By Dr. Johnny Benjamin, MD, FightTicker.com Medical Contributor

The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) recently completed their revisions and clarifications of the ‘Unified Rules’ regarding mixed martial arts (MMA). For a moment, try to imagine how difficult it must be to clearly define these issues in a sport such as MMA with its’ many varied styles, disciplines and ever evolving submission techniques. I applaud and have the utmost respect for their opinions.

My medical opinion/critique regarding those Herculean efforts should in no way be construed as anything but fodder for healthy debate.

The good

Who ever knew attempting to smother your opponent by placing your hand over their nose or mouth was a legal technique? Banned.

Limiting amateur contest to 3-three minute rounds. Remember, tired fighters and especially those with limited skill sets are far more susceptible to serious injury.

The bad

Increasing the options for elbow strikes to a grounded opponent. Previously, raining down elbows from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock on a grounded opponent was a no-no. Now if you get mounted prepare for the incoming bombs. As if being mounted alone was not a tremendous disadvantage, savage elbows will fall from the heavens and brutally pin the recipient’s head between roughly 2,000 lbs of force and the mat. Blood makes for compelling theater but concussions aka closed head trauma makes for shortened careers and potentially devastating short and long-term consequences. As a fan, I agree there should be serious consequences for those that despite their best efforts allow themselves to be mounted. But loss of livelihood and good health should not be two of them.

Medically speaking, the role of elbows to the head of a grounded opponent should be limited certainly not expanded. The debate should be what is the reasonable degree of limitation.

Take a deep breath and calm down with the insults. We all want to see a guy catch a bad one… but no one should hope to view a brave combatant being seriously injured.

The potentially very ugly

The back of the head has been clarified to be a ‘Mohawk’ type region extending from the crown/top of the head down to the back of the neck and 1 inch to either side. Unfortunately, this definition does not cover the area behind the ears known as the mastoid bones. I will not bore you with an advanced anatomy and physiology lecture but let it suffice to say that damage to these structures can potentially cause significant long-term injury to your sense of balance. And with the area behind the ear being a legal target, a blow misplaced by as little as 1 inch could easily strike the neck with devastating consequences.

Let me paint a little picture. A tired opponent gets his or her back taken. Both hooks go in. They appropriately guard against the rear naked choke but the elbows start raining down from 12 o’clock targeting the legal areas behind the ears. The vulnerable combatant is squirming trying to free themselves……. Well we all can imagine where this is going.

The only safe area to the back of the head or the neck is none at all.

The back of the head should be defined as a region extending from the crown of the head down to the top of the shoulders and laterally to but not including the ears. No portion of the neck should be a legal target for blows of any kind while grounded.

At the end of the day, Mixed Martial Arts is a sport and should be respected as such. Compelling contest with world class athletes should not expose the participants to unnecessary danger. I am all for watching a combatant get clipped or submitted with a technique that here to for has never been named. However, an athlete being permanently injured, unable to care for themselves or their families is not what I paid my $59.95 ( I’ve got HD) to view.