Cage Rage is promoted by Dave O'Donnell and Andy Geer, who have also served as on-screen personalities for Cage Rage TV shows and DVD releases. Cage Rage events are shown on Sky Sports, along with a weekday show on TWC Fight!.
Cage Rage boasts links with some of the top MMA camps in the world such as AMC Pankration and Chute Boxe Academy, who have had fighters competing since the first Cage Rage event.
Rules
Cage Rage's current rules are based upon the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that were originally established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board and modified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. These rules have been adopted across the US in other states that regulate mixed martial arts. As a result, they have become the standard de facto set of rules for professional mixed martial arts across the US and for cage-based MMA worldwide.
As of Cage Rage 13, amendments to the Unified Rules have been made, most notably the "Open Guard" rule and the banning of elbow strikes to a downed opponent.
Rounds
All Cage Rage fights are contested over three, five minute rounds. There is a one minute rest period in-between rounds.
Weight divisions
Cage Rage currently uses six weight classes:
- Featherweight: 61 - 66 kg (136 - 145 lb)
- Lightweight: 66 - 70 kg (146 - 155 lb)
- Welterweight: 71 - 77 kg (156 - 170 lb)
- Middleweight: 78 - 84 kg (171 - 185 lb)
- Light Heavyweight: 84 - 93 kg (186 - 205 lbs)
- Heavyweight: Over 93 kg (205 lbs)
Cage
Cage Rage uses an octagonal caged arena to stage bouts similar to the UFC's trademark Octagon, though it is smaller in size. It has foam padding around the top and between each of the eight sections and has two entry/exit gates on opposite sides. The canvas is marked with a line that is a metre away from the fence at all points.
Attire
As per the Unified Rules of MMA, Cage Rage only allows competitors to fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4-6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab.
Match outcome
Matches usually end via:
- Submission: a fighter taps on the mat or his opponent three times (or more) or verbally submits.
- Knockout: a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue.
- Technical Knockout: stoppage of the fight by the referee if it is determined a fighter cannot "intelligently defend" himself or by ringside doctor due to injury.
- Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as:
- unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for one fighter),
- split decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with the third for the other),
- majority decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with one for a draw),
- unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw),
- majority draw (two judges score a draw).
- split draw (the total points for each fighter is equal)
A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical draw, disqualification, forfeit or no contest.
Judging criteria
The ten-point must system is in effect for all Cage Rage fights; three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. The decision is announced at the end of the match but Cage Rage do not announce the judge's scorecards.
Fouls
The following are considered fouls in Cage Rage:
- Butting with the head.
- Eye gouging of any kind.
- Biting.
- Hair pulling.
- Fish hooking.
- Groin attacks of any kind.
- Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent. (see Gouging)
- Small joint manipulation.
- Striking to the spine or the back of the head. (see Rabbit punch)
- Striking downward using the point of the elbow. (see Elbow (strike))
- Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
- Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
- Grabbing the clavicle.
- Kicking the head of a grounded opponent, unless an open guard has been called (as of 10 September 2005).
- Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent, unless an open guard has been called (as of 10 September 2005).
- Stomping a grounded opponent, unless an open guard has been called (as of 10 September 2005).
- Elbow strikes to a grounded opponent (as of 10 September 2005).
- Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
- Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck. (see piledriver (professional wrestling))
- Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.
- Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
- Spitting at an opponent.
- Engaging in an unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
- Holding the ropes or the fence.
- Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
- Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
- Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
- Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.
- Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
- Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
- Interference by the corner.
- Throwing in the towel during competition.
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
Match conduct
The referee has the right to stop the fighters and stand them up if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant position nor work toward one) after a verbal warning.
The "Open Guard" rule
Cage Rage is the home of a unique rule in the world of cage-based MMA; the "open guard" rule. Designed to prevent stalling on the ground, it allows a standing fighter to use strikes on a downed opponent that would otherwise be fouls.
If a downed fighter is at least a metre away from the cage, on his back and able to avoid or defend against attacks, the referee will raise his arm and call "open guard". Once an open guard is called, the standing fighter can use the following attacks on their opponent:
- stomps,
- kicks or knees to the head, or
- flying attacks.
Unless an open guard has been called, these strikes are fouls.
This rule was introduced at Cage Rage 13 and was designed to prevent a fighter from laying in an open guard where his opponent can only throw leg kicks or drop to initiate grappling.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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