A few days ago, in a historic move by the UFC, the Association of Boxing and Combat Sports Commissions (ABC) Mixed Martial Arts Committee approved significant changes in the sport. Among the most notable modifications were the removal of the 12-6 elbow ban and a new definition to determine when a fighter is considered on the ground. And tonight, at UFC Edmonton, UFC fighter Cody Gibson became the first person to cut a person by legally using the 12-6 elbow.

The controversy surrounding the 12-6 elbow, a technique that involves a downward elbow strike, has been a recurring theme in the MMA community. Many believe that it can be a true counter against pure wrestlers who often take the fights to the ground, leaving little space for strikers to attack. So when Cody Gibson used it against Chad Anheliger to help himself win the fight, it truly became a moment to rejoice for MMA fans.

In a backstage interview with the 21-10-0 fighter, he revealed the exact moment when he realized that he created history by becoming the first fighter in the UFC to utilize the once-banned move to win a fight. He said, “The 12-to-6 elbows—I do. If I landed in a dominant position like mount, then I’d be trying to throw them, and I did. The ref came up to me after the fight and said, “You’re the first person to ever cut a guy with a 12-to-6 elbow legally.” So, I said, “Hey man, if nothing else, I’ll go down in the history books for that one, right?” Gibson further added that he wishes to continue using the move, as it truly is an amazing arsenal to have when your opponent is on the ground.

Explaining the perfect situation for its use inside the Octagon, he said, “I think it will continue to change the game. A lot of times, guys will defend elbow strikes with their arm, and side elbows are hard to land that way when they block with their arm. Some guys will shoot it down the middle like a knife. The problem with that is you’re really exposing your hip, almost like you’re doing a big overhand or something. So, that 12-to-6 is a really lethal thing. I’m excited to continue to explore it and hopefully continue to use it.”

It truly looks like the 37-year-old fighter loved the idea of the UFC to get the move removed from the banned moves list. But what did the UFC world think of the decision? Well, while many appreciated the move made by the promotion, many felt otherwise. In fact, several were quick to bring Jon Jones into the mix as well. Here’s what many fans had to say after they witnessed the move being legally used firsthand.

Fans on the fence with the new unbanned move

The most relevant and controversial case in MMA involving the 12-6 technique is that of the current UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. In 2009, the American was disqualified for using that elbow in his fight against Matt Hamill. Jones was dominating his opponent at the time, but the referee, Steve Mazzagatti, stopped the bout, ruling that the punches were illegal. That’s the only loss in the professional career ‘Bones’, who has a record of 27-1-0.

So when Cody Gibson talked about being the first fighter to legally use it in the UFC, many fans were quick to remind him that others also used it in the past, some illegally while some used it way before the ban. Some users quickly named Jon Jones in the comments, as they wrote comments like, “I believe Jon Bones Jones was technically first,” “Jonny Bones the pioneer,” and “Didn’t Jon Jones do it first?” While other users talked about other UFC fighters in the past who used the move way before the ban. As they wrote, “Actually, it was Pat Smith vs. Scott Morris. The 12-6 was legal in the early era,” and “Sorry been done long before was illegal no record books for you.”

While many rejoiced about the decision made by the UFC, other fans were concerned about the well-being of the fighter on the receiving end of things. The safety concern was the reason why the move was banned in the first place, and bringing it back surely isn’t something that these fans deem safe. As a result, they voiced the opinion that it should remain illegal to use the 12-6 elbow. As they wrote, “12-6 elbows and side kicks to the knee should be illegal.” “It will go back to illegal when someone goes blind,” and “Should be band someone’s going to lose an 👁️” Well, it surely looks like the fans are on the fence about it.

But what do you think? Should the move remain legal in the UFC? Let us know in the comments.