Chapter 16. Mixed Martial Arts—Professional
Regulation .01 Applicable Boxing Regulations.LinkCopy Citation
Unless otherwise indicated, the regulations in this subtitle pertaining to the sport of boxing shall apply to the sport of professional mixed martial arts.
Regulation .02 Weights and Classes.LinkCopy Citation
A.
The Commission recognizes the following weights and classes in professional mixed martial arts:
(1)
Flyweight—up to 125 pounds;
(2)
Bantamweight—over 125 pounds to 135 pounds;
(3)
Featherweight—over 135 pounds to 145 pounds;
(4)
Lightweight—over 145 pounds to 155 pounds;
(5)
Welterweight—over 155 pounds to 170 pounds;
(6)
Middleweight—over 170 pounds to 185 pounds;
(7)
Light heavyweight—over 185 pounds to 205 pounds;
(8)
Heavyweight—over 205 pounds to 265 pounds; and
(9)
Super heavyweight—all over 265 pounds.
B.
If a mixed martial arts contestant's weight is greater than the weight specified in the promoter-contestant contract, the contest may not take place without special permission of the Commission.
Regulation .03 Mixed Martial Arts Contestant Equipment.LinkCopy Citation
A.
General. Each mixed martial arts contestant shall use the equipment, and in the manner, specified in this regulation.
B.
Hand Wraps. For all weight classes, the hand wraps shall be:
(1)
Soft gauze cloth not more than 13 yards long and 2 inches wide, distributed evenly across the hand;
(2)
Held in place by not more than 10 feet of surgeon's tape, 1 inch wide, for each hand, which shall:
(a)
Be placed directly on each hand for protection near the wrist; and
(b)
Cross the back of the hand twice and extend to cover and protect the knuckles when the hand is clenched to make a fist;
(3)
Placed on a mixed martial arts contestant's hands in the dressing room in the presence of the chief second of the mixed martial arts contestant's opponent; and
(4)
Be inspected and approved by the Commission prior to the gloves being placed on the hands of the mixed martial arts contestant.
C.
Gloves. Gloves worn by each mixed martial arts contestant during a contest shall:
(1)
Be open-fingered;
(2)
Conform to specifications as determined by the Commission;
(3)
Weigh between 4 and 7.5 ounces; and
(4)
Be examined before the contest by a Commission representative and the referee.
D.
A mouth guard shall be approved by the Commission.
E.
Groin protection shall be approved by the Commission.
Regulation .04 Proper Attire and Appearance.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A mixed martial arts contestant, during a contest:
(1)
Shall wear shorts approved by the Commission;
(2)
May wear one or more neoprene sleeves without taping;
(3)
May not be taped on any part of the body other than in a hand-wrap as described in Regulation .03B of this chapter; and
(4)
May not wear shoes or any padding on the feet.
B.
A mixed martial arts contestant shall have properly trimmed fingernails and toenails.
Regulation .05 Fighting Area.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A mixed martial arts contest shall be held in a ring or in a fenced area.
B.
A ring used for a contest of mixed martial arts shall meet the following requirements:
(1)
The ring may not be smaller than 20 feet square and may not be larger than 32 feet square within the ropes;
(2)
The ring floor shall:
(a)
Extend at least 18 inches beyond the ropes;
(b)
Be padded with ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam, with at least a 1-inch layer of foam padding, which shall extend beyond the ring ropes and over the edge of the platform;
(c)
Have a top covering of canvas, duck, or similar material that:
(i)
Does not tend to gather in lumps or ridges; and
(ii)
Is tightly stretched and laced to the ring platform; and
(d)
Be free of any obstruction or object, including a triangular border;
(3)
The ring platform:
(a)
May not be more than 4 feet above the floor of the building; and
(b)
Shall have suitable steps for the use of the mixed martial arts contestants;
(4)
The ring posts:
(a)
Shall be made of metal;
(b)
May not be more than 3 inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to a minimum height of 58 inches above the ring floor;
(c)
Shall be at least 18 inches away from the ring ropes; and
(d)
Shall be properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission; and
(5)
The ring ropes:
(a)
Shall be five in number;
(b)
May not be less than 1 inch in diameter;
(c)
Shall be wrapped in soft material; and
(d)
Shall be at least 12 inches above the ring floor.
C.
A fenced area used for a contest of mixed martial arts shall meet the following requirements:
(1)
The fenced area shall be circular or have at least four equal sides;
(2)
The fenced area may not be smaller than 20 feet wide and may not be larger than 32 feet wide in diameter;
(3)
The floor of the fenced area shall:
(a)
Be padded with ensolite or another similar closed-cell foam, with at least a 1-inch layer of foam padding; and
(b)
Have a top covering of canvas, duck, or similar material that:
(i)
Does not tend to gather in lumps or ridges; and
(ii)
Is tightly stretched and laced to the platform of the fenced area;
(4)
The platform of the fenced area:
(a)
May not be more than 4 feet above the floor of the building; and
(b)
Shall have suitable steps for the use of the mixed martial arts contestants;
(5)
The fence posts of the fenced area shall be:
(a)
Made of metal, not more than 6 inches in diameter, extending from the floor of the building to between 5 and 7 feet above the floor of the fenced area; and
(b)
Properly padded in a manner approved by the Commission;
(6)
The fencing used to enclose the fenced area shall be made of a material that will prevent a mixed martial arts contestant from falling out of, or breaking through, the fenced area onto the floor of the building or onto the spectators;
(7)
Any metal portion of the fenced area shall be covered and padded in a manner approved by the Commission and may not be abrasive to the mixed martial arts contestants;
(8)
The fenced area shall have two entrances; and
(9)
There may not be any obstruction on any part of the fence surrounding the area where the mixed martial arts contestants are to be competing.
Regulation .06 Video Screens.LinkCopy Citation
The promoter of a mixed martial arts contest shall hang at least two video screens that:
A.
Allow spectators and judges to view the action inside the ring or fenced area from an overhead perspective; and
B.
Meet the approval of the Commission.
Regulation .07 Rounds.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A nonchampionship contest of mixed martial arts may not exceed three rounds in duration.
B.
A championship contest of mixed martial arts shall be five rounds in duration.
C.
Unless otherwise approved by the Commission, each round in a mixed martial arts contest shall be 5 minutes in duration with a 1-minute rest period between each round.
D.
The total number of rounds and the total number of mixed martial arts contests a promoter is authorized to schedule shall be subject to the approval of the Commission.
Regulation .08 Referee.LinkCopy Citation
The referee shall be:
A.
The sole arbiter of a mixed martial arts contest; and
B.
Other than the senior ringside physician, the only individual authorized to:
(1)
Enter the fighting area at any time during the competition; and
(2)
Stop a contest.
Regulation .09 Method of Judging.LinkCopy Citation
A.
All mixed martial arts contests shall be evaluated and scored by three judges.
B.
The 10-Point Must System shall be the standard system of scoring a mixed martial arts contest where:
(1)
The winner of each round receives 10 points and the opponent proportionately less;
(2)
If a round is even, each mixed martial arts contestant receives 10 points; and
(3)
Fractions of points may not be awarded.
C.
Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques, including:
(1)
Effective striking;
(2)
Effective grappling;
(3)
Control of the fighting area;
(4)
Effective aggressiveness; and
(5)
Defense.
D.
Except as provided in §K of this regulation, when scoring each round, the judges shall evaluate the mixed martial arts techniques set forth in §C of this regulation by assigning the most weight to the technique in the order it appears in §C of this regulation.
E.
Effective striking shall be judged by determining the total number of legal heavy strikes landed by a contestant.
F.
Effective grappling shall be judged by considering the number of successful executions of a legal takedown and a legal reversal including:
(1)
A takedown from the standing position to a mount position;
(2)
Passing the guard to a mount position; and
(3)
A bottom position mixed martial arts contestant using an active, threatening guard.
G.
Fighting area control shall be judged by determining which mixed martial arts contestant is dictating the pace, location, and position of the bout, including:
(1)
Countering an attempted takedown by remaining standing and legally striking;
(2)
Taking down an opponent to force a ground fight;
(3)
Creating a threatening submission attempt;
(4)
Passing the guard to achieve a mount; and
(5)
Creating striking opportunities.
H.
Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing a legal strike.
I.
Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken down, or reversed while countering with offensive attacks.
J.
The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the judges when scoring a round:
(1)
A round shall be scored as a 10-10 round when both mixed martial arts contestants appear to be fighting evenly and neither mixed martial arts contestant shows clear dominance in a round;
(2)
A round shall be scored as a 10-9 round when a mixed martial arts contestant wins by a close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes, grappling, and other maneuvers;
(3)
A round shall be scored as a 10-8 round when a mixed martial arts contestant overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round; and
(4)
A round shall be scored as a 10-7 round when a mixed martial arts contestant totally dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
K.
Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognize the length of time the mixed martial arts contestants are either standing or on the ground, as follows:
(1)
If the mixed martial arts contestant spent a majority of a round on the canvas, then:
(a)
Effective grappling is weighed first; and
(b)
Effective striking is then weighed;
(2)
If the mixed martial arts contestant spent a majority of a round standing, then:
(a)
Effective striking is weighed first; and
(b)
Effective grappling is then weighed; and
(3)
If a round ends with a relatively even amount of time spent standing and on the canvas, striking and grappling shall be weighed equally.
Regulation .10 Fouls.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A mixed martial arts contestant who flagrantly or repeatedly commits a foul may be:
(1)
Disqualified in a contest by the referee; and
(2)
Subject to disciplinary action by the Commission.
B.
The following acts are fouls and may result in penalties:
(1)
Butting with the head;
(2)
Eye gouging of any kind;
(3)
Biting or spitting at an opponent;
(4)
Hair pulling;
(5)
Fish hooking;
(6)
Groin attacks of any kind;
(7)
Intentionally placing a finger in any opponent's orifice, or into any cut or laceration of an opponent;
(8)
Downward pointing of elbow strikes;
(9)
Small joint manipulation;
(10)
Strikes to the spine or back of the head;
(11)
Strikes or kicks to the kidney;
(12)
Throat strikes of any kind, including the grabbing of the trachea;
(13)
Clawing, pinching, or twisting the flesh or grabbing the clavicle;
(14)
Kicking the head of a grounded mixed martial arts contestant;
(15)
Kneeing the head of a grounded mixed martial arts contestant;
(16)
Stomping of a grounded mixed martial arts contestant;
(17)
The use of abusive language in the fighting area;
(18)
Any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent;
(19)
Attacking an opponent on or during the break;
(20)
Attacking an opponent who is under the referee's care;
(21)
Timidity, including:
(a)
Avoiding contact;
(b)
Continual dropping of the contestant's mouthpiece; or
(c)
Faking an injury;
(22)
Interference from a mixed martial arts contestant's second, including throwing in the towel during competition;
(23)
Throwing an opponent out of the fighting area;
(24)
Flagrant disregard of the referee's instructions; and
(25)
Spiking an opponent to the canvas on the head or neck.
C.
Except as provided in §E of this regulation, if a foul is committed, the referee may:
(1)
Call time;
(2)
Check the fouled mixed martial arts contestant's condition and safety; and
(3)
Assess the foul to the offending contestant and deduct one or more points, based upon the severity and effect of the foul, by notifying, as soon as practical, but not later than the end of the round in which the foul occurred:
(a)
Both corners;
(b)
The judges; and
(c)
The Commission table.
D.
Subject to the discretion of the referee, a fouled mixed martial arts contestant may have up to 5 minutes to recuperate.
E.
If a bottom mixed martial arts contestant commits a foul, unless the top mixed martial arts contestant is injured, the contest shall continue, so as not to jeopardize the top mixed martial arts contestant's superior positioning at the time, and the referee shall:
(1)
Verbally notify the bottom mixed martial arts contestant of the foul; and
(2)
Assess the foul and notify both corners' seconds, the judges, and the official scorekeeper of the same when the round is over.
F.
If the referee does not call a foul and deduct one or more points, the judges may not make such an assessment on their own or factor such an assessment into their scoring calculations.
G.
A deduction of one or more points by the referee shall result in that number of points being deducted from the offending mixed martial arts contestant's score by the official scorekeeper.
Regulation .11 Injuries Sustained During Competition.LinkCopy Citation
A.
If an injury sustained during competition as a result of a legal maneuver is severe enough to terminate a contest, the injured mixed martial arts contestant shall lose by a technical knockout.
B.
If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate a contest, the mixed martial arts contestant causing the injury shall be disqualified.
C.
If an injury is sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul and the contest is allowed to continue, the referee shall notify the scorekeeper to automatically deduct one or more points from the contestant who committed the foul.
D.
If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured mixed martial arts contestant to be unable to continue at a subsequent point in the contest:
(1)
The injured mixed martial arts contestant shall win by technical decision if the contestant is ahead on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage; and
(2)
The contest shall be declared a technical draw if the injured mixed martial arts contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage.
E.
If a mixed martial arts contestant injures himself or herself while attempting to foul his or her opponent:
(1)
The referee may not take any action in his or her favor; and
(2)
The injury shall be treated in the same manner as an injury produced by a fair blow.
F.
If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the contest immediately or in a subsequent round, the contest shall result in a no contest if:
(1)
In a three-round contest, the contest is stopped before two rounds have been completed; or
(2)
In a five-round contest, the contest is stopped before three rounds have been completed.
G.
If an injury sustained during competition as a result of an accidental foul is severe enough for the referee to stop the contest immediately or in a subsequent round, the contest shall result in a technical decision awarded to the mixed martial arts contestant who is ahead on the score cards at the time the contest is stopped if:
(1)
In a three-round contest, the contest is stopped after two rounds have been completed; or
(2)
In a five-round contest, the contest is stopped after three rounds have been completed.
H.
If an accidental foul occurs and the injured mixed martial arts contestant is able to continue, the referee shall notify both corners, the judges, and the Commission table of the accidental foul not later than the end of the round in which the accidental foul took place.
I.
An incomplete round may not be scored.
Regulation .12 Results of a Contest.LinkCopy Citation
A mixed martial arts contest may end under any of the following results:
A.
Knockout, by the failure of a mixed martial arts contestant to rise from the canvas;
B.
Technical knockout, by the referee or ringside physician determining that a mixed martial arts contestant is unable to continue the contest;
C.
Submission by tap-out when a mixed martial arts contestant:
(1)
Physically uses his or her hand to indicate that he or she no longer wishes to continue; or
(2)
Verbally announces to the referee that he or she does not wish to continue;
D.
Decision via score cards, including:
(1)
Unanimous decision, when all three judges score the contest in favor of the same mixed martial arts contestant;
(2)
Split decision, when two judges score the contest in favor of one mixed martial arts contestant and one judge scores the contest in favor of the other mixed martial arts contestant; or
(3)
Majority decision, when two judges score the contest in favor of the same mixed martial arts contestant and one judge scores the contest as a draw;
E.
Draw, including:
(1)
Unanimous draw, when all three judges score the contest a draw;
(2)
Majority draw, when two judges score the contest a draw and one judge scores the contest in favor of one of the mixed martial arts contestants; or
(3)
Split draw, when one judge scores the contest in favor of one of the mixed martial arts contestants, another judge scores the contest in favor of the other mixed martial arts contestant, and the third judge scores the contest a draw;
F.
Technical draw, when an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul causes the injured mixed martial arts contestant to be unable to continue, and the injured mixed martial arts contestant is even or behind on the score cards at the time of stoppage;
G.
Technical decision, when the contest is prematurely stopped due to an accidental injury, and a mixed martial arts contestant is leading on the score cards;
H.
No contest, when a contest is prematurely stopped due to accidental injury, and a sufficient number of rounds have not been completed to render a decision via the score cards; or
I.
Disqualification, as provided in Regulation .10A of this chapter.
Chapter annotations
Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§4-205 and 4-301, Annotated Code of Maryland
History: Effective date: July 6, 2009 (36:13 Md. R. 898)