Rules Variations

Each organisation determines its own rules (in accordance with government regulation). Below are some of the significant differences in the rules of the popular MMA organisations.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

• Allows elbow strikes to the face (not head).
• Prohibits dumping a fighter onto their head during takedown or slam.
• Prohibits stomps, soccer kicks and knees to the head of a grounded opponent.
• Uses 3 five-minute rounds. Championship bouts are 5 five-minute rounds.
• No longer uses a tournament format.
• Has six weight classes: Super Heavyweight (No limit), Heavyweight (<265 lbs), Light Heavyweight (<205 lbs), Middleweight (<185 lbs), Welterweight (<170 lbs), and Lightweight (<155 lbs)

Pride Fighting Championships

• Uses a 10 minute first round with 5 minute second and third rounds.
• Prohibits elbow strikes to the head.
• Allows stomps, soccer kicks and knees to the head of a grounded opponent.
• Uses tournament format to award Grand Prix champions.
• Has two weight classes: Heavyweight (No limit), and Middleweight (<92 kg).
• "Bushido" event series consists of lightweight (<73 kg) and light-middleweight (<83 kg) fighters.

K-1 HERO's

• Uses 2 five-minute rounds, with an extra round option should the judges be unable to determine a clear winner of the fight.
• Prohibits elbow strikes to the head.
• Weight classes are currently being established, Lightweight is under 70 kilogram, others to be announced shortly.
• Has moved to a tournament format similar to that seen in K-1, with an 8 man tournament. However, the final matches are not decided on the same evening, but at later events.

ZST

• Uses 2 five-minute rounds.
• Does not use judges. The fight is declared a draw if there is no KO, TKO, Submission.
• Allows elbow and knee strikes only if they are covered by padding.
• Does not allow attacking head with strikes when one fighter is in downed position.

Shooto

• Uses A, B, and C levels. The C level is considered for amateurs only.
• Every level has its own rules and restrictions.
• The C level rules require headgear to be worn and prohibit striking to the head on the ground.

Cage or Ring

MMA is often referred to as "cagefighting" in the US as it is associated with the UFC's octagonal caged fighting area. Most major "Western" MMA promotions (US, Canada and Britain ) use the "cage" as a result of directly evolving from the first UFC events. On the other hand, Brazilian and Japanese events usually use an area similar to a standard boxing ring, but with tighter ropes and some type of barrier underneath the lowest rope to keep grappling athletes from rolling out of the ring. There are also variations such as replacing the traditional cage's metal fencing with net and a one foot high padded barrier surrounding the combat area.

The choice of cage or ring is more than aesthetic, however, as it impacts the type of strategies a fighter ca...