56-year-old Joe Rogan has always been vocal about making certain changes in the rules of MMA. While MMA thrives on ferocious competition between fighters, their safety is the biggest concern. This balance is heavily influenced by a variety of rules that govern not only grappling techniques but also legal strikes as well. However, with the sport constantly evolving, new rules are making it safer for the fighters inside the Octagon.

One such rule will be implemented from October 1 as revealed by a social media post. MMA Casuals took to their X account to share the exact details of the news. Let us take a look at it.

‘Grounded Opponent’ finds a new meaning for itself from October 1

According to the current UFC rule ‘grounded opponent’ has a completely different definition altogether. The rule suggests that a fighter can be considered grounded if any part of their body (excluding feet) is touching the canvas. Under this definition, a fighter can avoid any kind of strike to the head by simply putting one of his hands down on the canvas. However, under this circumstance, the use of knees becomes very murky and many fights have been stopped controversially due to illegal knees in the past. But it seems everything is gonna change from October 1.

MMA Casuals took to their X account to share a tweet for the fans which read, “OCTOBER 1ST, THE HANDS ON THE FLOOR DO NOT COUNT AS A GROUNDED OPPONENT. A fighter must have at least 1 knee on the ground to prevent their opponent from kicking/kneeing them to the head. This is a MAJOR rule change for all fighters.” This change in the rule will definitely be a game changer inside the Octagon as fighters will have a new weapon in their arsenal.

The rule is to be effective from October 1 but it seems Joe Rogan already knew about it. While speaking to the UFC legend ‘Tank’ Abbott he shared the details of the whole.

Joe Rogan is excited about the changes in the rule of grounded opponents

During the JRE MMA Show #158, the UFC color commentator invited UFC legend ‘Tank’ Abbott for a candid chat. While speaking to Abbot, Rogan pointed out how certain rules help the fighters inside the Octagon. Rogan has always been critical about a few rules and has been vocal about it. However, the 56-year-old made it clear that he knew about the changes made in the new definition of grounded opponents. While speaking to ‘Tank’ he shared the exact details of the whole thing.

Rogan has been a longtime associate of the UFC and had received information from a credible source about the change. During the podcast, the producer of the show and the other half of the show, Jamie shared a report with Rogan which led to host being excited. He said, “They vote to remove nice! Okay, so this is in January, so is it into effect already?… If it’s ABC, I think it is, because Hunter Campbell is the one who told me about it, it was either him or Craig Borsari…”

The fighters will now be able to use one of the most effective techniques in the MMA as revealed by the JRE host. Now, keep in mind that this rule change is for the UFC specifically. Organizations like ONE Championship already allowed knees to a grounded opponent and the strikers on their roster are all the more grateful for it.

What do you think about the changes made in the sport of MMA? Will it help the fighters be more effective? Let us know in the comments below.