Bryce Mitchell Has a Brutal Solution to MMA's Oblique Kick Controversy
As calls mount for the UFC to ban oblique kicks, Bryce Mitchell has shared a unique perspective on why the technique belongs in MMA.
Oblique kicks have surely split the MMA world. While some see it as a legitimate threat in their arsenal, others find it too risky to stay legal. After all, it has ended careers. UFC bantamweight Bryce Mitchell, however, is not only perfectly fine with the move, but he has also proposed an even more brutal addition to the rulebook.
Bryce Mitchell Wants More Street Fighting Elements in MMA
Edmen Shahbazyan's oblique kick incident at UFC 331 reignited long-standing safety concerns over the technique, with California State Athletic Commission chief executive Andy Foster even suggesting a potential ban. That seems to have disappointed Bryce Mitchell, who is struggling to wrap his head around the decision.
"They're talking about taking away the oblique kick, which I think is really, really stupid. It's a totally fair kick. Anybody can do it. And, yeah, you get your knees hurt, but guess what? It's a fight," Mitchell shared on Instagram.
'Thug Nasty's reasoning is simple. While he acknowledged the damage the kick causes, he believes other moves can harm the fighter too. In fact, in a real fight outside the cage, the move becomes a natural threat. For Mitchell, it only makes sense for MMA to retain that brutality.
If anything, Thug Nasty wants to bring back a Pride-era technique from the dead: face stomps on a grounded opponent.
"I think if they should be making one rule change, it should be the addition of the stomp. There’s not a more effective move than the stomp; there never has been, there never will be."
Moreover, the grappling maestro, who has over 10 submission wins, believes he could have even more success inside the Octagon if stomps were allowed.
"I would have a lot more finishes if I could stomp a grounded opponent on their face. That’s actually my best move. So every time you see me fight, I don’t even get to use my best move."
The sport hasn't seen a stomp since PRIDE FC dissolved in 2007. And while reviving the move is questionable in itself, Mitchell isn't exactly done being controversial.
Bryce Mitchell Suggests Ditching MMA's Round Format
If the bantamweight could have his way, rounds would be the first to go. In the caption of the same Instagram post, Bryce Mitchell added that the short stints helped boxers, who were "scared of takedowns and kicks," to reset and return to their comfort zone on their feet.
Thug Nasty instead wants a format that stays truer to the nasty reality of the streets, suggesting one continuous stretch of fighting period. Moreover, the 32-year-old even slammed weight cuts, proposing fighters compete at their natural weight to "see who's best.”
The UFC star's assessment of MMA remains extremely blunt: a brutal sport that shouldn't distance itself from its grotesque street-fighting reality. Of course, oblique kicks and stomps make sense from a practical, street standpoint, but so do eye pokes. Should MMA then lift the ban on the nasty foul to make MMA closer to reality?
Bryce Mitchell's personal opinion is controversial at best. And with the UFC working towards a ban on oblique kicks, his suggestions might remain just that.
