5 times UFC fighters used questionable techniques to their advantage in the octagon

#2. Punches to the back of the head – Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin at UFC 103

Vitor Belfort appeared to use punches to the back of the head to stop Rich Franklin at UFC 103

Although they’re sometimes seen as unavoidable, punches to the back of the head are an outlawed technique in the UFC due to the excess damage they can do to a fighter taking them.

A number of fighters have had points deducted for using them, Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 being one example, and some have even been disqualified. However, there's one fighter who seemingly got away with punches to the back of the head on a regular basis.

That fighter was UFC legend Vitor Belfort. The Brazilian’s use of this illegal technique is fascinating from a number of different standpoints, most notably because he never carried the reputation of being a dirty fighter.

In reality, Belfort probably didn’t necessarily mean to land punches to the back of the head of his opponents. Most of the time, it looked like he was simply throwing flurries with such ferocity that he didn’t really care which part of his opponent’s head he was hitting.

However, his use of punches to the back of the head in his 2009 clash with Rich Franklin was so egregious that it’s hard to understand why referee Yves Lavigne didn’t call foul.

Sep19.2009After a 4 year absence away from the octagon,Vitor Belfort makes his long awaited UFC return & knocks out Rich Franklin pic.twitter.com/ltddBYTZXG

— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) September 19, 2016

Even the shot that initially dropped ‘Ace’ appeared to slightly connect with the back of his ear at best. The flurry that followed was almost certainly illegal. However, Lavigne failed to spot this, allowing Belfort to claim a first-round TKO win.

And incredibly, it wasn’t the only time Belfort used this technique to tremendous effect in the UFC. A similar flurry, complete with shots to the back of the head, ended the night of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133.

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#1. Shoulder crank – Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira at UFC 172

Jon Jones used a questionable shoulder crank to injure Glover Teixeira in their 2014 clash

Perhaps no other fighter in UFC history has been accused of using questionable techniques in the octagon quite as often as Jon Jones.

The former UFC light heavyweight kingpin not only introduced the controversial oblique kick to the promotion in his 2011 clash with ‘Rampage’ Jackson, but he’s also been known to land eye pokes on his opponents on a regular basis.

Even his lone loss in the UFC came via disqualification after he used illegal downward elbows to stop Matt Hamill. However, the most questionable move ‘Bones’ ever used in the octagon wasn’t actually an illegal one, even if some fans might’ve considered it immoral.

The technique in question was used by Jones in his fight with Glover Teixeira at UFC 172. The move saw him crank the shoulder of the Brazilian with such force that his labrum was torn.

Jon Jones' shoulder crank results in torn labrum for Glover Teixeira; surgery required, per @pit_master -- http://t.co/iTAoboceah

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 2, 2014

While nothing in the UFC’s rules suggested this move was illegal, usually a fighter would have the chance to submit before suffering such an injury. In this instance, Teixeira was given no warning.

And worryingly, it appeared that Jones had lifted the technique directly from Japanese fighter Shinya Aoki. He'd snapped the arm of Keith Wisniewski using the same move almost a decade earlier.

Shinya Aoki vs Keith Wisniewski pic.twitter.com/VuUuy0Jp8k

— MEGATON (@BasedDongeezus) June 2, 2017

Whether Jones could be accused of being a dirty fighter due to his use of this move is highly debatable, but it’s definitely one of the more questionable things he’s done inside the octagon.