The worlds pre-eminent mixed martial arts organization, UFC (Ultimate Fixed Clashes) has taken the bold step of banning one of the most effective and devastating maneuvers of combat sports, the moonsault.

The backflip from the top of the Octagon has “led to more injuries than any other maneuver in UFC,” said company president Dana White at a press conference this morning. “The moonsault epidemic must end.”

While the moonsault remains legal in professional wrestling (the real counterpart to UFC’s staged theatrics), its usage in mixed martial arts has always been controversial.

Conor McGregor defeated Jose Aldo at UFC 193 with a corkscrew moonsault, and Matt Serra nearly ended the career of Georges St-Pierre with a split-legged moonsault in the first round of their UFC 69 bout.

In an effort to “protect fighters from unnecessary injuries,” UFC has also banned a number of other maneuvers:

• The People’s Elbow
• The hurricarana
• The Worm
• The Mandible Claw

While some pundits say the UFC is being overly restrictive and protective, others argue that such action is necessary to prevent the danger increasing with the in introduction of career-threatening maneuvers knife-edge chops to the chest and The Five-Knuckle Shuffle.