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Andy Foster proposes MMA rule changes and critiques judging after UFC 331
Following UFC 331 in Los Angeles, California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) Executive Director Andy Foster has proposed several regulatory changes and raised concerns regarding officiating.
Foster is seeking a discussion on reclassifying lateral knee kicks, also known as oblique kicks, as fouls due to the potential for serious ligament damage. He also proposed a new three-tier system for fouls—categorized as incidental, reckless, or malicious—to better manage fighter conduct and reduce eye pokes. Additionally, Foster suggested consulting medical professionals on the legality of a peptide that could accelerate the healing of cuts without providing a performance advantage.
During the same post-event debrief, Foster criticized the judging in the UFC 331 main event between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. He specifically questioned judge Ron McCarthy’s 50-45 scorecard in favor of Van, labeling the wide margin as 'not possible' and suggesting that judges should have placed more value on control given the lack of significant offense.
Entities
Alexandre Pantoja · Andy Foster · California State Athletic Commission · Joshua Van · Ron McCarthy
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The CSAC executive director wants medical professionals to review the legality of a specific peptide used to accelerate cut healing. boxingnews.com · middleeasy.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Andy Foster proposed discussing whether lateral knee kicks should be reclassified as fouls. boxingnews.com · middleeasy.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Foster described judge Ron McCarthy’s 50-45 scorecard in the UFC 331 main event as 'not possible'. heavy.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Foster proposed a three-tier foul system consisting of incidental, reckless, or malicious classifications. boxingnews.com