What Moves Are Banned in the MMA Cage? Everything We Know so Far

If you’ve ever watched an MMA event and thought, “Whoa, these fighters can pretty much do anything, right?” — you’re not alone. To the untrained eye, MMA can seem like a no-holds-barred brawl. After all, punches, kicks, knees, elbows, takedowns, and submissions are all legal inside the cage.

But here’s the thing: MMA has a very clear rulebook, and there are plenty of moves that are flat-out banned, even though you might not notice unless someone breaks them.

Mixed Martial Arts has evolved from its early days where anything (and I mean anything) went. Now, promotions like the UFC, Bellator, and ONE Championship follow unified rules, making MMA safer and more professional.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what’s too much even for MMA, here are the banned moves that fighters can’t use — unless they want to risk a warning, point deduction, or even disqualification.

1. No Strikes to the Back of the Head (“Rabbit Punches”)

This is one of the most strictly enforced rules: no shots to the back of the head.

The back of the head — often referred to as the “mohawk” area (think of a mohawk haircut) — is considered a dangerous zone due to the risk of severe brain or spinal injury. Blows to this area can result in concussions or worse, long-term neurological damage.

Strikes need to land to the sides or front of the head. Accidentally clipping the back during a wild exchange happens, but repeated or deliberate rabbit punches will get you an instant warning or cost you points.

You’ll often hear refs shouting, “Watch the back of the head!” when fighters are ground-and-pounding. It’s a fine line between a clean strike and an illegal one.

2. No Eye Pokes

Ah, the dreaded eye poke — the bane of MMA fans and fighters alike.

Even though it’s usually unintentional, poking an opponent in the eye is illegal. Fingers are supposed to be curled into a fist or kept upright when extending the hand, but open-hand pawing often leads to accidental eye pokes.

An eye poke can immediately change the course of a fight. Fighters might lose vision, sustain corneal damage, or even get the bout stopped altogether. In some cases, a fight might be ruled a No Contest if an accidental eye poke prevents a fighter from continuing.

Some promotions have experimented with glove designs to reduce eye pokes, but the rule is still simple: keep your fingers out of the other guy’s eyes.

3. No Groin Shots (Obvious but Important)

It sounds obvious, but yes — groin strikes are illegal.

Despite everyone wearing a protective cup, getting kicked, kneed, or punched in the groin still hurts like hell. Accidental low blows happen all the time due to leg kicks or knees in the clinch.

When it does happen, fighters are given up to 5 minutes to recover. Repeated infractions, however, can lead to point deductions or a DQ.

It’s one of those rules that seems common sense, but in the heat of the moment, even pros sometimes land an errant low blow.

4. No 12-to-6 Elbows

This is one of the more specific and debated rules in MMA: no downward “12-to-6” elbows.

Imagine a clock face — a 12-to-6 elbow is a straight downward strike, as if you’re smashing something directly beneath you. While elbows from other angles (horizontal, diagonal, spinning) are legal, the unified rules ban this straight-up-and-down variation.

Why? It goes back to early misconceptions about how dangerous this elbow might be. It’s believed to have been inspired by concerns over karate demonstrations breaking boards with similar downward strikes.

Regardless, it’s still illegal in 2025, though plenty of fighters have been caught in scrambles and accidentally thrown one out of habit. The move often results in referee warnings, and in extreme cases, fight-ending penalties.

5. No Kicks or Knees to the Head of a Grounded Opponent

This is a big one and often confuses casual fans: you can’t kick or knee the head of a grounded opponent.

In the unified rules, a “grounded opponent” is anyone with anything more than the soles of their feet on the mat — this could mean a hand, a knee, or even just a fingertip touching the canvas.

So, that soccer kick to the head you see in street fights? Not allowed in most major promotions like the UFC.

Some promotions like PRIDE FC (RIP) used to allow these back in the day, and organizations like ONE Championship still allow knees to the head of grounded opponents under their rule set. But in North America and most global MMA, this move is off-limits.

Interestingly, this rule often creates tactical situations where a fighter will keep a hand on the ground while defending, to legally block head strikes.

6. No Headbutts

Let’s just say it plainly: no headbutting.

MMA’s early days were brutal — headbutts were fair game in the first few UFC events. But the risks of cuts, concussions, and brain damage saw headbutts banned in modern MMA.

Clinching up and smashing someone’s face with your forehead might seem effective, but you’ll likely get disqualified for it today. Even accidental head clashes (which do happen during takedowns or tight exchanges) can cause serious cuts or lead to a fight being stopped.

7. No Fish Hooking or Biting

You’d think this one wouldn’t need to be written down, but alas, here we are: no fish hooking (pulling on someone’s mouth or nose with your fingers) and no biting.

Yes, fighters have bitten opponents in MMA history — most infamously, Mike Tyson’s ear incident in boxing comes to mind, but MMA has had its own moments too.

These acts are immediate disqualifications and will get you blacklisted pretty quickly in professional promotions.

8. No Small Joint Manipulation

Grabbing or twisting fingers and toes is also a no-go.

Wrist locks, kimuras, and other joint locks targeting larger joints (elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles) are all legal. But you can’t attack individual fingers or toes.

The idea is to avoid easy injuries like broken fingers in the middle of scrambles. The rule promotes cleaner grappling exchanges and reduces the risk of freak accidents.

9. No Throwing Opponents Out of the Cage (Seriously)

Another early rule from when the UFC felt like the Wild West: you can’t throw your opponent out of the cage.

While modern MMA cages are designed to prevent this from happening, the rule remains intact. The Octagon or cage wall is part of the arena, and the fight must stay inside it at all times.

It might sound ridiculous, but early UFC fans will remember a time when fighters could end up in the crowd if things got too wild.

Why These Rules Exist

Ultimately, all these banned moves exist for one reason: fighter safety.

MMA is already one of the most physically demanding and high-risk sports on the planet. By eliminating certain dangerous techniques, the unified rules help prevent serious injuries and create a more level playing field.

Fighters are warriors, but the goal is to walk out of that cage in one piece.

Final Thoughts: The Balance of Chaos and Control

MMA is known for its rawness and unpredictability, but it’s also highly structured. The fact that we can have flying knees, spinning elbows, and high-level submissions — while still banning the most dangerous fouls — is what makes modern MMA such a well-rounded spectacle.

And let’s be honest, with the variety of legal techniques available, fighters don’t need to headbutt or poke eyes to deliver show-stopping performances.