Khabib Nurmagomedov's proposed rule change for the UFC faces resistance from ex-referee: "It doesn't work"

Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to turn the clock back to the UFC’s early days. The former lightweight champion recently proposed scrapping rounds entirely and running fights as uninterrupted bouts.

Fighters like Nurmagomedov, who built their success on pressure and positional dominance, would likely benefit the most. Continuous fighting with no reset breaks could lead to higher-paced, more chaotic battles where stamina and control mean everything.

However, not everyone agrees with the proposal. Former UFC referee John McCarthy pushed back strongly, pointing out that this format has already been tested.

Thomson seemingly aligned with Nuragomedov's idea in a recent episode of the WEIGHIN IN podcast, stating:

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“If you want to just say get rid of rounds, I say you just do one 10-minute round and the fight is decided. That’s it. No, 15 minutes, not 25 minutes. You get 10 minutes to do your business. Make it happen. No breaks. You want to make it 12 or 15, go right ahead. But if you fight that fight, there should be no standups. It should be a straight 15-minute fight."

McCarthy, however, added:

"But you even know it’s not [feasible... because some guys need to build. Dustin Poirier being one... There are guys who come out fast... and others who need to work into it... We’ve been there and done that with no rounds. It doesn’t work. The fight slows down too much. Rounds give the fighters a rest so they can come back with more energy and fight hard again. It also helps judges figure out who won each portion."

Check out the full conversation below (1:08:15):

Sean O’Malley disagrees with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s suggested UFC rule change

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s suggestion drew sharp pushback from several fighters, including former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley. On a recent episode of the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, O’Malley responded to the idea with blunt humor.

His take underlines the divide between grinding grapplers and high-output strikers. He said:

"It would definitely be good for his style, you know, you take a motherf*cker down and they get up for free. For me, there should be more breaks, give me a f*cking break every time they take me down, give me two and a half minutes to recover too."

Check out Sean O'Malley's comments below (43:00):

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar