"I'd rather have a torn ACL than massive head trauma" - Dustin Poirier's coach explains why oblique kicks shouldn't be banned from MMA

Mike Brown (left) & Dustin Poirier (right) [Image Credits- @mikebrownmma on Instagram]

The legality of the infamous oblique kick has been a hotly debated topic in the MMA landscape.

Dustin Poirier's coach Mike Brown recently jumped on the bandwagon, offering his opinion on the move. Brown lobbied for the retention of the technique.

While in conversation with Mike Heck for MMA Fighting, Brown revealed that he would prefer an injury to his leg over an injury to his head. When asked about his thoughts regarding the place that oblique kicks have in the modern MMA landscape, the renowned coach said:

"Game on! I think that a shin to the face is much worse than a torn ACL. I've had my leg torn apart in a fight, you know, tore my ACL and a bunch of other ligaments, cartilage and all that jazz from a leg lock. And I think it should be legal. I think that's part of the game. And I think it's a dangerous game. But I'd rather have a torn ACL than massive head trauma or maybe I forget some of my childhood memories."

Catch Mike Heck's interview with Mike Brown for MMA Fighting below:

Why have MMA fighters called for oblique kicks to be banned?

The oblique technique came under fire after Khalil Rountree's stoppage victory over Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Vegas 36. The second round of the light heavyweight bout saw Rountree throw a perfectly timed oblique kick. The fight came to an immediate end after the Lithuanian went sprawling on the mats in pain.

A number of fighters subsequently took to social media to discuss the technique's place in modern MMA. The likes of Belal Muhammad, Jamahal Hill and others proposed for the UFC to ban the technique.

That's exactly why that shit shouldn't be allowed!!! Hoe shit!!!#UFCVegas36

Meanwhile, fighters like Dan Hardy and Valentina Shevchenko have echoed the same sentiment as Mike Brown.

“It shouldn’t be banned. It’s an effective technique. If we start banning effective techniques, then we’re going to find ourselves with a very, very limited rule set," Dan Hardy asserted. (h/t MMA Fighting)

Although the technique may exact a heavy cost upon fighters on the receiving end of it, it seems like it is here to stay.