California commission moves toward ban, with White's backing

Santos says technique is defensible and should remain legal

Thiago Santos (right) attempts a counter after slipping Jon Jones' spinning back kick during their UFC light heavyweight title fight at UFC 239 in July 2019. [Getty Images]
Thiago Santos (right) attempts a counter after slipping Jon Jones' spinning back kick during their UFC light heavyweight title fight at UFC 239 in July 2019. [Getty Images]

Thiago Santos of Brazil, a former UFC title challenger whose knee was badly damaged by Jon "Bones" Jones' oblique kick, has come out against banning the technique — a stance few expected from him.

MMA Fighting reported Sunday (Korean Standard Time) that Santos weighed in on the renewed debate over banning the oblique kick, saying he personally does not believe it needs to be outlawed.

The oblique kick targets the knee or upper thigh, driving into the joint from the front or at an angle. Because it can strike directly at a weight-bearing knee, the technique has long drawn controversy over the risk of serious injury. It became widely known during Jones' dominant reign as UFC light heavyweight champion, when he used it frequently.

The latest push to ban the move came from Andy Foster, executive director of the California State Athletic Commission. According to MMA Fighting, Foster said after UFC 331 that the commission needed to discuss designating kicks aimed at the side of the knee as fouls under the Unified Rules of MMA.

UFC CEO Dana White backed Foster's call. Speaking at a Contender Series press conference, White called Foster "the most influential and best person among athletic commission officials worldwide" and said, "We don't oppose it either."

Santos, however, sees it differently — despite having suffered one of the most well-known oblique kick injuries in the sport. "I don't think it should be illegal, and I don't think it's that hard to defend," he said.

He then invoked Edson Barboza's powerful leg kicks to argue that danger alone is not sufficient grounds for a ban, noting that a clean low kick can also cause serious knee damage.

"The opponent has the option to block or pull the leg back," Santos said. "There are a few ways to avoid it — bend the knee, pull the leg back, move to the side. In my opinion, it's not a technique that should be banned."

Jon Jones throws an oblique kick. [Screen capture from UFC broadcast]
Jon Jones throws an oblique kick. [Screen capture from UFC broadcast]

Santos' comments carry particular weight given his own history. He challenged then-light heavyweight champion Jones at UFC 239 in July 2019, fighting through severe knee damage to survive all five rounds before losing by split decision, 2-1. Two judges scored it 48-47 for Jones; one scored it 48-47 for Santos.

His left knee sustained serious damage during the fight, with examinations confirming major tears to the meniscus and ligaments. His right knee had already undergone surgery before the Jones bout and required further treatment afterward, ultimately leaving Santos needing operations on both knees. It took him more than a year of rehabilitation before he returned to the octagon.

Even so, Santos argued that stricter enforcement of existing fouls should take priority over banning new techniques. Citing rabbit punches and eye pokes as prime examples, he said, "Those things need stronger penalties so fighters actually care about not committing fouls."

He also referenced the recent cases involving Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall. "Look at the former heavyweight champion who almost lost his vision," Santos said. "That's what we should really be paying attention to — not the oblique kick."

The oblique kick remains legal under the Unified Rules of MMA. In practice, the technique has caused serious harm before: in 2021, Khalil Rountree Jr. landed one on Modestas Bukauskas in a UFC bout, inflicting a severe knee injury. More recently, at UFC 331, Edmen Shahbazyan protested after Bruno Ferreira targeted his knee with a side kick, but the strike was ruled legal. That bout prompted Foster to raise the question of rule changes, bringing the oblique kick debate back to the surface.

With Santos — whose career was profoundly shaped by a knee injury sustained from the very technique in question — now opposing a ban, the debate over the oblique kick is only likely to intensify.

Meanwhile, some domestic promotions have already moved to prohibit the technique. Road FC and Black Combat both ban the oblique kick, citing the risk of serious knee injuries to fighters.


yjc@heraldcorp.com