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Dan Hardy asserted that people calling for oblique kicks to be banned simply need to “shut the f*** up.”
On an episode of The Outlawed Picks, Hardy and his co-host Ollie Richardson highlighted that an MMA fighter actively tries to render the opponent unconscious. They believe this is far more dangerous than hurting someone’s knee. Hardy said:
“Like, worst-case scenario, you walk with a f**king cane for the rest of your life. You know what you’re doing getting in there. Anyone calling for it to be banned needs to shut the f*** up. Shut the f*** up. Sit the f*** down. Watch figure skating or something like that. Yeah. Shut the f*** up.”
The recent light heavyweight bout between Khalil Rountree Jr. and Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till on September 4th, 2021, seems to have breathed new life into the debate regarding oblique kicks. Rountree hit Bukauskas with an oblique kick that injured Bukauskas’ left knee.
Dan Hardy also noted that banning combat techniques from a given combat sport sanitizes the combat sport and eventually turns it into a shell of its former version.
‘The Outlaw’ cited the example of Olympic Taekwondo and how Taekwondo bouts used to be good fights back in the day. Hardy opined that the current Olympic Taekwondo bouts are akin to “a bunch of stick insects playing tag.”
Watch the episode below:
Dan Hardy reiterated that MMA is dangerous and the fighters know what they're getting into
Dan Hardy and Ollie Richardson agreed that they’re not looking at this discussion from a sporting perspective. They want to see the best unarmed hand-to-hand combat technicians. Hardy indicated that while he’d like to see 12-6 downward elbows and knees to the head of a grounded opponent allowed, he isn’t in favor of allowing headbutts and soccer kicks to the head.
Dan Hardy reiterated the need for MMA organizations worldwide to adopt a unified MMA rule-set. Hardy once again addressed the oblique kicks and said:
“It’s like, who’s having this discussion? Who thinks they should be illegal? People that have never f**king done it, ‘Ah, well, hmmm, no. That should be illegal. That’s dangerous’. Yeah, it’s f**king cage fighting. Of course, it’s dangerous. Like, we sign death waivers when we sign our contract. We’re fighting.”
Dan Hardy concluded by revisiting the point regarding the damage caused by strikes to the head and by oblique kicks to the knee. Hardy insinuated that concussions caused by strikes to the head are far more dangerous than knee injuries caused by oblique kicks.
