Your Favourite Low Kickers in MMA

[AndyMaBobs]

Inspired by the thread on why MMA fighters are so bad at checking leg kicks @shinkyoku mentioned that low kickers in MMA are few and far between.

Who are your favourites? There are some that I expect will immediately come up - so I'm going to get my obscure mention out of the way.

I thought Sakuraba was an awesome low kicker, he was such a good catch wrestler that his low kicks weren't always taken notice of, but that guy gave plenty of men limps, and for a guy so good at low singles it certainly helped.

 

[j123]

Barboza

 

[eternaldarkness]

pedro rizzo. barboza would have to be one of the best currently active leg kickers. the guy that messed up rory's leg isn't bad either.

 

[tekkenfan]

tm best got to be barbosa that speed is insane then aldo then lima

 

[Silver tongue samurai]

Old Jose, destroyed uriah. And Barboza is just some next level kicking

 

[Frode Falch]

Thiago alves and barboza.

 

[Azam]

Inspired by the thread on why MMA fighters are so bad at checking leg kicks @shinkyoku mentioned that low kickers in MMA are few and far between.

Who are your favourites? There are some that I expect will immediately come up - so I'm going to get my obscure mention out of the way.

I thought Sakuraba was an awesome low kicker, he was such a good catch wrestler that his low kicks weren't always taken notice of, but that guy gave plenty of men limps, and for a guy so good at low singles it certainly helped.

I'm glad you mentioned Sakuraba. He had very underrated leg kicks especially when someone was on the floor in guard. Probably one of my favourite mma fighters of all time.

When you think he was primarily catch - he still managed to have a lot of leg kicks land.


Also I don't think leg kicks are as important as they might be in kickboxing/MT. You can spam them in kickboxing/MT that's why there are lots of good low kickers in those sports. In MMA you can't really spam them as much. Hell if you spam them too much in kickboxing/MT you'll end up fighting like Kozo Takeda.

 

[aerius]

Jon Jones. No one has really figured out a way to defend or counter his infamous push kick to the knee. He uses it mostly to control range, but front leg heavy fighters end up taking significant damage from it.

Shogun back when he had working knees was also darn good. He was one of the few to throw low kicks from the clinch and he could actually throw solid kicks while on the retreat. His kicks were pretty hard & fast as well, he had Chuck Liddell limping a bit after only 3-4 kicks.

 

[esum80]

i don't think i have a favourite low kicker per se...but you guys remember the gilbert melendez and jeremy stephens fight from not too long ago?

gil got his leg FUCKED up from low kicks. holy shit.

 

[ArtemV]

Yes, my thread has inspired other threads!

Thiago Alves has always been my boy. His low kicks from basic punching combos are beautiful. Another fighter that shows that basics win every time! Barboza is a lot of fun, too.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

i don't think i have a favourite low kicker per se...but you guys remember the gilbert melendez and jeremy stephens fight from not too long ago?

gil got his leg FUCKED up from low kicks. holy shit.

Oh my god!

I never saw that fight or any photos from it, i'd only heard legend. Jesus that looks awful.

 

[Uchi Mata]

Back in the day Arona and Fedor in PRIDE both had highly underrated low kicks. Arona especially. RDA is also a sneaky good low kicker.

 

[dudeguyman]

 

[UnderRatedGroundGame]

Gaethje has a very good low kick game.

Tyron has an incredibly powerful leg kick. Unfortunately he doesnt use it often but if he did it would would help his game tremendously

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Weirdly I never even thought of him. Good pick.

 

[right hand lead]

Justin gaethje
Thiago Alves
Jose Aldo

First 3 guys that come to mind as my fav low kickers

 

[RichardN7]

Jon Jones. No one has really figured out a way to defend or counter his infamous push kick to the knee. He uses it mostly to control range, but front leg heavy fighters end up taking significant damage from it.

Shogun back when he had working knees was also darn good. He was one of the few to throw low kicks from the clinch and he could actually throw solid kicks while on the retreat. His kicks were pretty hard & fast as well, he had Chuck Liddell limping a bit after only 3-4 kicks.

In theory, it’s pretty simple to counter Jones’ oblique kick. Time the kick, then switch-kick. His kick will miss as you’re pulling your lead leg back. He steps forward and you swing the kick hard at his head/body/leg.

 

[Tayski]

Also I don't think leg kicks are as important as they might be in kickboxing/MT. You can spam them in kickboxing/MT that's why there are lots of good low kickers in those sports. In MMA you can't really spam them as much. Hell if you spam them too much in kickboxing/MT you'll end up fighting like Kozo Takeda.

From last night's Bellator event:

 

[fluffball]

Effectiveness aside, Thiago Alves' kicks are just beautiful. You see some guys do effective strikes that look just fucking awful, like Rashad's one head kick KO. Ugly like a 60 year old chick at a bar by herself that smokes. And then there is the beautiful demigod that is Alves' low kick.

 

[spacetime]

Jon Jones. No one has really figured out a way to defend or counter his infamous push kick to the knee. He uses it mostly to control range, but front leg heavy fighters end up taking significant damage from it.

Shogun back when he had working knees was also darn good. He was one of the few to throw low kicks from the clinch and he could actually throw solid kicks while on the retreat. His kicks were pretty hard & fast as well, he had Chuck Liddell limping a bit after only 3-4 kicks.

He doesn't win any matches or do any real damage with it so I don't see how he can be in the discussion.