Misfits MMA — the crossover combat promotion best known for blending influencers, boxers, and MMA fighters — is shaking up the sport again, this time with a rule that’s already dividing the community…

A time limit on all grappling exchanges.

The new rule, announced by Misfits founder Mams Taylor during an interview with Ariel Helwani, will require referees to stand fighters up after a fixed amount of time on the ground.

Yes, even if a submission attempt is in progress:

I guess a lot of people will be excited about it and a lot of people will hate it.

There will be a time limit on remaining on the ground.
You’re going to have to get up after a certain set time, and the referee will ensure that you stand…

If the timer runs out and you’re in a Rear Naked Choke, you get stood up, it doesn’t matter.

The move has sent shockwaves through both the MMA and grappling worlds, with many critics calling it a step backward for the sport.

Fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Khamzat Chimaev, who built their careers on pressure, control, and ground-and-pound, would find their strategies all but impossible under such restrictions.
The rule would also favor pure strikers, turning Misfits’ version of MMA into something far closer to kickboxing with takedowns.

The irony, many have pointed out, is that Misfits’ own cruiserweight champion, Dillon Danis, is a submission specialist — and the only champion the promotion currently has.
While his title win, secured in just 15 seconds, wouldn’t have been affected by the rule, Danis himself is unlikely to support a format that undermines grapplers entirely.

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