As first reported by MMA Fighting last night, Tony Ferguson will get his shot at Rafael dos Anjos later this fall. Ferguson had been campaigning for a shot against RDA, although it will have to come after dos Anjos lost his title to Eddie Alvarez this past July. Ferguson is currently riding an eight-fight winning streak, defeating short notice replacement Lando Vannata in his last bout, although not without surviving a major scare first. “El Cucuy” was hurt badly in an extremely entertaining first round before recovering and finishing Vannata in the second. Dos Anjos likely was headed for a title defense against Khabib Nurmagomedov had Eddie Alvarez been defeated, but instead, it’s looking more and more like Alvarez will face Nurmagomedov instead. Alvarez is looking for more of a hosting role now that he’s champion. New MMA rules and regulations The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) met yesterday and made several adjustments to the rules of mixed martial arts, but also judging criteria.
Grounded fighter A grounded fighter is defined as: Any part of the body, other than a single hand and feet touching the fighting area floor. To be grounded, both hands and feet, palm/fist down, and/or any other body part must be touching the fighting area floor. At this time, kicks or knees to the head will not be allowed. Extended fingers In the standing position, a fighter that moves their arm(s) toward their opponent with an open hand, fingers pointing at the opponent’s face/eyes, will be a foul. Referees are to prevent this dangerous behavior by communicating clearly to fighters. Fighters are directed to close their fists or point their fingers straight in the air when reaching toward their opponent. Female clothing Female competitors must wear a short-sleeved (above the elbow) or sleeveless form-fitting rash guard and/or sports bra. No loose-fitting tops are allowed. Female competitors will follow the same requirements for bottom coverings as the male competitors, minus the requirement for groin protection.
You can read more about the changes here.