5 UFC fighters who debuted signature moves that later became more common
The world of the UFC is ever-evolving, and that means that new techniques are debuted by fighters in the octagon all the time.
At times, it seems like no sooner has a UFC fighter debuted a seemingly brand-new technique in the octagon than it becomes commonplace in just a handful of events.
Is there anything wrong with a fighter stealing an apparent “signature move” from one of their peers? Of course not. If anything, we’ve seen numerous examples of fighters who took a new technique and somehow made it even better.
Here are five UFC fighters who debuted signature moves that later became more common.
#5. Jon Jones vs. Rampage Jackson – Oblique kicks (UFC 135)
It’s arguable that the oblique kick – essentially a push kick to the front or side of an opponent’s knee - is now the most controversial strike in the UFC, for reasons we’ll get into a little later.
Considering all of the publicity it has generated in recent years, then, it seems hard to believe that the strike was only introduced to the octagon just over a decade ago. The fighter to debut it? Then-light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
‘Bones’ used the kick on multiple occasions in his title defense against Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in September 2011, exploiting his lengthy leg reach to damage the veteran’s knees to the point where he eventually needed surgery.
Following this fight, ‘Rampage’ was quick to hit out at Jones in the media. He stated that he felt the kicks ought to be banned. As recently as this month, he was still happy to label Jones as a dirty fighter.
However, that hasn’t stopped other fighters from copying the technique, usually to devastating effect. Darren Till used the kicks to badly hurt Stephen Thompson in their 2018 bout, only for Robert Whittaker to send ‘The Gorilla’ into knee surgery with the same move two years later.
Even more shockingly, Khalil Rountree Jr. outright stopped Modestas Bukauskas with the technique in their 2021 clash.
Khalil Rountree ended his fight against Modestas Bukauskas with an oblique kick. https://t.co/1iGRcHmeb3
Following that bout, a number of other fighters spoke out against the strike, suggesting it ought to be made illegal. As of the time of writing, it remains a viable attack.
In this case, the oblique kick is a signature move that’s perhaps become too popular for its own good, even if Jones has never shied away from continuing to use it.
#4. Josh Thomson vs. Hermes Franca – Superman punch (UFC 46)
When lightweight star Josh Thomson faced Hermes Franca on the preliminary card of UFC 46 back in 2004, the two men produced one of the most underrated fights in octagon history.
‘The Punk’ and his Brazilian foe went toe-to-toe for three rounds, with Thomson eventually winning a decision. But the bout later became known primarily for Thomson’s use of the Superman punch.
While Thomson had used the strike in one of his earlier fights, this was the first time that it’d ever been demonstrated in the octagon. Its flashy and effective manner instantly wowed the fans.
Although ‘The Punk’ would depart the promotion for nearly a decade later that year, the Superman punch immediately caught on with other fighters and grew in popularity.
It quickly became intrinsically linked with legendary welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, who used it to great effect against the likes of B.J. Penn and Michael Bisping.
Superman punch from @GeorgesStPierre wobbles Bisping!
#UFC217 https://t.co/cuKHG7azxu
However, even ‘GSP’ didn’t use it to actually knock out his opponents. Instead, that accolade belonged to James Irvin, who used the strike to stop Houston Alexander in 2008. Later, the likes of Travis Browne and Anthony Pettis also scored KOs with it.
Given that the move also leaked into the world of WWE – with Roman Reigns adopting it as his signature move – it’s fair to say that the Superman punch has come a long way since Thomson first deployed it almost two decades ago!
#3. Jason Von Flue vs. Alex Karalexis – Von Flue choke (UFC Fight Night 3)
Very few fighters have a strike or a submission hold named directly after them, but that’s what happened to TUF 2 veteran Jason Von Flue after his UFC debut in 2006.
He used a never-before-seen shoulder choke variant to submit Alex Karalexis in his first trip to the octagon, stunning viewers who simply couldn’t understand quite how the hold worked.
The move was instantly christened as the ‘Von Flue choke’, and it felt like one of those fluky holds that would probably never be seen again in the future.
However, that hasn’t been the case. In the years that have followed, the Von Flue choke has become ever-more common in the octagon, with multiple fighters using it as a very dangerous counter to a guillotine choke attempt.
Most notably, former light heavyweight title challenger Ovince Saint Preux has practically adopted the move as his own, using it to submit four different opponents.
Saint Preux isn’t alone, though, as other fighters such as Alonzo Menifield and Cory McKenna have also unleashed the Von Flue choke to great effect.
#UFCVegas59McKenna pulled off a Von Flue choke for the W 😲 #UFCVegas59 https://t.co/QtpUq4iLB9
Essentially, the Von Flue choke is a classic example of a fighter essentially stumbling upon an entirely new move that has since become commonplace.
#2. Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton – Crucifix (UFC 38)
Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes made a name for himself as one of the most dominant grapplers in MMA. Over the course of his storied career, he dispatched a number of great opponents.
Hughes was also responsible for introducing one of the most effective methods of ground-and-pound into the octagon – the crucifix from side mount.
This move sees the attacking fighter trap one of his opponents’ arms with his legs and the other with one arm, leaving their head exposed for unanswered strikes. Naturally, it takes a serious level of strength and grappling skill to pull off, but when done right, it usually leads directly to the end of a fight.
Hughes made this his trademark move in the octagon after using it to dispatch Carlos Newton in 2002 and then repeating the feat against B.J. Penn in 2006.
Since then, though, it’s become ever-more common, with a number of finishes being produced by it over the years.
Cain Velasquez and Jon Jones often looked for the crucifix to attack their opponents, with both men scoring stoppage wins in the octagon using the move. Perhaps most famously, Roy Nelson used the crucifix to put Kimbo Slice away on TUF 10.
At this point, the crucifix has become so regularly used that many fighters have developed counters to it, usually looking to turn their back and roll free.
Overall, this remains a deadly move in the octagon if it’s performed correctly. In that sense, it’s surprising that it took as long as it did to become popular after Hughes debuted it.
#1. Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort – Front kick (UFC 126)
Prior to 2011, the front kick was probably one of the most overlooked strikes in the UFC. At that point, it was seen as a flashy but largely ineffective shot primarily used by fighters to keep their opponent at a distance.
That all changed at UFC 126, when Anderson Silva smacked Vitor Belfort with a front kick to the jaw in their middleweight title bout, knocking him senseless.
Nobody saw the shot coming and everyone, from the fans in attendance to announcer Joe Rogan, were blown away. For all intents and purposes, ‘The Spider’ had scored one of the best knockouts ever.
Eleven years ago today, Anderson Silva settled his beef with Vitor Belfort with a front kick to the face 🦶😵 https://t.co/L9Tr2y2JdT
However, it didn’t take long for the front kick to become used by other fighters as a devastating weapon.
Just two months after Silva used it to knock out Belfort, Lyoto Machida used a hopping variant that resembled the ‘crane kick’ popularized by The Karate Kid to dispatch Randy Couture.
Machida later used a front kick to knock out Belfort too, while other fighters such as Travis Browne and Magomed Ankalaev have also used the strike to stop their opponents.
Welterweight Dong Hyun Kim, meanwhile, didn’t knock anyone out with the front kick, but he did become known for spamming the strike over and over in his clash with Sean Pierson.
In this instance, while the strike has been used by seemingly countless fighters, it’ll forever be linked with Silva. ‘The Spider’ took a transition move and turned it into something truly deadly – only adding to his UFC legend.