Thiago Santos Opposes Potential Ban on Oblique Kicks in MMA

California State Athletic Commission director Andy Foster and UFC CEO Dana White recently voiced support for the idea of banning oblique kicks, but former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos holds a different view. Despite having his own career severely impacted by knee injuries, Santos told MMA Fighting that he sees no reason to outlaw the technique.

Santos famously took Jon Jones to a split decision in their 2019 light heavyweight title fight at UFC 239 despite sustaining injuries to both knees. His right knee was already compromised heading into the bout, while the damage to his left knee was inflicted by lateral knee kicks during the contest. Santos subsequently underwent double knee surgery and faced a lengthy rehabilitation process, returning to action more than a year later before dropping four of his next five bouts.

"I personally don't see the need for it," Santos said regarding a potential ban. "I don't see it as an illegal technique, a technique that's that difficult to defend from. Then you're going to say it causes a lot of damage.

Man, I think a well-placed kick, like an Edson Barboza kick, a well-placed low kick to the knee can also cause a lot of damage. And the guy has the option to block it or move his leg out of the way." Santos suggested that officials should re-ban 12-6 elbows before targeting oblique kicks, warning that excessive rule changes could end up hurting the sport.

Instead of restricting legal strikes, "Marreta" argued that athletic commissions should direct their attention toward enforcing harsher penalties for existing fouls. Santos pointed to dangerous infractions such as strikes to the back of the head and eye pokes, referencing incidents involving Alex Pereira and former heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who nearly lost his vision, as issues that warrant immediate regulatory focus.