Demetrious Johnson wants Pride rules back, like soccer kicks and 10-minute rounds

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has gradually become more and more outspoken the longer his title reign has lasted. Now that the top P4P fighter has held his belt for almost four years, you're usually going to get a pretty frank answer when you ask Mighty Mouse a question. And at a Q&A ahead of a recent UFC event in Salt Lake City, Johnson was very blunt about the ABC's proposed change to a rule about knees to a grounded opponent in the Unified Rules of MMA.

The current rule makes kneeing an opponent to the head illegal if they have one hand on the mat. The proposed alteration would change that to two hands on the mat, which means only one hand would make it a legal knee. Regardless of the change, Johnson isn't a fan of fighters that use the tactic to avoid getting hit in the first place. And he wants more PRIDE-like rules, with stomps and head kicks on the ground (transcribed by MMA Junkie):

"I think fighters who are preparing to use this as a tactic not to get hit are idiots and they’re not true martial artists. For me? I like it. I’d rather have head stomps and kicks to the head on the ground rather than elbows because I think to kick someone in the head while they’re laying on their back is very hard. Elbows are easy. You can be here and I just cut you and won the fight.

"For this, I think now the rule is that (touching two hands to the ground) is a downed opponent. That’s still the same thing. Don’t hit me please! No! It’s so stupid."

He went further on his admiration for PRIDE rules as well, hoping that yellow cards would come back among other things:

"That’s one of the things I loved about PRIDE, the first round was ten minutes," Johnson said. "A lot of (expletive) can happen in ten minutes. Then the second round would happen, you have another five minutes. Then the third round would happen, you have another five minutes. That’s why I liked the PRIDE rules."

It's unlikely that soccer kicks or a 10-minute first round are going to happen anytime soon, but yellow cards are still an idea that I think the Unified Rules could incorporate in some way. For now, we'll just have to settle for minor changes to the grounded opponent rule.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/8/15/12477932/ufc-demetrious-johnson-not-a-fan-of-new-proposed-grounded-opponent-rule

If dj wants to fight under pride rules then he will have to go were the pride rules are i know people say it looks brutal it is the fight game it is not ment to look pretty

Mighty Mouse is a wise man.

well there is a platform for that and it's called Rizin.

next rule in MMA no fighting.

CODELMJVG wrote:well there is a platform for that and it's called Rizin.

That's right.

Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

westcott123 wrote:Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

Only the zombies want the unified rules. At the end of the day, PRIDE rules are far better. I don't agree with the 10 minute first round but I do with almost everything. Soccer kicks should be allowed because it makes no sense to ban them while allowing fighters to kick standing opponents. Same with knees. The judging criteria is much better and produces less controversies while fighters can't point fight as easily or risk coasting in third rounds.

Rocksoldier84 wrote:

westcott123 wrote:Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

Only the zombies want the unified rules. At the end of the day, PRIDE rules are far better. I don't agree with the 10 minute first round but I do with almost everything. Soccer kicks should be allowed because it makes no sense to ban them while allowing fighters to kick standing opponents. Same with knees. The judging criteria is much better and produces less controversies while fighters can't point fight as easily or risk coasting in third rounds.

True with pride/rizin you gotta fight as for the judging I mean yes it wasn'tperfect but compare it to the ufc and yeah . As for 10 min round yeah I'm all for it but each to their own and the zombies yeah the usual crap with them .

Rocksoldier84 wrote:

westcott123 wrote:Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

Only the zombies want the unified rules. At the end of the day, PRIDE rules are far better. I don't agree with the 10 minute first round but I do with almost everything. Soccer kicks should be allowed because it makes no sense to ban them while allowing fighters to kick standing opponents. Same with knees. The judging criteria is much better and produces less controversies while fighters can't point fight as easily or risk coasting in third rounds.

I had that itching same feeling that it doesn't make sense why put fighters in the cage where the elements are limited and controlled and you can't defend yourself in all areas of standing to ground attacks.

CODELMJVG wrote:

Rocksoldier84 wrote:

westcott123 wrote:Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

Only the zombies want the unified rules. At the end of the day, PRIDE rules are far better. I don't agree with the 10 minute first round but I do with almost everything. Soccer kicks should be allowed because it makes no sense to ban them while allowing fighters to kick standing opponents. Same with knees. The judging criteria is much better and produces less controversies while fighters can't point fight as easily or risk coasting in third rounds.

I had that itching same feeling that it doesn't make sense why put fighters in the cage where the elements are limited and controlled and you can't defend yourself in all areas of standing to ground attacks.

Makes sense

CDF47 wrote:

CODELMJVG wrote:

Rocksoldier84 wrote:

westcott123 wrote:Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

Only the zombies want the unified rules. At the end of the day, PRIDE rules are far better. I don't agree with the 10 minute first round but I do with almost everything. Soccer kicks should be allowed because it makes no sense to ban them while allowing fighters to kick standing opponents. Same with knees. The judging criteria is much better and produces less controversies while fighters can't point fight as easily or risk coasting in third rounds.

I had that itching same feeling that it doesn't make sense why put fighters in the cage where the elements are limited and controlled and you can't defend yourself in all areas of standing to ground attacks.

Makes sense

Why not a flat surface like in traditional martial arts venues than to prevent any favoritism if it go out of bounds place it back to the center simple and honorable. You really have to use skill no cage stalling tactics no worries of pinning someone down the cage is the advantage for grapplers. I Think we had an argument from stu or fka not sure who I'm might have to check the posts. You see this with Jiu jitsu, judo wrestling, karate, taekwondo all flat surfaces.

CODELMJVG wrote:

CDF47 wrote:

CODELMJVG wrote:

Rocksoldier84 wrote:

westcott123 wrote:Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

Only the zombies want the unified rules. At the end of the day, PRIDE rules are far better. I don't agree with the 10 minute first round but I do with almost everything. Soccer kicks should be allowed because it makes no sense to ban them while allowing fighters to kick standing opponents. Same with knees. The judging criteria is much better and produces less controversies while fighters can't point fight as easily or risk coasting in third rounds.

I had that itching same feeling that it doesn't make sense why put fighters in the cage where the elements are limited and controlled and you can't defend yourself in all areas of standing to ground attacks.

Makes sense

Why not a flat surface like in traditional martial arts venues than to prevent any favoritism if it go out of bounds place it back to the center simple and honorable. You really have to use skill no cage stalling tactics no worries of pinning someone down the cage is the advantage for grapplers. I Think we had an argument from stu or fka not sure who I'm might have to check the posts. You see this with Jiu jitsu, judo wrestling, karate, taekwondo all flat surfaces.

Problem is that no matter where, some styles will have advantages. It's not just cages. Look at rings. Strikers have a great advantage if they corner an opponent and unload on them because they can't escape. Blocking takedowns is also tougher since you have to worry about falling out of the ring.

CODELMJVG wrote:

CDF47 wrote:

CODELMJVG wrote:

Rocksoldier84 wrote:

westcott123 wrote:Any one notice how it seems the fighters prefer the pride style rules compared to the unified rules

Only the zombies want the unified rules. At the end of the day, PRIDE rules are far better. I don't agree with the 10 minute first round but I do with almost everything. Soccer kicks should be allowed because it makes no sense to ban them while allowing fighters to kick standing opponents. Same with knees. The judging criteria is much better and produces less controversies while fighters can't point fight as easily or risk coasting in third rounds.

I had that itching same feeling that it doesn't make sense why put fighters in the cage where the elements are limited and controlled and you can't defend yourself in all areas of standing to ground attacks.

Makes sense

Why not a flat surface like in traditional martial arts venues than to prevent any favoritism if it go out of bounds place it back to the center simple and honorable. You really have to use skill no cage stalling tactics no worries of pinning someone down the cage is the advantage for grapplers. I Think we had an argument from stu or fka not sure who I'm might have to check the posts. You see this with Jiu jitsu, judo wrestling, karate, taekwondo all flat surfaces.

I've seen MMA on a surface like this. It was pretty cool. I think I saw M'Pumbu in a fight like this.