mississippi abstained.</p>
<p>Commissions can implement the new rules right away, but some states have to go through their legislatures to make changes and that can take longer.</p>
<p><i><b>(Update: ABC president Mike Mazzulli said the rule changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2017, after a discussion with the ABC body.)</b></i></p>
<p>The most significant change is more clarity in the scoring criteria, long a bugaboo for fans and fighters alike. The new scoring language underscores that effective striking and grappling are the top tier for judging rounds — and only if those things are equal do you judge aggression and then cage control.</p>
<p>The definition of a 10-8 round is also more liberal with the changes, asking judges to look at dominance, duration and impact (or damage). If a round has two of those characteristics, a 10-8 should be considered. If a round has all three of those characteristics, it must be a 10-8 round.</p>
<p>The scoring language was amended in discussion Tuesday to address the presence of the word "damage." New Jersey took issue with that word on a political and legal level as did others, including Bellator MMA head of regulatory affairs Cory Schafer. The word damage will still be used in training judges, but it will not be part of public rules due to the implication.</p>
<p>There was also an amendment of the language to reflect that the immediate impact of strikes is weighed heavier than cumulative impact (or damage).</p>
<p>Before the change from the word "damage" to "impact," here is what the new scoring language looked like:</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>The other rules changes, with the official language, are as follows:</p>
<h4>Grounded fighter</h4>
<p>A grounded fighter is defined as: Any part of the body, other than a single hand and feet touching the fighting area floor. To be grounded, both hands and feet, palm/fist down, and/or any other body part must be touching the fighting area floor. At this time, kicks or knees to the head will not be allowed.</p>
<h4>Extended fingers</h4>
<p>In the standing position, a fighter that moves their arm(s) toward their opponent with an open hand, fingers pointing at the opponent's face/eyes, will be a foul. Referees are to prevent this dangerous behavior by communicating clearly to fighters. Fighters are directed to close their fists or point their fingers straight in the air when reaching toward their opponent.</p>
<h4>Female clothing</h4>
<p>Female competitors must wear a short-sleeved (above the elbow) or sleeveless form-fitting rash guard and/or sports bra. No loose-fitting tops are allowed. Female competitors will follow the same requirements for bottom coverings as the male competitors, minus the requirement for groin protection.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The changes also remove two fouls from the MMA Unified Rules: heel strikes to the kidneys and the grabbing of the clavicle.</p>
<p>New Jersey did not approve of the new definition of a grounded fighter due to the potential for further strikes to the head when fighters are in a defensive position. The state also wanted to keep heel strikes to the kidneys as a foul because no other combat sport allows blows to the kidneys. MMA does allow for other strikes to the kidneys, however.</p>
<p>"Absent overwhelming medical evidence, we are not in favor of any type of expansion of striking to the head, let alone a change that would allow powerful, potent knees to the head of a downed fighter," New Jersey State Athletic Control Board counsel Nick Lembo wrote in a press release Tuesday morning. "We should be wary of the NFL litigation, NHL and WWE head injury issues, and we should not be hasty with regard to matters involving the human brain and it's well being."</p>
<p>New Jersey's official dissent was read Tuesday at the ABC Conference by NJSACB deputy commissioner Rhonda Uttley-Herring. MMA legend <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.mmafighting.com/fighter/41/randy-couture">Randy Couture</a>, a member of the rules and regulations committee, rebutted the dissent afterward.</p>
<p>There is a likelihood that New Jersey will not adopt the new grounded fighter definition and removal of the heel kicks to the kidney foul in its state, as is its right. The ABC does not have authoritative power over state governments.</p>
<p>It's unclear if commissions who did not attend this conference and are considered inactive members, like Missouri and Ohio, will implement the rules changes.</p>
https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/8/2/12363980/abc-body-approves-changes-to-mma-scoring-criteria-new-rules-inMarc Raimondi