What is an oblique kick in MMA?
The oblique kick is fundamentally a push kick. It is aimed just above the opponent's knee, driving it backward with force. Although an oblique kick looks similar to a stomp kick, its downward drive is executed diagonally rather than vertically. The area of damage is more specific in the case of an oblique kick.
The continued use of oblique kicks in professional mixed martial arts has been controversial for years now. The legality of the kick warrants some skepticism. Its function is to cause extreme damage to the knee of an opponent. Victims of the technique become more prone to long-term knee-related injuries.
Watch Jon Jones explain how to throw an oblique kick:
The technique has several uses. It helps in setting up combinations, stopping advances and creating distance.
UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till saw Khalil Rountree Jr. use the oblique kick to bag a TKO win
UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till featured a light heavyweight bout between Khalil Rountree Jr. and Modestas Bukauskas. Rountree started strong by overwhelming Bukauskas with powerful strikes and flurries.
Midway through round two, Rountree threw a crushing right oblique kick on Bukauskas' left knee. The impact immediately caused Bukauskas to fall to the ground. Herb Dean immediately stopped the contest as Bukauskas held his knee in pain.
The incident reignited the debate over the use of oblique kicks. Modestas Bukauskas, the victim of the technique, didn't see anything wrong with the incident. He said it was his job to defend the kick and asked the MMA community to cut his opponent some slack.
Jon Jones' role in popularizing the use of oblique kicks in the UFC
Jon Jones has been widely credited with bringing oblique kicks into the limelight. While he was not the first to use the technique, 'Bones' made it a staple in his arsenal.
A notable use of oblique kicks took place at UFC 135 in 2013. Jon Jones met Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson in his first title defense.
Throughout the bout, 'Bones' used oblique kicks to keep Jackson at bay. The volume of kicks thrown played a massive role in Jones' fourth-round submission victory.
After the fight, 'Rampage' said that the kick should be banned from MMA. In his statement to ESPN, he said:
"It should be banned and it shows a lot about the fighter's character that he would throw it. How would he like it if somebody threw it at him and stopped him working for a year?"