The ability to kick, either in a defensive or offensive capacity is a major fundamental in many martial arts. Some of the arts like Karate, Kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do require a major emphasis on kicking and almost all of the branches of martial arts require the proficiency of kicking to some degree.
In UFC, there are many fighters who have mastered the art of kicking, and their perfect execution is a sight to behold. Unless you are at the receiving end, of course!
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Here we look at the best kickers in UFC at present in no particular order.
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Yair Rodriguez
Yair Rodriguez rose to fame when he won Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. And the rising featherweight is already making headlines for his vicious kicking ability.
The Mexican youngster knocked out Andre Fili in spectacular fashion at UFC 197. Midway through the second round, Rodriguez landed a jump kick to Fili’s chin. Fili dropped like a house of cards and the match official stepped in before Rodriguez could inflict any more damage. The UFC fraternity was pleased with the ferocity of the young fighter and veteran fighters took to twitter to express their congratulations.
Although he is just a few fights old, he is currently undefeated. And he displays his kicking abilities in each and every fight. He is a Tae Kwon Do specialist.
Future holds only success for Rodriguez. If he continues to be consistent in his approach.
You can watch his knockout of Andre Fili here:
Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson
Stephen Thompson came into the UFC, he was already a highly acclaimed Karate specialist. He destroyed his first opponent, but experienced problems as he couldn’t grapple effectively. Years down the line, his fighting has improved tremendously and he has moved up ranks in the welterweight division.
One of the key principles in kicking is the pivot of the standing leg. And Thompson demonstrated it neatly in his first UFC bout against Dan Stiggen. Occasionally he does a type of short cut high kick that he used to knock out James DeCore in WCL.
But the main flaw in his game is that, he sometimes is just short of accuracy and that has cost him dearly. Missed side kicks an even successful hook kicks often expose the fighter's back momentarily.
However, he defeated Rory MacDonald at UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson and it will surely lead to a title shot.
One of the few old school fighters in the UFC, he has tremendous kicking abilities and he is living upto his ‘Wonderboy’ moniker.
Lyoto Machida
For starters, Lyoto Machida is called ‘The Dragon’. Once you get to see him in action, you will know why.
Experienced fighters such as Mark Munoz, C B Dollaway and the legendary Randy Couture have been at the receiving ends of Machida’s kicks. His style is unique and complex as he mixes elements of Sumo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Shotokan Karate and Muay Thai along with his speed and footwork. His unorthodox style makes him even more unpredictable.
His bout with Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture bears testimony of his kicking prowess. All MMA fans are well acquainted with the movie ‘The Karate Kid’ where the protagonist delivers the final knockout kick to his opponent’s face. The kick became famous as the ‘Crane Kick’.
And Machida, the go-to Karate guy in the UFC, knocked out Couture in the same way. And it became one of the most spectacular knockouts ever in UFC history. That, too on a player of Couture’s stature. Machida has been dubbed as ‘The Karate Kid’ ever since.
Machida credits his father and former action movie star Steven Seagal for perfecting his technique. Machida’s close friend and all time UFC great Anderson Silva also enlisted Seagal’s help before his fight against Vitor Belfort. He also knocked out Belfort with a kick to the face at UFC 126.
Machida is a fearsome fighter. And he kicks really hard. His 41% striking ability in his fights prove that. He is deadly accurate.
You can watch the video of Lyoto Machida’s Crane Kick against Randy Couture below:
Edson Barboza
Without a doubt, Edson Barboza has the fastest kicks in MMA. The only reason he hasn’t been given a title shot yet is because of his 18-4 record. It is certainly not bad, but the Lightweight division in UFC is the most competitive weight division. On the right night, the guy could probably beat anyone at his weight but he just keeps taking key losses.
Barboza has been improving game after game. The Cerrone loss showed he needed to improve his striking defense, he showed improved head movement and parrying in his next few bouts. The Michael Johnson loss showed he needed to learn how to circle off the cage and handle pressure fighters, he showed improved footwork in his next bout against Felder and was doing well against Ferguson, but ‘El Cucuy’ is just relentless. Barboza executed some great kicks against Ferguson but ultimately lost out.
The leg kick is one of the most underutilized techniques in MMA today. Many fighters use it, but few use it as a main weapon of their arsenal and Barboza’s execution of the kick is perfect. Jose Aldo is another fighter with a complete mastery of the kick. Barboza will be remembered for his low kicks and his flying wheel knockout of Terry Etim and Njoukani, but he has substantial flaws in his game, which at times makes him more vulnerable. He has improved much and his win over Anthony Pettis proves that.
And for the record, Barboza is the only UFC fighter to earn head, body and leg kick TKO’s. That shows his prowess as a kicker.
One of the greatest kicks in UFC history, by Edson Barboza. It is beautiful. You can watch it here:
Jon ‘Bones’ Jones
A recent poll by UFC showed that fans voted Jon Jones as the greatest UFC fighter of all time, ahead of pioneers of MMA like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre. Jones has been flagged by doping allegations ahead of his fight with Daniel Cormier in UFC 200. However, everybody respects the fighter in Jones and he will make a comeback very soon.
Jones likes to get under his opponent’s skin. During fight, he is never shy to try unfamiliar tactics. Lead leg side kicks, step-in elbows and the shoulder crank are some of them and he comes up with new surprises in every match of his.
‘Bones’ is a vicious kicker. And to be honest, very few fighters in MMA have an answer to his oblique kick. He just destabilizes his opponents before landing a takedown punch or a kick to the body. Few see it coming. The oblique kicks have been criticized by many, but a perfectly executed kick to the knee can derail any fighter by hyperextending it. And that’s what Jones does best. Apart from that, he is very good at executing spinning back kicks and front kicks. Rampage Jackson probably hasn’t fond memories of those kicks.
Jon Jones is a dirty fighter. Although his kicks are not the main weapons in his kitty, they are certainly the most effective. Generally the kicks are followed by his elbows and once they start coming, there is no answer.
Jones is unanimously considered to be the best athlete in MMA history. He has incredibly long legs and he uses that to full advantage. He generally keeps his opponents guessing, and due to the reach of his legs, he is able to strike from distance.
Bones vs. Cormier was the main event of UFC 200. However, Jones was suspended and we never got to see the fight. Cormier was nursing a knee problem and Bones was the overwhelming favourite. However, the scenario changed and all we can do is pray for his comeback.
Anthony Pettis
If I told you that UFC and classical music goes hand in hand you would surely think of me as a madman. But have you watched a clip of Anthony Pettis’s kicks in slow motion? It is pure bliss. You can feel Für Elise playing inside your head.
Pettis fights for the audience. He regularly interacts with his fans and knows how to keep them entertained. Back in the era of WEC, Pettis pulled off his legendary Showtime kick on Dan Henderson. Such was the awesomeness of the kick that many conspiracy theories came up on the internet claiming it was a hoax. However, Pettis remained unfazed and continued his showboating in UFC.
He has been defeated in his last three fights, but he knows that if he manages to execute his kicks perfectly, then there is no stopping him. He has many years ahead of him.
According to the man himself: “My fight style is very flashy. I grew up doing TKD and I never tried to one-up myself in any of my fights. Flashy moves just happen when I see the opportunity.” He also revealed that he is a big fan of Anderson Silva. When asked about what was his favourite finish in MMA, Pat came the reply: “Anderson Silva, front kick to the face.”
He is also very honest about his opponents. He feels that Jose Aldo is the best fighter in the Lightweight division. Ahead of everyone else. He replied on Reddit: “I don't think my body kicks are my strength, nor do I think his low kicks are his strength. I think we're both strikers and it's going to be very entertaining for the fans.”
Apart from his trademark Showtime Kick, Pettis has a wide range of flashy moves such as the Cartwheel Kick, the Hurricane Kick, and the Low Kick. And we can safely say that when Pettis retires, his highlight reel will be something to watch.
It’s Showtime!
Watch the best kick in MMA History, courtesy Anthony Pettis, here:
Jose Aldo
To be honest, Jose Aldo is one of the scariest guys in the UFC. Yes he lost out to McGregor. But that does not change his stature. Because once Aldo starts kicking, there is no escape. And there is no better kicker than him in the UFC.
One of the greatest fighters ever to grace the UFC, Aldo is a master in using his legs for maximum destruction. In his fight against Urijah Faber in WEC 48, he continuously struck Faber with his low kick. Aldo is a tactically sound fighter and in the fight, he stepped in and threw a left hook to the body as Faber thought it was a kick and went to check it, and Aldo finished him with a low kick when Faber’s legs fell down. The bout is remembered by Aldo fans as ‘Leg Kicks from Hell’.
Aldo is a master of disguising his moves and the opponents don’t know when to expect what. a big part of his success with leg kicks is his mind games, just like Georges St-Pierre's success with his takedowns.
A veteran of the game, wins against Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes and Cub Swanson showed the world that Aldo is a deadly kicker. He might be short in stature, but h makes it up with his vision and speed. A rematch with McGregor will be his ultimate bounce back time.
Aldo's Muay Thai isn't as one dimensional as most people seem to think. He has used leg kicks effectively before because he faced people that couldn't defend them. But he is capable of striking in a more varied way and get the win. He's not a "leg kick specialist" but of course he will exploit leg kicks versus people that can't defend them. Aldo beat the hell out of Lamas' legs with outside kicks when he switched to southpaw. Also he likes to set his kicks up with punch combinations and kick as his opponent darts back, which will be good for landing inside kicks.
Enjoy Aldo’s leg kicks from hell, here:
