Professional Fighters League (PFL) is making a significant rule change ahead of its 2025 season, legalizing elbows for regular season competition, as well as playoffs, bringing the promotion more in line with the unified rules of mixed martial arts (MMA).
“New year, new adjustments,” PFL head cheese Donn Davis wrote on social media. “You asked for elbows, PFL MMA is giving you elbows! All elbows. All fights. All the time. PFL MMA 2025 … COMING.”
Elbows were originally outlawed in PFL because of the season format, where fighters can often compete up to four times within a six-month period. Elbow strikes increase the risk of lacerations, thus preventing stitched-up combatants from participating on schedule.
Elbows were back in the news late last year after the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) finally legalized 12-6 elbow strikes, made famous by the Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill debacle atop the TUF 10 Finale way back in late 2009.
PFL’s inaugural “Road to Dubai” Champions Series gets underway on Jan. 25.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
