Should calf kicks become an illegal strike?

[Chael_Sonnen]

It’s not like that at all, because straight punches don’t make a fight less fun by rendering a guy unable to move properly.

But whatever, the bottom line is that you’re right — like other tactical innovations of the past, fighters will find a new way to fight that makes them less vulnerable. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.

Ehh, I find calf kicks fun. Its just a different type of damage. Seeing someone do to a knee cause of a calf kick is just as fun as seeing someone get rocked by a punch imo.

 

[Emjay]

Should we allow groin strikes, eye gouges and small joint manipulation? After all, guys could just play defense against them.

Well, considering fighters probably want to be able to procreate, see, and open doors and use everyday household items after they're done fighting it makes sense that intentionally attacking these areas aren't allowed as they could do permanent harm to vital life functions.

This is where you make the argument against strikes to the head.

 

[OldFashion]

Besides it being absolutely stupid and unreasonable to ban them, how would you even do it? I imagine you don't want to ban leg kicks entirely so what would happen is that fighters would land a ton of accidental calf kicks that could potentially end fights early or lead to point reductions where the better fighter will lose because he lands one unintentionally. It's not practical at all.

 

[RemyR]

Fuck no they shouldn’t be illegal. What’s next, punching someone in the face has proven to be too effective so you can’t do that anymore?

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Fighters need to learn to check em, if someone checks a calf kick and their leg breaks Anderson Silva style that shit would stop quick.

This. If you can't check them, just like if you can't defend TD's, you shouldn't be in the UFC. Its as simple as that.

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

Well, considering fighters probably want to be able to procreate, see, and open doors and use everyday household items after they're done fighting it makes sense that intentionally attacking these areas aren't allowed as they could do permanent harm to vital life functions.

This is where you make the argument against strikes to the head.

The only household item they truly need after a long and storied career taking shots to the head is a feeding tube, and they should have no problem using that.

 

[Lusiv]

Aldo already checked one did he not?

 

[Emjay]

The only household item they truly need after a long and storied career taking shots to the head is a feeding tube, and they should have no problem using that.

I wasn't talking about after their career was over, I was talking more like the Monday after a fight

 

[Atomic 187]

Calf kicks for everyone

 

[1AM]

Oblique kicks should be banned also then ?? Oblique kick's can end a career.

 

[PanicWrassler]

Ban all strikes.

 

[Ideanudge]

Very stupid to call for a calf kick ban. You can check it and you can evade it.

 

[DebtCollectorMMA]

We need Aldo to train the roster.

 

[JosephTessaro]

**Thread merged. I don't believe they should be banned. This wasn't my thread title**

Calf kick, calf kick, calf kick. Whether in commentary form or spamming them in the fight. I know sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to win, but since it exploded in popularity it's getting a bit old. Even the commentators just brought up this mindset as I'm typing this. I can't wait until somebody brings a counter to MMA and slow this stuff down. As Bisping just said, I don't want to start seeing calf kick competitions.

Yes. They should also ban face punches and head kicks.

 

[Sausage_Carius]

No. It allows fighters who aren't athletic freaks a chance to win using skill over pure athleticism. Joanna has been using them as far back as her rematch with Rose. A lot of people dismissed them as ineffective because they didn't realize what she was trying to do.

Some moron here or on Reddit made a self congratulatory video to own the noobs claiming Joanna's kicks were ineffective and pointed out how she was just slapping the leg. You don't need to take the opponent's leg out from under them. You just need to flick it like a jab and hit the right spot lightly. She just failed to do that or enough to matter.

 

[BayAreaGuy]

It's the same rational that was discussed years ago by MMA leagues about banning elbows because they can cause fight ending cuts. It's not an ending that people want to see.

The fact is, people don't want to see calf kicks. People want punchs and high kicks. Realistically they could make fights boring if people start keeping a distance.

 

[Quietus]

If anything oblique kicks should be banned because the end result of them can tear someone's knee and compromise their entire career. A calf kick just makes someone's leg go dead for a bit and then they're fine later.

 

[Nuclear Fallout]

Instead of calf kicks fighters should make love to each other.

Don't you threaten me with a good time

 

[Sausage_Carius]

If anything oblique kicks should be banned because the end result of them can tear someone's knee and compromise their entire career. A calf kick just makes someone's leg go dead for a bit and then they're fine later.

Oblique kicks also require a high level of skill to counter. Both of which require top foot work and timing.

See Rose counter it vs Waterson by stepping on the inside and behind the oblique kick and using her athleticism and TKD training to kick her in the jaw.

See Joanna bait the oblique kick from again Waterson and move her knee just out of the way letting the kick go past in between her legs and kick Waterson in the face with the other leg coming over the top. She used the other leg the exact same way in the now famous kick she landed on Weili's jaw.

 

[SithJiuJitsu]

I mean honestly, I kind of think so. The “toughest” guys in the world shouldn’t be whoever is the best leg kicker/footstomper/cageholder. The way I see it is if MMA had (almost) no rules and was supposed to emulate a real street fight and nut shots were legal, then that would mean the best fighter in the world is the best nut kicker, and that just wouldn’t be cool.