Darren Till Has Mixed Feelings on Oblique Kicks: "You Could Argue About This All Day"
Darren Till doesn't know which side to take when asked about whether oblique kicks should be banned in the UFC due to the high chances of a career-ending injury.
Few strikes in mixed martial arts spark as much heated debate as the oblique kick. Designed to stomp directly above an opponent’s knee, the controversial technique can hyperextend joint ligaments in an instant. While athletic commissions and UFC CEO Dana White have occasionally debated safety regulations around low leg attacks, former UFC title challenger Darren Till remains completely torn on whether the strike belongs in combat sports.
Speaking on the topic, Till admitted that his stance on the knee-stamping kick is split right down the middle.
"50% of me says, 'Well no, it’s a kick and it’s in martial arts. If you can’t defend it, then we’re out here to hurt and stuff like that,'" Till explained.
From a purely tactical standpoint, the English striker noted how effective the weapon can be at neutralizing high-level grapplers. For instance, a striker facing a dominant wrestler like UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could use oblique kicks to compromise the wrestler's lead leg, making shot attempts nearly impossible.
"If you can land two of them on the knee, he’s not going to be able to go down on the knee to take you down," Till noted.
A Career-Ending Strike or Just Martial Arts?
Yet, despite its obvious strategic utility, Till cannot ignore the devastating long-term human cost. Unlike knockout punches or joint locks that force a quick tap out, oblique kicks rarely produce instant highlight-reel finishes. Instead, they often leave fighters with torn ligaments and permanent damage.
"There’s still a lot of respect. No matter what you do in fighting, we don’t want to be ending careers and making people suffer to provide for the family," Till said. "Part of me thinks it doesn’t really end fights, it just kind of ends careers. So it’s like, well, why bother then?"
Ultimately, Till views the ethical debate surrounding the technique as an eternal stalemate with no easy resolution.
"It’s a 50/50 one, and I think it’s like religion," Till added. "You could argue about this all day and there still wouldn’t be a winner."
As figures like California State Athletic Commission chief Andy Foster push to evaluate fighter safety, Till's split perspective reflects the exact dilemma keeping MMA fans and fighters arguing.
