"These guys are so weird" - UFC vet Matt Brown slams controversial plan to ban an MMA technique
Former UFC welterweight and fan-favorite KO artist Matt Brown has sounded off on the plan to ban an MMA maneuver.
Matt Brown seems to be in favor of allowing fighters to utilize oblique kicks in professional MMA matchups. "The Immortal" notably sounded off against those calling for the oblique kick to be banned.
MMA veteran Matt Brown highlights the irony behind banning the oblique kick, cites fighting's core objective
The former UFC welterweight staple has reacted to the ongoing discussions in the mixed martial arts community, particularly with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), to ban the oblique kick MMA maneuver.
If the ban does come into effect in the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, top MMA organizations such as the UFC would prohibit its athletes from using the oblique kick in the fights they organize.
In the aftermath of UFC 331 -- which transpired in Los Angeles, California, on September 19 -- the CSAC has drawn criticism from many fans.
Its Executive Director Andy Foster reportedly cited a 2024 MMA bout from the UFC, Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry, indicating that Garry's oblique kicks caused career-altering damage to Rakhmonov's legs. Ergo, CSAC's Foster proposed a ban on oblique kicks in MMA, which, in turn, sparked controversy.
MMA fighter-turned-analyst Matt Brown soon chimed in on the controversial proposal. He highlighted that oblique kicks, akin to other MMA moves, are aimed at damaging one's opponent, which is the primary objective of fighting. Alluding to the irony of the potential ban, Brown wrote the following on X:
"'Oblique kicks can be dangerous and end a persons career' as opposed to punching/elbowing/kneeing/kicking him in the face and bruising his brain? These guys are so weird the entire point of a fight is to inflict bodily harm is that not obvious to them?"
“Oblique kicks can be dangerous and end a persons career” as opposed to punching/elbowing/kneeing/kicking him in the face and bruising his brain? These guys are so weird the entire point of a fight is to inflict bodily harm is that not obvious to them?
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) September 22, 2026
Matt Brown isn't fully opposed to currently banned MMA moves; Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry's current UFC standing
Upon being asked whether he'd also let currently banned maneuvers such as eye pokes and groin strikes be legally used in MMA, Matt Brown asserted, "Not totally against it but the real problem is that it becomes an eye poking and d**k kicking contest which just isn't so interesting."
The veteran fighter last competed in MMA back in 2023, knocking out Court McGee in the UFC. Brown's official retirement came the following year.
Not totally against it but the real problem is that it becomes an eye poking and dick kicking contest which just isn’t so interesting
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) September 22, 2026
Meanwhile, the then-unbeaten Ian Machado Garry lost a unanimous decision verdict to the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov in their five-round UFC welterweight title eliminator that co-headlined UFC 310 in December of 2024. Garry bounced back with unanimous decision victories over Carlos Prates and Belal Muhammad, after which he suffered a unanimous decision defeat against UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 last month.
On the contrary, Rakhmonov hasn't competed since the Garry fight. The Kazakh combatant revealed that he was dealing with knee injury issues heading into that fight, and Garry's oblique kicks worsened his injuries. He's been on the road to recovery, and many expect "Nomad" to return sooner rather than later.
