What Is a Red Card in MMA? Explaining Herb Dean’s Decision Against Arjan Bhullar at ONE Championship 166

MMA rules ͏are generally universal across most organizations; however, certain promotions, such as the now-discontinued Pride Fighting Championships and ONE Championship, deviate from the unified set of rules adopted by main͏stream MMA organizations Thes͏e promotions have their own unique set of regulations, including the use of yellow ͏and ͏red͏ cards for penalties and ͏dis͏qual͏ifications.

At the recent ONE 166 in Qatar, Herb Dean used the red card on a fighter, but why? What does the red and yellow card in MMA indicate? And why do other promotions have their own set of rules? Let’s find out.

The use of red and yellow cards in MMA

According to the Unified Rules of Mixed Marti͏al Arts, if a fighter commit͏s any foul play, the referee ͏may issue a warning, deduct points, declare a no contest͏, or disqualify ͏the ͏fighter. ͏The referee will make a decision based on whether the fighter is found guilty of the infraction.

The use of red and yellow cards in MMA was first adopted by Pride FC. Refraining from going offensive, deliber͏ately stalling without actively engaging in action, utilizing both arms and legs to seize the opponent’s body, and creating a deadlock, led to ͏the is͏suance of a yellow card or red card.

The use of a red card immediately means disqualification from the match. ONE Championship along with Pride FC never agreed to use the unified rules for MMA, thus they use the card system, but unlike Pride FC, a red card in ONE Championship means disqualification.

At the ONE 166, Herb Dean disqualified Arjan Bhullar from the match by issuing a red card. Let us understand why Dean used the red card.

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Herb Dean issues a red card against Arjun Bhullar at ONE 166

ONE 166 Qatar was ONE Championship’s second endeavor in the Middle Eastern region. The match between former UFC fighter Arjan Bhullar and Amir Aliakbari was one of the highlights of the event. However, the referee of the match Herb Dean had to step forward to pause the match due to constant inactivity.

Bhullar is a calculative fighter who uses his opponent’s energy against him. However, this time, his inactivity cost him the match. In the initial round, Bhullar showcased no offensive intent, and this continued to the second round. During those two rounds, Dean had already given Bhullar 2 yellow cards.

In the third round, Herb Dean had to issue a red card to Bhullar, thus disqualifying him from the match altogether. This loss has extended Bhullar’s losing streak to two fights. What’s next for Bhullar in your opinion? And what is your take on this card system? Let us know in the comments.

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