UGer lands HOLY F@$%ING SOCCER kick at ONE FC 21
UGer Stephen Langdown grounded Raymond Tan and sent him to Bolivian with soccer kicks. Then Marc Marcellinus dropped Anatpong Bunrad and did the same.
The UnderGround scours the sport to find Holy F@$%ing S#!^ moments in mixed martial arts from across the globe.
Asia’s ONE FC modifies the Unified Rules of mixed martial arts to allow soccer kicks in certain circumstances. At ONE FC 21, the fighters took advantage.
UGer Stephen Langdown grounded Raymond Tan and sent him to Bolivian with knees and soccer kicks for good measure. Then Marc Marcellinus dropped Anatpong Bunrad with a kick, and followed up with a soccer kick that would have left a Brazilian commentator shouting “GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL.”
The issue of soccer kicks is a contentious one. They are prohibited under the Unified Rules of mixed martial arts. The downed opponent can kick up, but the standing opponent cannot down to the head in any way. Only body kicks are allowed. Further, stomps to the body are prohibited, while axe kicks and low kicks are permitted.
Soccer kicks are associated with the Vale Tudo beginnings of the sport, but above all with Pride FC. The Pride Rules were developed by probably the most knowledgeable man in the sport, Matt Hume. He also developed and refined the rules for ONE FC, where he serves as VP of Operations.
While it is beyond dispute that soccer kicks are dangerous, it is a dangerous sport. An axe kick to the head is not more dangerous than a high kick. The primary problem with kicking a downed opponent is a matter of taste.
Kicking a downed opponent will never win mainstream acceptance in the West. Spitting on someone in a fight is not dangerous, but it will never be accepted, hopefully anywhere. Knees and low kicks to a downed opponent are the same – they are never going to accepted in the West.
In the East however, it is another matter. And the results can be stunning.
