Now that leg kicks are taking over, question-mark kicks are a deadly duo

[Espresso]

seems like Izzy has only gotten better with those question mark kicks, same for Yair Rodriguez, proving that if done correctly, they can be very effective on the right target.

Combining them with leg kicks seems like a really good way of keeping your opponents guessing and opening holes.

Do you think we'll see more fighters actively using them?

 

[ShreddinMMA]

Lol.

Body work/leg work to open up shots to the head?

This isn't a new tactic in MMA, let alone combat sports period. Rogan's been fanboying over "question mark kicks" for over a decade.

 

[MCS]

Get a feeling this is some video game shit. You don't "block low" in real life when checking a low kick. Guard stays up. It's the middle kicks that can lower a guard to set up a high kick. Pettis style.

 

[Espresso]

Lol.

Body work/leg work to open up shots to the head?

This isn't a new tactic in MMA, let alone combat sports period. Rogan's been fanboying over "question mark kicks" for over a decade.

Who really uses them effectively though but Izzy and Yair?

 

[ShreddinMMA]

Who really uses them effectively though but Izzy and Yair?

Well, saying Yair is using them well is an overstatement. He's used them against overmatched strikers to begin with, and short of a come from behind KO against KZ, has yet to win that significant of a FW bout.

Izzy's certainly the best at it. What you'd expect from a dude who is 75-5 in kickboxing.

That said, guys have been throwing this for years. And frankly, it's never going to be an effective techniques for most as it takes a lot of practice to learn to throw it with power. Hence why it took a kickboxing champ to even see a consistent example of it at the highest level.

Tarec Saffedine used to throw it a ton. Stephen Thompson fucks around with it. Rockhold used it at times in conjunction with his body kicks. Bisping's thrown it on more than one occasion. If I'm remembering right, you'd see Condit pull it out back in the day. Rory Macdonald would use it.

Lots of examples, honestly. It's not a new concept. It's just a hard move to pull off properly, even for a pro fighter.

 

[Sweater of AV]

The return of Luke is upon us.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

Who really uses them effectively though but Izzy and Yair?

holly holm, jon jones, lyoto machida, among others

 

[ShreddinMMA]

holly holm, jon jones, lyoto machida, among others

3 more examples I didn't name in my post.

Further adding that this isn't a new tactic in MMA. Or technique. Or concept.

Sherdog - educate yourself.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

the more underrated weapon is the feint that it creates. it’s the same reason mayweather and jones jr. established their jab to the body early, the feint it creates opens up the right hand.

 

[Espresso]

Well, saying Yair is using them well is an overstatement. He's used them against overmatched strikers to begin with, and short of a come from behind KO against KZ, has yet to win that significant of a FW bout.

Izzy's certainly the best at it. What you'd expect from a dude who is 75-5 in kickboxing.

That said, guys have been throwing this for years. And frankly, it's never going to be an effective techniques for most as it takes a lot of practice to learn to throw it with power. Hence why it took a kickboxing champ to even see a consistent example of it at the highest level.

Tarec Saffedine used to throw it a ton. Stephen Thompson fucks around with it. Rockhold used it at times in conjunction with his body kicks. Bisping's thrown it on more than one occasion. If I'm remembering right, you'd see Condit pull it out back in the day. Rory Macdonald would use it.

Lots of examples, honestly. It's not a new concept. It's just a hard move to pull off properly, even for a pro fighter.

No one has used it to the effect of Izzy though, why would young fighters go out and train for an then unproven technique if the history had shown that you can't use it to the effect Izzy has.

When I say "will we see more fighters using them", I speak of fighters 8 years from now and the long term future, young fighters who by now have been shown that there is a way to literally spam them in combination with leg kicks

 

[jeff7b9]

Question mark kick is an extremely low percentage flashy technique.

It will NEVER “take over” anything.

 

[HHJ]

Lol.

Body work/leg work to open up shots to the head?

This isn't a new tactic in MMA, let alone combat sports period. Rogan's been fanboying over "question mark kicks" for over a decade.

Yes but it's not that many guys skilled enough to use them. Wonderboy,machida,izzy and only a few others

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

No one has used it to the effect of Izzy though, why would young fighters go out and train for an then unproven technique if the history had shown that you can't use it to the effect Izzy has.

glaube feitosa was catching everyone with it in K1 twenty years ago dude. did you start watching when conor showed up?

 

[ShreddinMMA]

No one has used it to the effect of Izzy though, why would young fighters go out and train for an then unproven technique if the history had shown that you can't use it to the effect Izzy has.

When I say "will we see more fighters using them", I speak of fighters 8 years from now and the long term future, young fighters who by now have been shown that there is a way to literally spam them in combination with leg kicks

Then your opinion has no point. And again, this has literally been talked about by Joe Rogan in the UFC for years, and it's been used by fighters with striking specialties for over a decade in MMA. This isn't a new concept. Even Izzy has been talking about this technique already for years, and you see no more adoption of it today than when he first commented on it 3 or so years ago.

Question mark kicks won't ever be a norm or a trend. They're not some hidden technique that no one has thought of. They literally exist because a long time ago, someone in kickboxing realized it could be used well as a fakeout for a leg kick. The reason they haven't been adopted more broadly is they are truly not easy to throw. It's why you don't even see kickboxers regularly going to them as a technique.

 

[jeff7b9]

the more underrated weapon is the feint that it creates. it’s the same reason mayweather and jones jr. established their jab to the body early, the feint it creates opens up the right hand.

Now if we want to have a real discussion of what technique or specific area of MMA is “taking over” it is the more advanced use of feints.

it isn’t a new technique, but it is in my opinion, the technique which is separating the men from the boys, the champs from the contenders and the competitive decision winner from the loser.

Feints, from a wide variety of angles and implied strikes, is why costa was FROZEN last night.

Feints were what made Whittaker vs Till a true elite mma chess match.


Israel is a MASTER of the feint and of broken/changing rhythm. This is what sets him apart. And what creates the openings he is able to capitalize on while simultaneously establishing safety for him as his opponent can not establish their own offense because they never know when they will need to defend (or eat) a strike.


A slick feint is what set up Khamzat’s 18 second one punch KO of GM3.


it is a subtle nuance, one that I think many will miss much of the time when watching fights, but it my humble opinion it is the aspect of the game which is defining the current cutting edge.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

Now if we want to have a real discussion of what technique or specific area of MMA is “taking over” it is the more advanced use of feints.

it isn’t a new technique, but it is in my opinion, the technique which is separating the men from the boys, the champs from the contenders and the competitive decision winner from the loser.

Feints, from a wide variety of angles and implied strikes, is why costa was FROZEN last night.

Feints were what made Whittaker vs Till a true elite mma chess match.


Israel is a MASTER of the feint and of broken/changing rhythm. This is what sets him apart. And what creates the openings he is able to capitalize on while simultaneously establishing safety for him as his opponent can not establish their own offense because they never know when they will need to defend (or eat) a strike.


A slick feint is what set up Khamzat’s 18 second one punch KO of GM3.


it is a subtle nuance, one that I think many will miss much of the time when watching fights, but it my humble opinion it is the aspect of the game which is defining the current cutting edge.

i agree 100% but i’m out of likes so take this post instead. spot on. striking-specific sports have already mastered the art of feints but we’re really only seeing it become commonplace in MMA now.

 

[ShreddinMMA]

Yes but it's not that many guys skilled enough to use them. Wonderboy,machida,izzy and only a few others

That's my point.

It's not a new technique, the people who use it are all rangy fighters that either have focused on kicks in MMA or who have actual striking background, and even then only a few throw it well enough to be a threat.

There's not going to be an "awakening" with question mark kicks like there were with, say, Anderson's front kick, where everyone from Machida (elite striker) to Dong Hyun Kim (grappler who mostly brawls on the feet) started throwing it with success.

 

[Espresso]

Then your opinion has no point. And again, this has literally been talked about by Joe Rogan in the UFC for years, and it's been used by fighters with striking specialties for over a decade in MMA. This isn't a new concept. Even Izzy has been talking about this technique already for years, and you see no more adoption of it today than when he first commented on it 3 or so years ago.

Question mark kicks won't ever be a norm or a trend. They're not some hidden technique that no one has thought of. They literally exist because a long time ago, someone in kickboxing realized it could be used well as a fakeout for a leg kick. The reason they haven't been adopted more broadly is they are truly not easy to throw. It's why you don't even see kickboxers regularly going to them as a technique.

i doesn't matter if Joe Fucking Rogan has been talking about it for years, or Izzy for that matter (since he was a nobody).

Izzy just became champ and is phisically proven it can be done in the UFC at the highest of levels.

glaube feitosa was catching everyone with it in K1 twenty years ago dude. did you start watching when conor showed up?

You and the guy above are gonna pretend like young fighters are gonna train a technique based on

-what a dude from K1 did years ago
-what Joe Rogan has been talking about for years
-because Izzy brought them up as an up-and-commer

 

[ShreddinMMA]

i doesn't matter if Joe Fucking Rogan has been talking about it for years, or Izzy for that matter (since he was a nobody).

Izzy just became champ and is phisically proven it can be done in the UFC at the highest of levels.

Are you unable to read or just dumb?

Myself and others have riddled off numerous names of fighters who have done this in the UFC at the highest of levels already.

This isn't a new concept.

Learn the history of the sport, don't be a fanboy in the moment.

 

[ElLunico]

Izzy threw some nice ones last night that would have done damage.

Dude is just the complete package on the feet.