Aljamain Sterling has voiced his opposition to a potential ban on oblique kicks, arguing that athletic commissions should focus on enforcing existing rules and improving fighter safety before introducing new restrictions.
The former UFC bantamweight champion was responding to comments from California Athletic Commission (CAC) executive director Andy Foster, who suggested that regulators could look into banning oblique kicks because of the potential damage they can cause to an opponent's knees.
Sterling, however, believes the conversation is focusing on the wrong issue, pointing to what he sees as more pressing safety concerns inside the Octagon, including illegal strikes and questionable refereeing.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Sterling did not hold back when addressing Foster's suggestion.
“He’s gotta stop with this bulls--t. It takes too long to recover? I mean, how do you recover from CTE? What the f*ck are we talking about? We’re getting head kicked with no shin pads on. We’re getting elbowed to the dome multiple times because referees want to watch a murder scene in real time happen.”
Sterling questioned why regulators would consider restricting a legal technique when fighters continue to suffer potentially serious injuries from strikes and situations that officials are supposed to control.
He also highlighted instances in which fighters have been struck with illegal knees to the head while grounded, arguing that referees need to be held accountable for failing to intervene and enforce the rules.
“I just saw someone else get kneed in the head, and the ref is staring at him! He’s staring at this guy, knee on the ground, getting punted in the head. Can we fix accountability for following the rules first before we start trying to add new rules and change stuff?”
As for the oblique kick itself, Sterling believes fighters should be better prepared to defend against the technique rather than have it removed from the sport altogether.
“An oblique kick? Move your leg out the f*cking way. How about that? How about you practice the technique of moving your leg out of the way? And how many guys are actually throwing oblique kicks? Knock on wood, Vallejos, don’t kick my knees in with an oblique kick.”
Sterling is scheduled to face Kevin Vallejos in a featherweight bout at UFC Qatar on November 21, meaning the possibility of facing the very technique he is defending is not lost on him.
Despite acknowledging the potential danger of oblique kicks, Sterling believes the risks are part of mixed martial arts and that banning individual techniques could set a precedent for further restrictions.
“But you see my point. It’s part of the game. I think we’re just being a little too drastic. ‘Oh, it’s a nasty injury!’ See a guy get flatlined with a head kick and just go completely — like a sack of potatoes gets dropped, that’s pretty scary, too. What happened to Raoni Barcelos, that’s pretty scary, too. This is a scary sport. We know what we signed up for. You guys wanna watch us play paddle ball? What the f*ck?”
