# Why are headbutts illegal?



## ag8416 (Apr 8, 2007)

is there a specific reason why headbutting is illegal in the ufc?


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## kds13 (Nov 27, 2006)

Because it adds to the perception that MMA is brutal. They got rid of headbutts and made several other rules too, to legitimize the sport in the public's eye.


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## Anudem (Apr 22, 2007)

ag8416 said:


> is there a specific reason why headbutting is illegal in the ufc?


You ever been headbutted? Its an automatic nose breaking and requires no skill to pull. It'd be way too powerful in the clinch or while your in dominant position on the ground. Enough people have problems with elbows being allowed in the UFC due to cuts, this would just make cuts happen more. Plus headbutts are pretty dangerous


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## ag8416 (Apr 8, 2007)

Anudem said:


> You ever been headbutted?



no, but i have been referred to as a butthead when i was younger. do u think that if John McKane gets elected to presedency that UFC will be super regulated even more than now, so that the sport will fade?


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## JIKI (Jan 22, 2008)

is is illegal to headbutt someone only in head or every wear?


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## nickman9000 (Sep 7, 2006)

They got rid of it because they just wanted to piss Mark Coleman off. And it worked.


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## joppp (Apr 21, 2007)

Also, either the headbutter or the headbutté gets cut bad during a headbutt and the fight might have to be stopped.

Then of cource they look bad...


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## Robopencil (Feb 7, 2007)

It's illegal to headbutt anywhere. I'm not sure how long it's been since I saw it, but I remember one UFC fight where McCarthy called out a fighter for headbutting someone in the chest.


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

head buts are way too dangerous. My friends son got in a fight and head butted someone killed him on the spot. Drove his nose bone into his brain! Luckily it was self defense because the guy attacked him but it was still scary.


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

I think headbutts should be legal.


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

TheNegation said:


> I think headbutts should be legal.


no way did you read my post above?


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## chilo (May 27, 2007)

americanfighter said:


> head buts are way too dangerous. *My friends son got in a fight and head butted someone killed him on the spot*. Luckily it was self defense because the guy attacked him but it was still scary.


thats awesomeraise01:


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

americanfighter said:


> no way did you read my post above?


What does someone dying in a stret fight have to do with MMA? Do you know how many people have died/been seriously injured from punches over the years?


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

TheNegation said:


> What does someone dying in a stret fight have to do with MMA? Do you know how many people have died/been seriously injured from punches over the years?


It wasnt a fight it was a punch and a push from one guy then my friend clinches and throws one head butt and drove nose into his brain. I dont want to see that happen in the mma world


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

americanfighter said:


> It wasnt a fight it was a punch and a push from one guy then my friend clinches and throws one head butt and drove drove nose into his brain. I dont want to


I find the whole "Nose through the brain" urban legend deah a bit hard to swallow.
Irregardless, that doesn't change the fact I think headbutts should be legal.


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

TheNegation said:


> I find the whole "Nose through the brain" urban legend deah a bit hard to swallow.
> Irregardless, that doesn't change the fact I think headbutts should be legal.


its not an urban legend it happened I know the guy personally. I will bet my life one it. he killed the guy with one head butt 

head butts are too dangerous. 

also look at the world cup when the guy head butted the the other player in the chest and hospitalized him


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

americanfighter said:


> its not an urban legend it happened I know the guy personally.


OK, but I find it difficult to believe.



americanfighter said:


> head butts are too dangerous.
> 
> also look at the world cup when the guy head butted the the other player in the chest and hospitalized him


Dude, it was a soccer player. He was faking injury for gods sakes.


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## Z-man-mma-fan (Mar 4, 2007)

TheNegation said:


> OK, but I find it difficult to believe.
> 
> 
> Dude, it was a soccer player. He was faking injury for gods sakes.


There is a case in Brazil where a soccer match was taking place in Rio, and some guy, cant remember his name (not Zidane) Head butted a guy so viciously that the victim's brain lapsed into a coma instantly, but instead of falling limp his brain for some reason thought that he was climbing an incline and made him look as if he was running up a mountain. He died of severe cranial bleeding due to several hemmorages seconds later. It is the strangest injury in sports history.

Headbutts, when trained, are more deadly than getting stabbed in the stomach. There have been various medical studies that show if someone who is trained to headbutt puts full force in a blow, he can brake the skull of an average human. Mind you, that requires about 1200 lbs. of force. Thats why its illegal. Some guy would train night and day to headbutt and would become a death sentence to his opponents. That answer your question?


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## southpaw447 (Mar 21, 2007)

because it requires no technique and it causes cuts and if they were legal fights would be ending way too soon


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

Z-man-mma-fan said:


> Headbutts, when trained, are more deadly than getting stabbed in the stomach. There have been various medical studies that show if someone who is trained to headbutt puts full force in a blow, he can brake the skull of an average human. Mind you, that requires about 1200 lbs. of force. Thats why its illegal. Some guy would train night and day to headbutt and would become a death sentence to his opponents. That answer your question?


Oh believe me, I have no notion that they may become legal, but in true MMA, Headbutts should be legal and used. Just like Stomps.
But hell, if you go down that path, you can argue for eye gouging and fish hooking for the same reason.


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

southpaw447 said:


> because it requires no technique and it causes cuts and if they were legal fights would be ending way too soon


Saying Headbutts don't requre technique is retarded sorry.


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## Z-man-mma-fan (Mar 4, 2007)

TheNegation said:


> Saying Headbutts don't requre technique is retarded sorry.


They really don't, the average joe could do it. I mean all it requires is cranking your neck forward and using the front of your head. Not exactly a back-spinning high kick.


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

Z-man-mma-fan said:


> They really don't, the average joe could do it. I mean all it requires is cranking your neck forward and using the front of your head. Not exactly a back-spinning high kick.


Thats like saying all punching requires is extending your arm and all kicking requires is lifting up your leg:confused03:


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## Z-man-mma-fan (Mar 4, 2007)

TheNegation said:


> Oh believe me, I have no notion that they may become legal, but in true MMA, Headbutts should be legal and used. Just like Stomps.
> But hell, if you go down that path, you can argue for eye gouging and fish hooking for the same reason.


I guess thats why they are also both illegal. The rules are made so that the superior fighter wins, not the guy that goes for the nuts and tries to gouge some dude's eye out. Besides, if all of these things were allowed, a fighter's average life span would be shortened considerably.


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

Z-man-mma-fan said:


> I guess thats why they are also both illegal. The rules are made so that the superior fighter wins, not the guy that goes for the nuts and tries to gouge some dude's eye out. Besides, if all of these things were allowed, a fighter's average life span would be shortened considerably.


Fighting is about hurting your opponenet, just because something is "dirty" doesn't mean it doesn't require a lot of skill.


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## Anudem (Apr 22, 2007)

Your right because winning a fight after you nail someone in the nuts shows skill.


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

Anudem said:


> Your right because winning a fight after you nail someone in the nuts shows skill.


Howw does it not? Explain the difference between hitting someone in the nuts and the head/body in terms of skill?


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## southpaw447 (Mar 21, 2007)

TheNegation said:


> Fighting is about hurting your opponenet, just because something is "dirty" doesn't mean it doesn't require a lot of skill.


Okay now your just making no sense at all.

A one eyed retard could pull of a headbutt. It's not a move that requires a lot of training experience. Cock your head back and smash it forward. C'mon dude.


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## southpaw447 (Mar 21, 2007)

TheNegation said:


> Howw does it not? Explain the difference between hitting someone in the nuts and the head/body in terms of skill?


because the average fighter isn't expecting you to be a bitch and kick him in the nuts.

You can't bob and weave your nutsack to avoid shots.


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## Z-man-mma-fan (Mar 4, 2007)

TheNegation said:


> Thats like saying all punching requires is extending your arm and all kicking requires is lifting up your leg:confused03:


Executing something like a leg kick requires you to set-up enough but no too much so that you dont telegraph it, raise it to the appropriate height, find that elusive nerve that runs along the side of your leg, twist your hips and body and pivot on your foot, deliver the blow, and recover.

A spasmic 12 year old with half a brain could headbutt.. the instructions arent exactly difficult. Pull your head back and whack shit with it. Yep, you certainly do make a good point.


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## TheNegation (Jun 11, 2007)

southpaw447 said:


> Okay now your just making no sense at all.
> 
> A one eyed retard could pull of a headbutt. It's not a move that requires a lot of training experience. Cock your head back and smash it forward. C'mon dude.


You don't know wha you are talking about. There is a bunch of technique behind using a headbutt effectively, at least as much as a pucnh, probably more so as you need to defend yourself more than you do with a punch.


southpaw447 said:


> because the average fighter isn't expecting you to be a bitch and kick him in the nuts.
> 
> You can't bob and weave your nutsack to avoid shots.


They should be if nut shots were legal, just you have to be in a fight.
You can't bob and weave your body anymore than your nutsack. i.e. liver shots, punching people in the sternum. UYou think it s easy to land a proper shot to the balls in a fight?



Z-man-mma-fan said:


> Executing something like a leg kick requires you to set-up enough but no too much so that you dont telegraph it, raise it to the appropriate height, find that elusive nerve that runs along the side of your leg, twist your hips and body and pivot on your foot, deliver the blow, and recover.
> 
> A spasmic 12 year old with half a brain could headbutt.. the instructions arent exactly difficult. Pull your head back and whack shit with it. Yep, you certainly do make a good point.


Simply pulling back your head and whacking shit with it is gonna land you with a broken nose and probably some missing teeth.
I am sorry, am I the only one here who actually has been in fights? Have you people never headbutted people, been heatbutted?
You have to make sure the move isn't telegraphed, you have to clinch/hold your opponent, you have to hit your opponent in the right place, with the right part of your head. I mean come one..........you guys are not this stupid.


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## IronMan (May 15, 2006)

ag8416 said:


> is there a specific reason why headbutting is illegal in the ufc?


Because, aparently, slamming your skull against someone elses skull so that they both crack a little as your brains' shake around is not good for your health.

The real reason is that it was one of the requirements that NSAC outlined for the UFC when they were trying to get sanctioned, and it wasn't one that the UFC was particularly cared a whole lot about.

Very few fights have actually been ended with headbutts, even in the time when they were legal. With the exception of Kerr's "chin to the eye" submission, I can't really think of any, and the fact is that it's not a very smart move to use, as the user puts himself at a high risk for being cut as well, and there are very few positions where you don't endanger your position by throwing a headbutt.

From a legal standpoint, that's why it's barred, and, from a technical standpoint, that's why it's a bad idea anyway.


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## Gluteal Cleft (May 12, 2007)

Last week, I was watching some video interviews on Sherdog, and there was one with Big John. He talked about the "bad old days", when the UFC was doing horribly, and getting banned all over the place. Evidently, they went to one of the network execs (Turner?), and tried to work out a deal.

When he refused, they asked why. He said that he didn't like some of the things people did. The UFC asked which things, and he said "Groin strikes and headbutting." So they were taken out of the rules, along with small-joint manipulations and a few other things. The rest is history.


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