Low kicks all day

[CPH]

Adesanya’s performance against Costa was a great lesson for all the sherdog experts who downplay the low kick and/or claim that it is a risky technique in MMA, due to the takedown threat.

1. It didn’t take long for Adesanya to hurt Costa’s leg enough to affect his ability to fight and to break him mentally. This was the beginning of the end.

2. Despite the fact that Costa has decent kick awareness (better than most in fact), he could do very little to stop Adesanya, who kicked with impunity. It’s all about timing.

Bottom line: good, hard low kicks should not be considered as second tier strikes because ‘they don’t end fights’, as many on here argue.

I was happy to see the judges (2/3 at least...) get this right in the Dawodu/Tokhogov fight. Zuba was scoring more with the head strikes and got a token TD, but as we saw in the third round, Dawodu’s low kicks were clearly more damaging as they affected Zuba’s movement and rendered his game ineffective.

Fans and judges should take note here.

 

[AWilder]

Fill the cage with low kicks!

 

[sampuncher]

Yeah Dawodu turnt the fight around with his kicks. Not sure about the 30-27 still though.

 

[Starman]

Adesanya’s performance against Costa was a great lesson for all the sherdog experts who downplay the low kick and/or claim that it is a risky technique in MMA, due to the takedown threat.

1. It didn’t take long for Adesanya to hurt Costa’s leg enough to affect his ability to fight and to break him mentally. This was the beginning of the end.

2. Despite the fact that Costa has decent kick awareness (better than most in fact), he could do very little to stop Adesanya, who kicked with impunity. It’s all about timing.

Bottom line: good, hard low kicks should not be considered as second tier strikes because ‘they don’t end fights’, as many on here argue.

I was happy to see the judges (2/3 at least...) get this right in the Dawodu/Tokhogov fight. Zuba was scoring more with the head strikes and got a token TD, but as we saw in the third round, Dawodu’s low kicks were clearly more damaging as they affected Zuba’s movement and rendered his game ineffective.

Fans and judges should take note here.

A bit of a strawman argument, to be honest. I've never personally heard fans shit on low kicks, and the only judge who ever did was Cecil Peoples when he tried to justify robbing Shogun against Machida.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

Yeah Dawodu turnt the fight around with his kicks. Not sure about the 30-27 still though.

I'm a fan of Dawodu but can't help but notice that when a fighter stalls in the third round that the judges punish that fighter with the scoring. Masvidal/Iaquinta is another one that immediately comes to mind.

 

[CPH]

A bit of a strawman argument, to be honest. I've never personally heard fans shit on low kicks, and the only judge who ever did was Cecil Peoples when he tried to justify robbing Shogun against Machida.

I didn’t dream this up. I see fans disregarding low kicks when scoring fights all the time, often using the ‘how many times have you seen a fight ended with a low kick?’ argument. Judges typically don’t go on record to say that low kicks are second tier, but you see it in the way fights are scored.

Don’t get me wrong: some fighters spam weak low kicks that should not score much. I’m simply saying that you don’t need to end the fight with a low kick, or even cause the opponent to hobble, for your low kicks to be considered damaging and be scored accordingly.

 

[Starman]

I didn’t dream this up. I see fans disregarding low kicks when scoring fights all the time, often using the ‘how many times have you seen a fight ended with a low kick?’ argument. Judges typically don’t go on record to say that low kicks are second tier, but you see it in the way fights are scored.

Don’t get me wrong: some fighters spam weak low kicks that should not score much. I’m simply saying that you don’t need to end the fight with a low kick, or even cause the opponent to hobble, for your low kicks to be considered damaging and be scored accordingly.

I've never met or even heard anyone shit on low kicks. Certainly not on Sherdog. If you have, link it here so I can take a look for myself and update my ignore list.

 

[Nate banged my mom]

I've never met or even heard anyone shit on low kicks. Certainly not on Sherdog. If you have, link it here so I can take a look for myself and update my ignore list.

this

LKM

“Low kicks matter”

 

[Aegon Spengler]

I didn’t dream this up. I see fans disregarding low kicks when scoring fights all the time, often using the ‘how many times have you seen a fight ended with a low kick?’ argument. Judges typically don’t go on record to say that low kicks are second tier, but you see it in the way fights are scored.

Don’t get me wrong: some fighters spam weak low kicks that should not score much. I’m simply saying that you don’t need to end the fight with a low kick, or even cause the opponent to hobble, for your low kicks to be considered damaging and be scored accordingly.

I feel like this needs to be posted. Leg kicks can finish fights. They should potentially be scored higher than jabs. The entire MMA and judging scoring system needs an overhaul again.

 

[Frode Falch]

Low kick is also a great way to set up head kicks later in the fight.

And that head kick was the beginning of the end.

Costa was hurt and worried. And that made him sloppy.

The rest is history.

 

[CPH]

Low kick is also a great way to set up head kicks later in the fight.

And that head kick was the beginning of the end.

Costa was hurt and worried. And that made him sloppy.

The rest is history.

100%

I hate the argument that such and such a technique is not needed because it doesn’t end fights. It is such a stupid, ignorant way to look at fights. Some techniques are very useful for setups and disruption, both of which are keys to winning or getting a finish.

 

[Jeff Goldblum69]

Reach is the real MVP here

 

[xP]

As much as Izzy's low kicks were great last night, it was also Costa's willingness to just sit there and play that game with him. Like he was trying to check them at first but they were still fucking him up and then he got overwhelmed and stopped. It's a lot harder to throw low kicks going backwards but Costa was just standing there like a deer in the headlights. He just fought terribly.

Definitely agree about Dawodu. All of those stupid fucking tweets they were showing were so dumb. MMA fans, and apparently a lot of fighters, don't know how to score striking. Dawodu was landing to legs, body, and head. Zub was only throwing to the head and was getting out landed and chewed up. close sure but Dawodu had the clear edge.

Also zubaira needs to wash his fucking hair that shit was greasy as fuck.

 

[Nastymaz]

Adesanya’s performance against Costa was a great lesson for all the sherdog experts who downplay the low kick and/or claim that it is a risky technique in MMA, due to the takedown threat.

1. It didn’t take long for Adesanya to hurt Costa’s leg enough to affect his ability to fight and to break him mentally. This was the beginning of the end.

2. Despite the fact that Costa has decent kick awareness (better than most in fact), he could do very little to stop Adesanya, who kicked with impunity. It’s all about timing.

Bottom line: good, hard low kicks should not be considered as second tier strikes because ‘they don’t end fights’, as many on here argue.

I was happy to see the judges (2/3 at least...) get this right in the Dawodu/Tokhogov fight. Zuba was scoring more with the head strikes and got a token TD, but as we saw in the third round, Dawodu’s low kicks were clearly more damaging as they affected Zuba’s movement and rendered his game ineffective.

Fans and judges should take note here.

One question, doesn't the kicker get hurt or break his foot during low kicks? How was Adesanya able to round house kick Costas ankles so effectively without hurting his own foot? The ankle is not a soft spot and he kept doing it multiple times. Did you hear the sounds of the impact during no crowds?

Also I have no idea why Costa did not improve his position immediately. Threaten a takedown to stop the low kicks, level change etc.

 

[CPH]

One question, doesn't the kicker get hurt or break his foot during low kicks? How was Adesanya able to round house kick Costas ankles so effectively without hurting his own foot? The ankle is not a soft spot and he kept doing it multiple times. Did you hear the sounds of the impact during no crowds?

Also I have no idea why Costa did not improve his position immediately. Threaten a takedown to stop the low kicks, level change etc.

Ankles? I guess you mean knee? (can’t find pics from the Costa fight, but this is the same spot)

Some of it is conditioning. Fighters can work through impacts that would be painful or result in injury to a normal human. First day of MT, the ball of your foot is one big blister. Even with shin pads, you will feel a hard check or an elbow. Eventually you body hardens.
Most of it is timing and precision though: a guy with 50, 100 fights still does not want his instep to find an elbow or the front of a shin or a knee, so he becomes very good at picking his moment.

 

[Nastymaz]

Ankles? I guess you mean knee? (can’t find pics from the Costa fight, but this is the same spot)

Some of it is conditioning. Fighters can work through impacts that would be painful or result in injury to a normal human. First day of MT, the ball of your foot is one big blister. Even with shin pads, you will feel a hard check or an elbow. Eventually you body hardens.
Most of it is timing and precision though: a guy with 50, 100 fights still does not want his instep to find an elbow or the front of a shin or a knee, so he becomes very good at picking his moment.

The first few damaging kicks were low kicks to Costa left ankle. Messed up his footwork and the bruises even showed if I remember correctly. That is not a soft spot to land a low kick on. Crazy conditioning.