Referee's immediate reaction to Cody Gibson making history with newly changed 12-6 elbow rule at UFC Edmonton

UFC bantamweight contender Cody Gibson acknowledged the game-changing potential of a newly revised ruleset and made it count in his clash against Chad Anheliger at UFC Edmonton. With the infamous 12-6 elbow no longer a foul, Gibson leveraged the technique to inflict damage on his opponent.

Gibson controlled the bout against Anheliger from the opening sequence, using his superior grappling skills to keep the fight in his desired terrain. During one grappling exchange, Gibson unleashed a series of powerful 12-6 elbows that opened up a cut on his opponent.

The legalization of the 12-6 elbow, a previously banned strike due to concerns over its potential to cause severe damage, was amongst the most significant updates in the unified rules. This rule had historically hindered fighters, most notably in Jon Jones' loss against Matt Hammill, where 'Bones' was disqualified for landing a series of 12-6 elbows on his opponent.

Following the win, Gibson shared the immediate reaction of referee Jerin Valel, who was officiating the fight. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Gibson said:

"The ref came up to me after the fight and said, 'You were the first person ever to cut a guy with a 12-6 elbow, legally.' I said, 'If nothing else, I will go down in history books for the one right, right?'"

Check out Cody Gibson's comments below:

As for his performance, Gibson remained a step ahead throughout the fight, shutting down Anheliger’s attempts to initiate striking exchanges by attacking with takedowns and submission attempts. His well-rounded performance earned him a decisive unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) and his second win of the year.

'The Renegade' kicked off the year with a unanimous decision loss to Miles Johns in March. Following the setback, he returned to action against Brian Kelleher in July and secured a first-round submission win. With the recent win at UFC Edmonton, Gibson improved his record to 2-2 in his second stint with the world's premier MMA organization.