New Mexico MMA Rules
New Mexico Athletic Commission
Amateur: New Mexico Amateur MMA Rules
Effective September 9, 2026
- Rounds and round length Depends on event By default, amateur bouts follow the same limits as professional bouts: up to five rounds of three or five minutes, and no more than five rounds or 25 minutes in 24 hours. With the Commission's prior approval, a promoter may request three-minute rounds for an amateur contest.
- Rest between rounds Required Fighters get one minute of rest between rounds.
- Elbow strikes Depends on event Elbow strikes are not a listed foul by default, but a promoter may request, with the Commission's prior approval, a no-elbows-to-the-head rule for an amateur contest. Elbows to the back of the head, spine, or throat are fouls. The treatment of downward 12-to-6 elbows for amateurs is listed separately.
- Downward 12-to-6 elbows Unclear The amateur exceptions list the downward 12-to-6 elbow, but the wording does not clearly say whether it is banned for amateurs. 15.6.20.15.AA says amateurs follow the foul rules "except" this item, which can be read either as an extra amateur foul or as an exemption. Confirm with the Commission before relying on either reading.
- Upward kicks to the head or neck Unclear The amateur exceptions list upward kicks to the head or neck, including from the bottom position, but the wording does not clearly say whether they are banned for amateurs. 15.6.20.15.AA says amateurs follow the foul rules "except" this item, which can be read either as an extra amateur foul or as an exemption. Confirm with the Commission before relying on either reading.
- Twisting leg submissions Depends on event Twisting leg submissions are not a listed foul by default. With the Commission's prior approval, a promoter may request other safety rules for an amateur contest.
- Linear kicks to the knee Depends on event Kicks to the knee are not a listed foul by default. With the Commission's prior approval, a promoter may request other safety rules for an amateur contest.
- Foot stomps Allowed Stomping the feet of a standing fighter is not a foul.
- Stomping a grounded opponent Prohibited Stomping a grounded opponent is a foul. Stomping means lifting the leg, bending the knee, and striking with the bottom of the foot or heel; axe kicks are not stomping.
- Strikes to the back of the head or spine Prohibited Striking the spine or the back of the head is a foul. The back of the head runs from the crown to the nape of the neck, within an inch either side of center, and the zone continues down the spine to the tailbone.
- Kicks and knees to a grounded opponent's head Prohibited Kicking or kneeing the head of a grounded opponent is a foul. A fighter is grounded when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas.
- Knees and kicks to a standing opponent's head Depends on event By default, knees and kicks to the head are fouls only when the opponent is grounded, but a promoter may request, with the Commission's prior approval, a no-knees-to-the-head rule for an amateur contest. A fighter is grounded when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas.
- Headbutts Prohibited Using the head as a striking instrument in any way is a foul.
- Groin attacks Prohibited Any attack to the groin, including striking, grabbing, pinching, or twisting, is a foul for men and women alike.
- Throat strikes Prohibited Directed throat strikes, grabbing the trachea, and gouging fingers into the neck are fouls. A strike thrown during stand-up action that happens to land on the throat is a legal blow.
- Heel kicks to the kidney Depends on event Heel kicks to the kidney are not a listed foul by default; the September 9, 2026 amendment deleted this foul. With the Commission's prior approval, a promoter may request other safety rules for an amateur contest.
- Grabbing the clavicle Depends on event Grabbing the clavicle is not a listed foul by default; the September 9, 2026 amendment deleted this foul. With the Commission's prior approval, a promoter may request other safety rules for an amateur contest.
- Eye gouging Prohibited Eye gouging of any kind, with fingers, chin, or elbow, is a foul. Legal strikes that land in the eye socket are not eye gouging.
- Fingers outstretched toward the face Prohibited Holding fingers outstretched toward an opponent's face or eyes is a foul.
- Fish hooking and fingers in orifices Prohibited Fish hooking, and putting a finger into any orifice, cut, or laceration, are fouls.
- Biting and spitting Prohibited Biting, and spitting at an opponent, are fouls.
- Hair pulling Prohibited Pulling an opponent's hair is a foul, and a fighter may not use their own hair to hold or choke.
- Clawing and pinching Prohibited Clawing, pinching, or twisting the flesh is a foul.
- Small-joint manipulation Prohibited Manipulating fingers or toes is a foul. Grabbing the majority of the fingers or toes at once is allowed.
- Spiking onto the head or neck Prohibited Pile-driving an opponent onto their head or neck is a foul. Throws with an arc are legal even if the head hits the canvas, and a fighter caught in a submission may slam their opponent.
- Grabbing the fence, ropes, shorts, or gloves Prohibited Grabbing the fence with fingers or toes, holding the ropes, and controlling an opponent by their shorts or gloves are fouls. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or cage is also a foul. Pushing off the fence is legal, and so is holding your own gloves or shorts. A fence grab can cost a point, and the fighters are restarted standing if the foul won the fouling fighter a better position.
- Stalling and timidity Prohibited Timidity is a foul, including avoiding contact, running from the action, falsely claiming a foul or injury, and dropping or spitting out the mouthpiece to stall.
- Foul penalties Required The referee warns for fouls and may deduct points, in the round the foul happened. Three warnings mean disqualification, and a fighter whose deliberate foul leaves the opponent unable to continue is disqualified. An accidental foul that stops the bout early is a no contest; later, the completed rounds are scored.
- Gloves Required Fighters wear professional-quality gloves of 4 to 8 oz, with the make and type approved in advance by the Commission.
- Mouthpiece Required Every fighter must wear a fitted mouthpiece, and a round cannot start without it. The referee may deduct points if a fighter purposely spits it out.
- Groin protection and attire Required Male fighters wear groin protection and no upper-body clothing. Female fighters wear a form-fitting rash guard or sports bra; breast protectors are not allowed. Trunks may not extend below the knee or have exposed Velcro, pockets, or zippers. No shoes, jewelry, or body cosmetics. Apart from hand wraps, nothing may be worn on the upper body; soft neoprene knee or ankle sleeves are the only joint coverings. The Commission may require other protective gear.
- Headgear Depends on event The rules do not require headgear, but the Commission may require any protective gear it deems necessary.
- Shin guards Depends on event The rules do not require shin guards, and otherwise allow only soft neoprene knee or ankle sleeves as joint coverings, but the Commission may require any protective gear it deems necessary.
- Scoring Required At least three judges score each round on the 10-point must system, using the ABC scoring criteria. No fractional points.
Professional: New Mexico Professional MMA Rules
Effective September 9, 2026
- Rounds and round length Conditional Non-title bouts are up to five rounds and title bouts are five rounds. Rounds are three or five minutes. No fighter may compete more than five rounds or 25 minutes in a 24-hour period.
- Rest between rounds Required Fighters get one minute of rest between rounds.
- Elbow strikes Allowed Elbow strikes, including downward 12-to-6 elbows, are not fouls for professionals. The September 9, 2026 amendment removed 12-to-6 elbows from the general foul list; they now appear only in the amateur exceptions. Elbows to the back of the head, spine, or throat are still fouls.
- Twisting leg submissions Unclear New Mexico's MMA foul list does not mention heel hooks or other twisting leg submissions. New Mexico's MMA foul list does not address it, and professionals also follow the current ABC rules adopted by reference (15.6.9.8 NMAC), whose exact version is unconfirmed. Confirm with the Commission.
- Linear kicks to the knee Unclear New Mexico's MMA foul list does not mention linear or oblique kicks to the knee. New Mexico's MMA foul list does not address it, and professionals also follow the current ABC rules adopted by reference (15.6.9.8 NMAC), whose exact version is unconfirmed. Confirm with the Commission.
- Foot stomps Allowed Stomping the feet of a standing fighter is not a foul.
- Stomping a grounded opponent Prohibited Stomping a grounded opponent is a foul. Stomping means lifting the leg, bending the knee, and striking with the bottom of the foot or heel; axe kicks are not stomping.
- Strikes to the back of the head or spine Prohibited Striking the spine or the back of the head is a foul. The back of the head runs from the crown to the nape of the neck, within an inch either side of center, and the zone continues down the spine to the tailbone.
- Knees and kicks to a standing opponent's head Allowed Knees and kicks to the head are fouls only when the opponent is grounded. A fighter is grounded when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas.
- Kicks and knees to a grounded opponent's head Prohibited Kicking or kneeing the head of a grounded opponent is a foul. A fighter is grounded when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas.
- Headbutts Prohibited Using the head as a striking instrument in any way is a foul.
- Groin attacks Prohibited Any attack to the groin, including striking, grabbing, pinching, or twisting, is a foul for men and women alike.
- Heel kicks to the kidney Allowed Heel kicks to the kidney are no longer a foul. The September 9, 2026 amendment deleted this foul from New Mexico's list.
- Grabbing the clavicle Allowed Grabbing the clavicle is no longer a foul. The September 9, 2026 amendment deleted this foul from New Mexico's list.
- Throat strikes Prohibited Directed throat strikes, grabbing the trachea, and gouging fingers into the neck are fouls. A strike thrown during stand-up action that happens to land on the throat is a legal blow.
- Eye gouging Prohibited Eye gouging of any kind, with fingers, chin, or elbow, is a foul. Legal strikes that land in the eye socket are not eye gouging.
- Fingers outstretched toward the face Prohibited Holding fingers outstretched toward an opponent's face or eyes is a foul.
- Fish hooking and fingers in orifices Prohibited Fish hooking, and putting a finger into any orifice, cut, or laceration, are fouls.
- Biting and spitting Prohibited Biting, and spitting at an opponent, are fouls.
- Hair pulling Prohibited Pulling an opponent's hair is a foul, and a fighter may not use their own hair to hold or choke.
- Clawing and pinching Prohibited Clawing, pinching, or twisting the flesh is a foul.
- Small-joint manipulation Prohibited Manipulating fingers or toes is a foul. Grabbing the majority of the fingers or toes at once is allowed.
- Spiking onto the head or neck Prohibited Pile-driving an opponent onto their head or neck is a foul. Throws with an arc are legal even if the head hits the canvas, and a fighter caught in a submission may slam their opponent.
- Grabbing the fence, ropes, shorts, or gloves Prohibited Grabbing the fence with fingers or toes, holding the ropes, and controlling an opponent by their shorts or gloves are fouls. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or cage is also a foul. Pushing off the fence is legal, and so is holding your own gloves or shorts. A fence grab can cost a point, and the fighters are restarted standing if the foul won the fouling fighter a better position.
- Foul penalties Required The referee warns for fouls and may deduct points, in the round the foul happened. Three warnings mean disqualification, and a fighter whose deliberate foul leaves the opponent unable to continue is disqualified. An accidental foul that stops the bout early is a no contest; later, the completed rounds are scored. Part 9 (15.6.9.8 NMAC, subsection M) states a fixed one-point penalty per foul, which conflicts with the discretionary MMA deduction in 15.6.20.16; the number of points for a given foul is not settled by the sources. Confirm with the Commission.
- Stalling and timidity Prohibited Timidity is a foul, including avoiding contact, running from the action, falsely claiming a foul or injury, and dropping or spitting out the mouthpiece to stall.
- Gloves Required Fighters wear professional-quality gloves of 4 to 8 oz, with the make and type approved in advance by the Commission.
- Mouthpiece Required Every fighter must wear a fitted mouthpiece, and a round cannot start without it. The referee may deduct points if a fighter purposely spits it out.
- Groin protection and attire Required Male fighters wear groin protection and no upper-body clothing. Female fighters wear a form-fitting rash guard or sports bra; breast protectors are not allowed. Trunks may not extend below the knee or have exposed Velcro, pockets, or zippers. No shoes, jewelry, or body cosmetics. Apart from hand wraps, nothing may be worn on the upper body; soft neoprene knee or ankle sleeves are the only joint coverings. The Commission may require other protective gear.
- Scoring Required At least three judges score each round on the 10-point must system, using the ABC scoring criteria. No fractional points.
Official sources
Rules can change. Confirm event-specific requirements with the commission or promotion.
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