Conor McGregor admires his illegal knee on Khabib Nurmagomedov and claims it should be legal
Conor McGregor took to Twitter to admire an illegal knee from a grounded position in his fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. The Irishman lost the fight in the fourth round via a rear-naked choke.
The knee into the eye socket was illegal yes, from this position. A beauty tho. Never before seen shot. Like many of my shots. I use the mount defence leg as a springboard, loading the knee below it. Release and straight to the eye socket. Smashed it in!
This strike should not be illegal. Should actually be enshrined! Look at him cower his head after it and keep it tucked. Kept honest! Guy is latched onto my arm not letting go. Everything bar biting and gouging should be permitted here. Are we fighting or what are we doing here? What do you think Big John? Should this strike be legalized?
Also Read: How Much Does Khabib Nurmagomedov Earn?
Conor McGregor questions if knee to a grounded opponent should be legal
According to the Unified Rules of MMA, it is illegal to kick or knee a grounded fighter. However, there is confusion with respect to the rule-set which defines a grounded fighter from state to state. That may be what Conor McGregor is appealing against in this instance.
According to a report on ESPN, the ruleset is defined as:
In commissions such as Nevada, New Jersey and Texas, the rule states that anything but the soles of a fighter's feet touching the mat means that the fighter is grounded and he cannot be kicked or kneed in the head.
In states such as California, New York and Florida, there is a caveat: A fighter cannot just put a single hand or finger down to become grounded; he or she must put both palms or both fists on the ground to become grounded, or have another part of his or her body on the mat, such as a knee.
In both circumstances, the knee which Conor McGregor uses is illegal. There has been an age-old argument that knees and kicks should be legal even to grounded opponents to replicate a real-life fight. It can also be argued that the current rule-set aids grapplers who are safe when they shoot for double-legs and single-legs.
Pride, the Japanese promotion, used to allow knees and kicks to grounded opponents back in the day, often leading to brutal soccer kick KOs. Despite Conor McGregor's plea, it is safe to say that the current rules are here to stay.
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