The BJ Penn Rule

Just a follow-up to Wednesday’s ruling by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to allow the use of instant replay in MMA fights. They also introduced the “B.J. Penn Rule,” which adds the use of foreign substances to the list of fouls that already includes things like eye gouging, small joint manipulation and biting. This comes as a result of “Greasegate,” where UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre’s corner inadvertently smeared Vaseline on his back between rounds against Penn at UFC 94.

The NSAC also is okaying five five-minute rounds for non-title fights. Big mistake. There are already enough boring fights, I don’t need to se them last ten more minutes. And it would reduce the number of fights on a pay-per-view card, and I don’t want to see fewer fights, I want more. Five rounds for title fights, great, absolutely. Non-title fights? No way. Of course, just because the NSAC has approved it doesn’t mean the UFC or any other promotion will adopt it.