We could be seeing a lot less of one of MMA’s most annoying fouls if vote passes

There are two potential MMA rule changes set to be voted on Tuesday that should delight fighters and fans alike.

The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) body is set to vote on rule changes for grounded opponents and how referees deal with eye-pokes, according to MMA Fighting.

Eye-pokes have been considered one of the most annoying fouls in MMA. The likes of Urijah Faber, Jon Jones and Travis Browne have all been guilty of poking an opponent's eye in the past and UFC colour commentator Joe Rogan has been calling for the UFC gloves to be changed to a more curved design for years in order to reduce the likelihood of the foul in fights.

The new rule being proposed states a fighter can be cited for a foul if he or she is advancing with fingers extended towards their opponent's face. Fighters will be instructed to keep their fists closed or point their fingers in the air. If they continue to advance with their fingers outstretched, the referee will be allowed to remove a point, much like any other foul.

A change to the definition of the term "grounded opponent" is also being proposed. As it stands, a fighter just needs to place any part of his body other than the soles of his feet in order to be considered grounded, meaning any kicks or knees to the head would be considered a foul. The problem with this system is that often fighters will place their finger tips on the ground during a clinch as an easy way out to avoid those pesky blows to the head.

Under the new proposal, a fighter would need to have both palms or fists touching the mat, or anything else other than the soles of his or her feet touching, to be considered grounded.

They're also proposing the removal of fouls for grabbing the clavicle and heel kicks to the kidneys.

However, before you get your hopes up, be aware that even if a rule change is voted in by the ABC, the state commissions don't have to adopt them.

UPDATE: ABC body approved these rule changes although it is unlikely that the grounded opponent definition will be adopted by New Jersey who did not approve of it increasing the number of blows to the head during a fight.

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