George’s Curious Pants
Jake Rossen Feb 23, 2010
Daniel Herbertson/Sherdog.com
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That’s the gist of an email from reader Joseph H, and it brings up a valid point. The Unified Rules state only that “each contestant shall wear mixed martial arts shorts, biking shorts, or kick-boxing shorts.” It does not specifically preclude spandex leggings, which could potentially help secure a sweat-soaked appendage later in a fight. This is nothing if not a sensible fashion choice.
Does it matter? Is it “unfair”? Only if Stevenson was unable to do the same thing. And having that much wrap around the legs and ankles certainly opens Sotiropoulos to offense from his opponent: lack of sweat could have helped Stevenson grab a leg submission, though those typically aren’t as easy to secure.
But if the attire opens up dialogue about a little rules reform -- that’s a good thing. This sport is still very much a work in progress.
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