Paddy Pimblett Names the One Brutal Rule Change He Wants to See in the UFC
UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett has called for a significant overhaul of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. He wants the official UFC rules to be a little bit closer to rules used in PRIDE FC or RIZIN. Specifically advocating for the legalization of knees and soccer kicks to grounded opponents.
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Speaking in a recent interview with Tom Aspinall, the Liverpool native argued that the current rule set offers too much protection to wrestlers who fail their takedown attempts, allowing them to stall rather than face the consequences of a poor entry.
Pimblett’s proposal draws inspiration from the rules previously used in Japan’s PRIDE FC and currently utilized by RIZIN Fighting Federation. While he drew a line at head stomps, often considered the most controversial technique from that era, he believes other grounded strikes are necessary to restore realism to the sport.
“I don’t agree with stomping because your head’s got nowhere to go,” Pimblett explained. “But a soccer kick where someone’s sitting in guard and you can move the legs and kick them there, and knees to the head of the grounded opponent, so if someone shoots a sloppy takedown just to get a break, you should be able to knee them in the head.”
The logic behind Pimblett’s stance focuses on the “gamey” nature of modern MMA grappling. Under current Unified Rules, a fighter who shoots for a takedown and fails can often turtle up or stall on their knees without fear of significant damage, waiting for a referee reset or a safer position. Pimblett argues this safety net encourages low-risk wrestling strategies where fighters dive for legs “just to get a break” rather than to genuinely advance the fight.
This conversation comes shortly after the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) implemented changes to the definition of a grounded fighter in late 2024. The updated rules removed the “one hand down” loophole, now requiring a fighter to have a knee or other body part down to be considered grounded.
Pimblett is currently finalizing preparations for the biggest test of his career against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324. Scheduled for January 24, 2026, this lightweight matchup pits Pimblett’s grappling-heavy approach against Gaethje’s renowned striking power for the interim UFC lightweight titles.
While this change was designed to stop fighters from gaming the system to avoid strikes, Pimblett’s proposed adjustments would go much further, fundamentally altering the risk-reward ratio for grappling entries.
