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<h3><a href="/go=news.detail&gid=204930" target="_blank">
Dr. Johnny Benjamin on the 12-6 elbow
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<strong class="ArticleSource">[mmajunkie.com]</strong>
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What are the biggest risks of 12-to-6 elbows, and do you believe they should be illegal in mixed martial arts competitions? – Blaize Richardson
This has become a very popular question after the destruction of Matt Hamill by Jon "Bones" Jones during the The Ultimate Finale 10 Finale. It's a shame that Bones was disqualified for illegal blows because prior to that, the outcome of the fight was no longer in question.
An elbow strike delivered by a grounded fighter from a 12-o'clock position is not significantly more or less dangerous than a blow delivered from an 11-o'clock position. Furthermore, with mounted fighters intelligently defending themselves by squirming, switching hips, covering up, etc., it is an extremely difficult rule to enforce properly . I emphasize the phrase intelligently defending because if a fighter is unable to do so, as per the rules, the fight should be halted.
The theoretical concern from a medical viewpoint is the blow pinning the head to the ground, and therefore, not allowing the body/neck to effectively dissipate the force.
I believe that all elbows to legal areas of the head of a grounded opponent should be considered legal. It could then be more uniformly enforced by the referee.
This guy was dropping 12-6 elbows way before MMA came along and NO ONE died or had any brain damage! Well, maybe a little....but the fact of the matter is that he was doing it and planting people into the canvas.
IIRC, the 12-6 elbows rule came shortly after the fight where 6'8" Varelans 12-6 elbow spiked a shorter competitor to the back of the neck (from standing) and it looked really bad.
The UFC had to adopt a lot of rules to keep the Commissions happy, and it was probably easier to accept the rule than explain that such blows had already become illegal via the "back of the neck" rule. Like the "pressure point ban" from the same era, it had no practical safety reason, it was just to mollify politicians that knew nothing about real fighting.
My understanding of the 12-6 rule is that there was a desire to ban "elbows." In order to mollify that concern, "elbows" were defined as teh 12-6 thing, and "forearms" were allowed, a "forearm" being defined as what we would call an elbow.
Some fighters have really pointy elbows. It might make sense to have the rule if the elbow could go right into the eye socket or whatever. It might be less likely to happen with the other motion.
The only thing I've read about the 12-6 elbow that makes any kind of safety sense is if a fighters elbow is pointy enough that if they were to drop it on the opponents face in their eye socket it could do serious damage. Though rarely mentioned, maybe this concern is enough to keep it in. But then it goes in with finger pokes and such...
I would think if it were some crazy random encounter that you spiked an elbow onto the face with the exact point of your elbow, it would fuck someone's orbital bone up. But then again, why would you try to spike the actual point of your elbow anyways as opposed to using more of the side of your elbow or forearm? What Jones was doing didn't look like that to me (more 1-7, 11-5, 1130 530 whatever you want to call it)... so I don't think people would throw it in the exact definition of 12-6 even if it were legal.
GladiatorGannon - IIRC, the 12-6 elbows rule came shortly after the fight where 6'8" Varelans 12-6 elbow spiked a shorter competitor to the back of the neck (from standing) and it looked really bad.
The UFC had to adopt a lot of rules to keep the Commissions happy, and it was probably easier to accept the rule than explain that such blows had already become illegal via the "back of the neck" rule. Like the "pressure point ban" from the same era, it had no practical safety reason, it was just to mollify politicians that knew nothing about real fighting.
It was the Gan McGee fight from what I recall, but this is essentially true. They made a technique illegal, when in reality it was the target area that was, and remains illegal.
I argued against the prohibition at the last ABC convention (Kirik may recall). I was, in the words of one of the other commissioners in attendence, "killed". All members of the MMA rules panel were against the 12-6 elbow.
GladiatorGannon - IIRC, "the 12-6 elbows rule came shortly after the fight where 6'8" Varelans 12-6 elbow spiked a shorter competitor to the back of the neck (from standing) and it looked really bad."
The fight described above is Varelans vs Worsham at UFC6, and this was many years before the 12-6 rule came into effect, ie no relation
And I am pretty sure it was knees to the head of a downed opponent that was banned as a result of a Gan McGee bout (non UFC), but I could be wrong on that one.
Beeno - The only thing I've read about the 12-6 elbow that makes any kind of safety sense is if a fighters elbow is pointy enough that if they were to drop it on the opponents face in their eye socket it could do serious damage. Though rarely mentioned, maybe this concern is enough to keep it in. But then it goes in with finger pokes and such...
I would think if it were some crazy random encounter that you spiked an elbow onto the face with the exact point of your elbow, it would fuck someone's orbital bone up. But then again, why would you try to spike the actual point of your elbow anyways as opposed to using more of the side of your elbow or forearm? What Jones was doing didn't look like that to me (more 1-7, 11-5, 1130 530 whatever you want to call it)... so I don't think people would throw it in the exact definition of 12-6 even if it were legal.
FWIW, MMA gloves are so small, simple punches can shatter your eyesocket. Any overhand right that hits you directly in the eye will result in your eye being briefly pushed into your head, and the punch impacting inside your eyesocket, breaking the "shelf" that hold it in place. It's a freaky feeling, and I've had it happen on both sides.
It could have been that. I had it described to me as the Gan McGee fight. Who knows. I am sure I have never heard it was due to someone breaking blocks of ice...
