Last night the IAPA revealed a new national governing body called the Irish Mixed Martial Arts Association (IMMAA) and that it will implement the established IMMAF rules and guidelines.

So what does that mean for promoters and amateur fights? Here are a list of some of the rules:

Weigh-ins for amateur contestants shall be on the day of competition. There should be a period of no less than 1 hour before competition and no longer than 8 hours between weigh-in and competition.

Contestants are required to provide certificates for Hepatitis B (HBsAg), HepatitisC (HCVsAb) and HIV tests. These certificates cannot be older than 1 year.

Video Screens: The promoter of a mixed martial arts contest or exhibition shall hang at least 2 video screens which meet the approval of the commission or its executive director and which allow the patrons to view the action inside the fenced area.

All contestants shall wear gloves weighing minimum of no less that 6 ounces and no more than 8 ounces, which shall be supplied by the promoter and approved by the commission. Contestants are not permitted to supply their own gloves.

The use of shin and rash guards shall be a mandatory requirement for amateur mixed martial arts competition. Shin guards shall be a tight fighting pull-on sock/neoprene type shin guard. The use of shin guards with Velcro type strap fasteners or utilizing any substance other than which the shin guard is made of shall be forbidden.

Forbidden techniques: 1) Elbow and forearm strikes of any kind 2) Heel Hook 3) Twisters/Sit through crucifix and/or any submission deemed as applying pressure to the spine 4) Knees to the head at any point.

Contestant’s Physical Appearance: Each contestant must be clean and present a tidy appearance. The commission’s representative shall determine whether head or facial hair presents any hazard to the safety of the contestant or his opponent or will interfere with the supervision and conduct of the contest.

There shall be at least 1 GMC Registered Doctor and a minimum of 2 paramedics present at all events.