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By Alex Williams, MMATorch Contributor MMAWeekly.com reports that Affliction is planning to use the standard U.S. MMA rules (which MMAWeekly incorrectly refers to as "the unified rules") for its July 19 show. The key here is that this means elbows will be legal. Some promotions, such as the IFL and Pride, have previously asked for and received permission from athletic commissions to prohibit elbows on their shows. Additionally, MMAWeekly notes that as previously reported, the main event fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia will be for the inaguaral WAMMA heavyweight title. WAMMA is a sanctioning outfit attempting to gain a foothold in MMA.
MMAWeekly.com reports that Affliction is planning to use the standard U.S. MMA rules (which MMAWeekly incorrectly refers to as "the unified rules") for its July 19 show. The key here is that this means elbows will be legal. Some promotions, such as the IFL and Pride, have previously asked for and received permission from athletic commissions to prohibit elbows on their shows. Additionally, MMAWeekly notes that as previously reported, the main event fight between Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia will be for the inaguaral WAMMA heavyweight title. WAMMA is a sanctioning outfit attempting to gain a foothold in MMA.
Cheers to Affliction for the elbows. This is good news for those of us who like no more rules than the minimum that are reasonably required for fighters' safety. Elbows may open more cuts, but they are also an important and significant attack. I see nothing illegitimate about a win where one fighter cuts his opponent so badly that the cut combatant's safety would be at risk if the contest continued.
On the other hand, jeers to Affliction for WAMMA. MMA has worked so far under an all-inclusive model, with the promoter and sanctioning body as the same entity (e.g. the UFC maintains its own championships, not some outside group). The separation of the two in boxing has failed that sport miserably.
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