Section · 6 pieces
The Rules
Unified Rules, state commissions, weigh-in reform, and what ONE Championship's hydration testing actually changes.
Lead piece
The Sport Is Regulated by Whoever Happens to Run the State You Fight In
The Unified Rules of MMA were adopted in 2000, then amended in 2017 — and neither version is actually binding on anyone.
- 02
The ABC Does Not Run Anyone's Commission
A voluntary standards body writes the model rules. Every state then does what it wants.
- 03
Same-Day Weigh-Ins as a Regulatory Response
The athletic commissions moved first; the science followed later
- 04
ONE's Hydration Rule Is a Different Weight System, Not a Test
ONE Championship's pre-fight hydration protocol does not simply ban weight-cutting — it relocates athletes to a different competitive tier entirely.
- 05
The UFC Changed Its Testing Partner in 2023, and the Arguments Have Not Stopped
The UFC's move from USADA to Drug Free Sport International — what each organisation's testing protocols say on paper, what the critics of the switch have argued in documented public statements, and what the commission oversight layer does and does not add.
- 06
Open Scoring Has Been Tried, and the Results Are Inconclusive
Every few years a high-profile robbery decision brings open scoring back onto the regulatory agenda. The evidence from actual pilots is murkier than its advocates admit.