5 moves that were not illegal previously in UFC

by - soumya ranjan

MMA is a brutal sport and extremely dangerous for the athletes, who risk their lives every time they step into the octagon. The UFC has made a number of rule changes over the years in order to make it safer. Here are some of the illegal moves that were once used without any hesitation.

1. Hair Pulling Starting with a less-than-elegant move can lead to a lot of pain later on in the fight.Hair pulling was previously permitted in the UFC but was later prohibited because it had no place inside the octagon.

2. Headbutts Even though headbutts look like a legit way to hit someone, they are not allowed in the UFC. In the past, some fighters used to headbutt each other, but the damage incurred by them was significant and could risk the safety of a fighter.

3. Rabbit Punches In the early days of the promotion, strikes to the back of the head were considered legal, but later they were removed. The rabbit punches are extremely risky, as a direct hit to the back of the head can result in trauma and comas.

4. Groin strikes Believe it or not, devastating groin strikes were allowed in the past and used to give excruciating pain to the fighters. As the UFC decided to reform its rules, they ultimately banned the low blow.

5. Illegal knee to the head Knee strikes are incredibly nasty and can cause a massive amount of damage. Due to this, it is now illegal for fighters to knee opponents in the head while they are on the ground, as it is a highly compromised position. Last year, former bantamweight champion Petr Yan lost his belt to Aljamain Sterling due to that rule.

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