| Rabbit Punch | |
|---|---|
 A depiction of a rabbit punch, an illegal strike to the back of the head. | |
| Martial art | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) |
A rabbit punch is a blow delivered to the back of the head or to the base of the skull, notorious for its potential to cause severe and irreversible injuries, including spinal cord injury or even instant death.
The term "rabbit punch" dates back to the early 20th century, [1] which derives from a hunting technique where a quick, sharp strike to the back of a rabbit's head was used to ensure a swift kill without damaging the fur, considered a humane method for killing injured or trapped rabbits. [2]
Rabbit punches are illegal across all major combat sports, including boxing, [3] MMA, [4] and other combat sports [5] that involve striking due to the significant risk they pose to the spinal cord and brain stem. Such strikes can lead to catastrophic injuries, including paralysis, severe brain damage, or death, due to the vulnerability of the back of the head and neck area. The only exceptions are no-holds-barred events such as the International Vale Tudo Championship (prior to rule changes in mid-2012). [6]
Several high-profile incidents have underscored the dangers of rabbit punches:
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The consequences of delivering a rabbit punch are taken very seriously within the realm of combat sports, reflecting the significant danger these strikes pose to the health and safety of athletes. The enforcement of penalties for rabbit punches is governed by the specific rules of the sporting organisation overseeing the event, which may include boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), kickboxing, and other martial arts competitions.
Intentional rabbit punches are considered severe violations of the rules due to their potential to cause critical injury to the spinal cord or brain stem. Athletes that are found guilty of intentionally delivering such strikes can face a range of penalties, including:
Unintentional rabbit punches, while still dangerous, are recognised as accidental in nature and are typically met with less severe penalties, such as:
Boxing is a combat sport and a martial art in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.
Kickboxing is a full-contact combat sport and a form of boxing based on punching and kicking. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or for competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: Full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, and Savate.
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, as well as fighting-based video games. A full knockout is considered any legal strike or combination thereof that renders an opponent unable to continue fighting.
Muay Thai, sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "Art of eight limbs", as it is characterised by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by The Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (P.A.T.), sanctioned by The Sports Authority of Thailand (S.A.T.).
No contest is a technical term used in some combat sports to describe a fight that ends for reasons outside the fighters' hands, without a winner or loser. The concept carried over to professional wrestling, where it is far more common, usually scripted to further a feud, generate heat and/or protect a push.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993.
The Marquess of Queensberry Rules, also known as Queensbury Rules, are a code of generally accepted rules in the sport of boxing. Drafted in London in 1865 and published in 1867, they were named so as the 9th Marquess of Queensberry publicly endorsed the code, although they were written by a Welsh sportsman named John Graham Chambers from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. The code of rules on which modern boxing is based, the Queensberry rules were the first to mandate the use of gloves in boxing.
A technical decision is a term used in boxing when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt.
In combat sports, a spinal lock is a multiple joint lock applied to the spinal column, which is performed by forcing the spine beyond its normal ranges of motion. This is typically done by bending or twisting the head or upper body into abnormal positions. Commonly, spinal locks might strain the spinal musculature or result in a mild spinal sprain, while a forcefully and/or suddenly applied spinal lock may cause severe ligament damage or damage to the vertebrae, and possibly result in serious spinal cord injury, stroke, or death. Spinal locks and cervical locks are forbidden in IBJJF Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions, amateur mixed martial arts (MMA), multiple forms of no Gi jiu-jitsu, judo, and other martial arts. However, professional MMA and some Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions do permit spinal locks and, particularly, neck cranks, and such moves are trained in various MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu schools.
Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and managed by Elite XC until that company ceased operating, and the British promoters behind Cage Rage formed a new organization and withdrew all the old Cage Rage titles. Matchmaker and on-screen personality Dave O'Donnell was also a minority shareholder in the company. Fellow on-screen personality and co-promoter Andy Geer also owned a minority stake until he left the promotion in 2008. Cage Rage events were replayed on Nuts TV, along with their own weekday show on The Fight Network until these channels closed down. Every Cage Rage event and bout is now archived as part of the UFC Fight Pass library.
Most rule sets for mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions have evolved since the early days of Vale Tudo. As a result of health, legal, and moral concerns, many different rulesets were created, which give different countries and promotions very different tactics and strategies. Similarly, shoot wrestling organizations, such as Shooto, expanded their rulesets to integrate elements of Vale Tudo into their sport. However, for the most part, fighters accustomed to one rule set can easily acclimate to the others.
Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) is the first and only professional mixed martial arts promotion based in the Philippines. Its inaugural event was held at the Casino Filipino Amphitheater in Parañaque, Philippines on November 23, 2002. The URCC is under the supervision of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the government agency that sanctions games such as billiards, boxing and basketball. The URCC was founded in 2002 by Filipino BJJ Black belt [[Alvin Aguilar] ]Franz von Muhlfeld, Jed Dario and Irwin Tieng. The matches and events of the URCC aired on ABS-CBN Sports and Action and ABS-CBN Sports and Action HD, URCC's official broadcast partner.
As of 2023, there have been seventeen recorded deaths resulting from sanctioned mixed martial arts contests and nine from unregulated bouts, none however in the largest MMA promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship. A 2006 study suggests that the risk of injury in general in MMA is comparable to that in professional boxing. For professional boxing matches, the Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection lists 923 deaths during the 118-year period of 1890–2008.
A disqualification is a term used when a bout is stopped short of knockout or judges' decision because, intentionally, one or both contestants have repeatedly or flagrantly fouled an opponent or violated other rules. The disqualified boxer automatically loses the bout to the opponent. If both are disqualified, the result is usually declared a no contest regardless of round.
The Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting (WXC) is a Michigan-based mixed martial arts promotion and is one of the smallest promotions in the world. Based in the United States, the WXC has eight weight divisions and enforces the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Norbert Pasztor serves as the president of the WXC.
A catastrophic injury is a severe injury to the spine, spinal cord, or brain. It may also include skull or spinal fractures. This is a subset of the definition for the legal term catastrophic injury, which is based on the definition used by the American Medical Association.
World Series of Fighting (Canada) formerly Aggression Fighting Championship, Aggression MMA and Armageddon Fighting Championship is a Canadian Mixed Martial Arts promotion based out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The promotions made their debuts in 2009. Armageddon Fighting Championship and Aggression MMA merged in 2012 to create Aggression Fighting Championship. In September 2013, World Series of Fighting purchased the Aggression Fighting Championship organization to enter the Canadian market, but it was later found out the AFC executives closed down the company to join a new organization WSOF Canada.
Rumble on the Rock was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company in promotion with K-1 and operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group and Rumble World Entertainment. Headquartered Hawaii, Rumble on the Rock was formed in 2003 and enforces the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts with events structured around tournaments.
The Federation of Mixed Impact Martial Arts R-1 is a promotional organization aimed at mixed martial arts "R-1" development and popularization in Russia. The R-1 Federation unites various aspects of martial arts. R-1 rules are based on research into preferences of tournament participants and spectators. The rules are intended to guarantee maximum entertainment. A related product called Combat Time R-1 emerged on the world professional sports arena.
Prichard Colón Meléndez is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer, honorary WBC World Champion, and gold medal winner at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championship in the 64 kg category. After a 2015 match with Terrel Williams, in which he was struck in the back of his head, Colón collapsed in the dressing room and remained in a coma for 221 days due to a brain hemorrhage. He was then in a persistent vegetative state and unable to speak. He was eventually released from the hospital, and is currently receiving physiotherapy and is now able to communicate through the use of a computer.
