Michael Bisping demands UFC rule changes, including one that got Jon Jones disqualified

Michael Bisping demanded two UFC rules be changed right now.

The former middleweight champion was frustrated after watching Roman Dolidze vs Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 85.

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Imavov was docked a point during his unanimous decision victory for kicking his opponent while they were technically downed.

Bisping wants to see that changed immediately.

Speaking on his channel, he said: “Imavov has him in a body lock, and what’s Dolidze doing? He’s playing the game and putting his hand down on the Octagon canvas and you can’t hit him now because he’s a downed opponent.

“Just recently there was a lot of talk from the California State Athletic Commission that that was going to be changed, with immediate effect I thought but it turns out not yet.

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“The new rule is going to be, outside of hands or feet, if any other part of your body is on the canvas then you will be a downed opponent.

“If it’s just your hands or feet, then you are not downed - and therefore fair game. You can attack, kick you in the head or knee you in the head. This is such a stupid rule.

“Opponents would touch the ground and then get lifted off and get hit, again it’s blurred lines and makes it very easy to fall foul.

“The big thing here is that nobody in a real life fight situation, if they are in the middle of a fight, is going to lean on the ground.

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“In a fight situation, you are going to get cracked. You are going to get demolished. No man alive leans on the ground and says ‘I’m alright here sausage’.

“In a street fight, you are going to get butchered. Simple as that.

“That rule needs to go straight away.

“Imavov kicks him in the face and has a point taken off him, it doesn’t really matter as he dominated the fight.

“That rule change needs to come into effect right now to stop circumstances like this from happening.”

That got Bisping onto another rule that he wants to see done away with. The 12-6 elbow, which is defined as striking vertically downwards with the point of the elbow.

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Jon Jones’ only official defeat on his record was a disqualification in 2009 for using that illegal move against Matt Hamill.

Bisping continued: “Also on the docket for the rule changes is the 6-12 elbow. I’m surprised that hasn’t already changed.

“The story goes, back in the day as Joe Rogan said on his podcast, the Athletic Commissions when they were coming up with the unified rules of mixed martial arts they saw a martial artist smashing sheets of ice with an elbow like that [12-6]. And they were like ‘oh my god, we have to change that’.

 “But you look at an elbow standing where you can use your full bodyweight and generate torque from your legs and hips and generate real force. The elbow can be way more powerful.

“That will be changed as well as the downed opponent rule also. It can’t come soon enough… change the f***ing rule.”