Islam Makhachev's dominant performance at UFC 322 has ignited a fiery debate about the future of MMA, with some, including a UFC legend, calling for controversial rule changes.
Saturday's UFC 322 pay-per-view was a historic night for Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani fighter, already the lightweight champion, seized the welterweight title, achieving a remarkable feat of two-division UFC glory. He thoroughly outclassed Jack Della Maddalena in the main event at Madison Square Garden, accumulating over 18 minutes of control time and securing a unanimous decision victory with scorecards of 50-45. While many celebrated Makhachev's dominance, others viewed his performance as a symptom of a problem in the sport that needs addressing. And that group of detractors includes a UFC great...
Chael Sonnen, a respected figure in the UFC, is advocating for a new rule regarding grappling standups, spurred by criticism of Makhachev's approach, which some consider 'boring'.
It's not the first time a champion has faced scrutiny for their style. The same criticism was aimed at middleweight king Khamzat Chimaev after his dominant wrestling performance against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago. Current rules require fighters to actively improve their position on the ground to avoid a referee standup. However, Sonnen believes the current rules don't go far enough.
"I am a little critical towards that (Makhachev’s style)," Sonnen stated on his show with Daniel Cormier. "I felt as though there was a bit of a gaming of the system."
Sonnen explained that the current rules allow fighters to maintain advantageous positions like half-guard or side control without necessarily working towards a finish. He suggested that the UFC should re-evaluate these positions, especially given what happened in the main and co-main events at UFC 322, where the same positions were repeated. He also noted that Herb Dean, a respected referee, had previously emphasized the need to aggressively enforce rules against eye pokes. Sonnen believes the UFC should start a similar conversation about the use of side control. He argues that the rule requiring fighters to advance towards a finish is being misinterpreted, as positions like full mount, half-guard, and side control are not necessarily finished products.
But here's where it gets controversial...
Joe Rogan, a prominent UFC analyst, holds a completely different view, advocating for the complete abolition of standups.
Rogan has long argued against referees intervening to stand up fighters. He believes that if a fighter is taken down, they should have to earn their way back up. Rogan has even suggested that if a fighter is mounted at the end of a round, the next round should begin with the same position. He believes that fighters should not be given an advantage by being stood up and should have to stand up on their own, adding, "No standups ever."
This divergence of opinion highlights a fundamental question: Should the rules favor exciting, dynamic striking or reward the strategic grappling that can lead to dominant positions?
What do you think? Do you agree with Sonnen's call for changes, or do you side with Rogan's stance against standups? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
