The calf kick is here to stay…

[@nathanielbaxter8044]

Henderson is an underrated legend. Technique, swagger, innovation, champion. Total package.

[@jeffmoore4940]

Absolutely

[@JoshNicotine]

Not to mention ballsy as fuck who else fights with a toothpick in his mouth

[@Boudica234]

Don't forget the superfight in 1988 between undefeated American kickboxer Rick Roufus and Muy Thai champion Changpuek. Rick was a big favorite. Changpuek got knocked down several times early but ultimately chopped Rick's leg to shreds and stopped him when Rick could no longer stand up. Rick had to be carried out of the ring on a stretcher. That fight was the 1st time an American audience saw the devastating effects of low kicks.

[@seansnipes8334]

Facts

[@marvefleksnes6763]

And the interview with Duke Roufus after the fight saying low kicks are bullshit😂😂

[@Boudica234]

@@marvefleksnes6763 Yeah I saw that. He was pissed that his brother got beat so bad. As far as Rick goes, he went on to study Muy Thai and even became a respected Muy Thai trainer later in life.

[@randyvillegas9413]

Damn Chael back at it again blessing us with videos. How are we even worthy of it.

[@marked4death076]

We are not

[@randyvillegas9413]

@@marked4death076 definitely not.

[@FookYou-k5f]

My Ridge wallet is here to stay, that's for damn sure. One of my friends bought it for me as a gag gift. I have done everything I can to destroy it because it looks so stupid, but no luck. It's like herpes. I can't get rid of it

[@dangermouse9348]

If your friends buy you $100 wallets as joke gifts then I need friends like yours.

[@FookYou-k5f]

@@dangermouse9348 They spare no expense to piss me off

[@mediocrebeavermeat9749]

Great comment, how is not everyone talking about how ridge wallets and the lawn mower 3.0 are slowing taking over the world?

[@user-wi2ju3du8k]

@@dangermouse9348 First you would need to get some friends

[@dangermouse9348]

@@user-wi2ju3du8k lol. I like you.

[@scottraulston5739]

Bensons kick should be called “The Ben shin”

[@jeffmoore4940]

Perfect

[@pocketsfn7331]

Am I the only one laughing at the thought of Chael kicking a dummy and then screaming in pain immediately after?

[@executivelifehacks6747]

We've all done that sort of thing as kids right, e.g. after watching our first Van Damme movie for example?

[@pocketsfn7331]

I can only imagine what the dummy looks like now that Uncle Chael demolished its leg with one kick.

[@greenie62]

I def expected sum comments on Bob dropping our guy...guess the topic just inspired enough sincerity this go.

[@jasonk6966]

You should've seen how Bob looked

[@leeseoul5735]

I'm more shocked that he went to BYU, a mormon college

[@LegendaryBilly]

I am glad everytime Marco Ruas gets mentioned nowadays. Dude was badass and so often forgotten

[@felipestrm]

King of the Streets, thank you Billy!

[@ShredderSensei]

He showed up at a UFC in an amazing white leisure suit

[@mitchellhedges711]

The Benny Henderson Diaz fight is a classic. Amazing fight not talked about enough.

[@mitchellhedges711]

@@brianwilson7624 it was def but Diaz took some crazy damage and wouldn’t go away it honestly reminds me of Conor Diaz 2 except Benson wouldn’t let Diaz get to his feet over n over. Not a classic as in a war. But for how it changed MMA

[@benmirka]

Benson Henderson = one of the most slept on technicians of all time...loved watching him fight. Also used to throw the leg kick to the far leg, wait til that catches on..

[@chazlawther3710]

Henderson vs Cowboy 1 in WEC is my all time favorite fight.

[@sof4183]

benson henderson = mostly known for getting knocked down by the showtime pettis legendary run off the cage flying kick

[@benmirka]

@@sof4183 casuals

[@sof4183]

@@benmirka they wouldnt even know that lol

[@benmirka]

Benson Henderson also threw the fake jab to the body, jab to the lead leg. Masterful.

[@bonafidechamploo]

Thank you so much to crediting it to Benson, he deserves to be recognized more for it's implementation

[@benjaminrichard7741]

Conor evaded out of the way of Alverez’s leg kicks. I’m so surprised that Conor changed his fighting style away from what was successful.

[@hogan659]

Just like how Ronda tried to switch to boxing, it’s weird

[@Mac_Mixxed]

To what it seems like Is those select superstars fall in love with what looks good. That’s knocking people out with your hands idk Conor is the new Rhonda watch

[@Albi9w]

@@Mac_Mixxed Conor is the new Rhonda only of he starts wrestling as his main gameplan. And even in that case it wouldn't be as bad as Rhonda boxing.

[@knuckle-sandwichmma681]

wrong. conor didnt evade out of the way. he stayed in there and eddie being orthodox and conors foot already being turned inwards conor almost didnt need to move his leg at all to check it. the only time eddie had success was when conor leaned forward to show his left hand as a distraction and if you ever boxed you know that you also have to turn your foot to the front to keep stability and not fall over, so conors foot is turned to the front as hes standing square and eddie kicks conors leg from under him. great job on conors part for staying safe and getting back up before eddie could blink and realize he had success. from then on conor know leg kicks were there and he checked the kick the next 2 times. eddie didnt show it but he was in so much pain he didnt use the kick again. there is a funny scene where conor checks the kick and tells eddie "eat that"

[@satan4o]

Nothing weird about it. He's just not effective when he's not fighting 145 midgets. Nate exposed him years ago.

[@BBNefarious]

Call it the Bendo Kick, takes care of the mouthful-ness that is "Benson Henderson's kick"

[@Jodean85]

The way you defend against the calf kick is to quickly step in & close the distance to make the kick ride up to your hip. 1 of the best strikers in the world shows you this on a podcast called teach me to grapple. It's back when Khabib beat Gaethje.

[@imSpacelyHD]

Good point, but also then you have to worry if they set up a 1 2 or overhand.

[@Jodean85]

@@imSpacelyHD That's if they just throw a naked kick. & if they do you time it come in close & when it rides up you can catch it or you can just throw a shot or 2 before they can retract the kick & fire back.

[@imSpacelyHD]

@@Jodean85 true true. I just mean if they set it up with a jab and then a leg kick it would be tough.

[@MentalHealthMMA]

Benson Henderson said he does all things through Christ. So, it’s *Christ’s Kick*

[@sammavitae114]

Why not, it brings you to your knees and you pray it won’t happen again.

[@treychambers3050]

How Conor’s camp didn’t know about the calf kick is beyond me.... richest fighter in the game and his coaches don’t know about a technique that’s been a big deal for like two years now.

[@FeralWorker]

Agree. He was failed terribly by his coaches, they've become a bunch of yes men. Kavanagh gave some lame explanation that "oh, of course we train them but because you can't spar them at full power, we underestimated the threat." He basically admits completely f'ing it up, not near enough people talking about it though. Also (Khabib's point) a sign that Conor is not being tested properly by his sparring partners, they should've been highlighting that vulnerability for him. Goes to show, money alone doesn't make a good team.

[@IllBeDARNd]

They talked about it, they did know about it and were practicing checking it in camp. But because they wear pads and your training partner isnt trying to kill you, you lose respect/forget how painful and debilitating they can be And Conor said Dustin's kicks were still hitting a tiny bit of the muscle, even though he thought he was checking them. Also said Dustin was southpaw, making it slightly more difficult to check them for that stance and that he checked them effortlessly for regular stance

[@chriswindham1822]

Fans knew about it. Its even being practiced in smaller gyms. They knew.

[@chriswindham1822]

@@IllBeDARNd yeah, there is still a meaty part of your shin coming from the outside. Some peoples feet turn more outward, so coming from the inside, they have to twist their leg further. Not to mention you dont always feel it immediately, sometimes it starts numb. Wierd.

[@treychambers3050]

@@chriswindham1822 I phrased what was in my head poorly... I’m certain they were aware of its existence. But Conor’s bewilderment at how effective it was against him was shocking to me. It suggests that they haven’t been properly preparing for it. Which is bananas because with his wide/heavy on the lead leg style it’s right there for opponents to jump on. Did they just think Conor wouldn’t get hit by it in any of his future fights? Did they think he’d be able to weather it better than others have? Just seems like a really big oversight.

[@MD-ct1xi]

Very glad to hear you speak about this topic because this is very dangerous kick if done correctly. An oblic kick is a very ugly thing to watch being thrown over & over also can end a career. Recovering from the calf kick is going to be a slow painful recovery but won't end your career. However your explanation of defending that low claf kick was spot on. Definitely something everyone's got learn to defend.

[@toddmichaelsen788]

It’s becoming like the Steph Curry deep 3 - everyone has to do it now to keep up.

[@bxs4122]

It's hard against wrestling

[@spideymcgee4718]

While I agree, please dont mention basketball in the same sentence as MMA. One is a sissy sport, and the other is barbarian.

[@justinr6439]

Don't have to do it....just have to know how to stop it

[@spideymcgee4718]

@@justinr6439 don't have to, but should lol

[@mikewilliams9069]

@@spideymcgee4718 kevindurhandpick and kaweenie lenard are sissies

[@23ofSeptember]

I remember when Aldo fought Faber, Faber got his leg destroyed. Everyone thought Conor would also get destroyed from leg kicks when he fought Aldo, but of course we all know how that ended (or should I say 'started' 13secs in). So Conor never really had to fight a guy that leg kicked...until Poirier.

[@dustysdisciple]

I love these technique videos, please do more of them Chael.

[@xftbllplyr2091]

Mma fans only like leg kicks when the fighter they like throws them. Fans complained when Adesanya threw them at Romero. Fans also berated Amanda Nunes for slowing Shevchenko down in their second fight. Now mma fans hate shoulder strikes and foot stomping because a fighter they don’t like throws them

[@janblachowiczsfatgrandson7833]

Mma fans only like leg kicks when they work and when they're not the only thing being thrown. Nobody enjoyed watching Izzy kick Romero for 25 minutes because its the only strike he was throwing for the most part when they weren't just staring at each other and because they were very clearly not doing much. Let's not pretend that fight is hated because of the leg kicks now buddy we all know what happened that night wasn't ok and it was caused by both men and not just one like everyone likes to claim.

[@peterlittle4357]

Foot stomps are shite. If my favourite fighter threw them, he'd no longer be my favourite fighter

[@ariansanders5140]

Fuck foot stomps no matter who throws them.

[@peteasarisi2536]

Yep

[@blazzz13]

@@janblachowiczsfatgrandson7833 Your comment is inherently flawed. Atleast Izzy was doing something- throwing kicks for 25 minutes as you correctly pointed out. Romero on the other hand was playing Peek a boo, then accused Izzy of running. Like 🤷‍♂️

[@tiagorods.]

The entire world: The calf kick Chael: That's Benson Henderson's kick 🌎: That Benson Henderson's kick it's a very real thing

[@hidesitemg]

I just got into the sport over the last 6 months of this deployment and man Chael I’ve learned so much from you

[@Eagle1349]

Great point, I was a Tae-Kwon-Do Blk belt in the 80s went into the world of Kickboxing , leg kicks are brutal, I can only imagine how painful calf kicks are!

[@Dm1309-for]

Frankie Edgar took many of them and walked through them how tough. I think Frankie won many of his fights he lost by decision.

[@readytoworkboulder]

That kick was actually brought to the United States with Muai Thai long before the UFC existed. Search KZbin for "Muay Thai vs. Kickboxing The fight that changed the world of MMA" where Rick Roufus fought Changpuek Kietsongrit. The entire fight was won with that kick and the American fighter didn't know what was happening as the Muai Thai fighter was chopping him down. Roufus couldn't even walk out of the building.

[@2oozedae]

Conor didn’t take very many leg kicks? What? Dustin landed 18 of 21. That’s very many

[@mattreyes4803]

If anderson leg kicked him that many times he'd think it was a lot lol

[@rwyo83]

Conor is flat footed. No defense skills

[@menadafennecfoxwao5379]

@@rwyo83what fight have you been watching?

[@googledoc3794]

@@menadafennecfoxwao5379 he exclusively watched this fight w dustin😹

[@swalihmm]

@@rwyo83 he had a wide stance. Difficult for defence.

[@aak45h]

You can still check calf kicks right? You don't have to raise your leg, just turn it outward (so your shin meets your opponent's shin)

[@KenoshaKicker]

Still fucking hurts

[@213kilacali]

Very hard to do unless u have a pure Muay Thai stance (which comes w other disadvantages in a mma fight)

[@mattreyes4803]

Try it it'll still feel like getting hit with a baseball bat on your bone

[@devynbrinsfield]

Both ways hurt but definitely better to turn your leg out and take the shin to shin than a calf kick. This kid in my class loves calf kicks and I was checking them today that way and my damn shin hurts but my calf wasn’t dead.

[@RoyalWFR]

Nathaniel Wood has been using that calf kick since his CW days...very effective technique 🙌🏻

[@HappyBloke81]

Remember karate kid "sweep the leg" . I first saw calf kicks on old Chinese martial arts movies

[@941boltsfan7]

The trick to checking the calf kick is to lift knee while letting your calf area go basically like a pendulum at the knee and you contact the outside of ankle towards the kick until contacts their shin then let it swing back freely

[@spencerwilliams3752]

We need Chael to do an audiobook.

[@ashiaqu643]

conor: lets boxing kid dustin: lets go..! khabib whispired to poirier: grap him brother, make him tired poirier: thank you khabib

[@himeshhewawasam]

Make him tie-red**

[@rickybobby38]

You noticed the Khabib style straight leg control against the cage too

[@theo4014]

Hilarious

[@brittneymarkey7550]

Good call Chael. I learned the calf kick in highschool and saw it for the first time a couple years later from Benson Henderson in the WEC.

[@thomasharrison6367]

Hi Chael, I know this post is a year old but to put the record straight, nobody in MMA invented the calf kick. In Okinawan Karate not only did they use the calf kick, they had and still have the best defense against it! In the Naihanchi or Tekki Katas the defense of the calf kick is shown as Nami ashi where the leg being attacked, the foot is swept up and inwards towards the groin. In Te, Ti or Tode early Okinawan Karate, the foot, ankle,lower leg, knee, thighs 360, groin and hips were prime targets. Motobu Choki was renowned for striking those areas and defending them! By sweeping this way you not only do you protect the calf, you also attack the attack by presenting the solid end of the tibula and a flexed solid knee.. this one action protects the groin with the shin, the calf with the strong end to the tibula and the thigh with a good solid knee to the side.. pretty damn effective! For every poison made you try to have an antidote right!? Everyone thinks that all the flash high kicks in Karate came from Okinawa, they did not... All Okinawan kicks were from the waist down. It was Funakoshi Gichin’s son Yoshitaka or Gigo as he was known who gleaned all the high kicks ie roundhouse, back kick, side kick from the French Savate. ALL low kicks are the original kicks of the Okinawan styles.

[@honigdachs.]

The calf kick is checked by lifting your leg and turning it from the hip to the outside, so that the attacker kicks the upper half of the front shin bone (tibia). That can be quite painful for the kicker. However, if the kick lands to the outside and hits your calf muscle, this is where the trouble begins, because there is a big nerve that goes all the way up to the hips, the peroneal nerve, and if that's stressed often enough, your leg just gives out. That's what happened to Conor, because even though he was checking some of the kicks, he was checking them with the wrong part of his leg. Sometimes people get kicked there and the next time they put weight on that leg, the neural coordination is all messed up and they roll over the instep. Painful and dangerous. A somewhat recent example of this is was when Sean O'Malley got kicked by Marlon Vera.

[@justawinddown]

Ruas chopping down Varlans was the coolest thing ever adding the size difference between the two. The next few weekends in my friends basement having beers we would try to kick each other in the legs trying to see if that worked and how painful it actually is. Not easy when you dont know how to properly kick or know where to place it. The first time I caught a good one was life changing. I instantly understood why that worked on such a huge man like Varlans. If they tell people it's the charley horse from hell it would give people a better idea what it feels like.

[@WillytheAsian]

You can check calf kicks

[@arnoldis24]

I remember that fight. Marco was stomping feet and kicking legs.

[@mcmp2212]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but a way to check a calf kick would be to turn your shin into their kick. As they're trying to strike a nerve just below the knee. And you count on them hitting the higher part of your shin with the lower part of theirs or ever their foot.

[@Hay-tn6hz]

MCMP You might be opening yourself up if that kick floats a little higher toward your core or head.

[@twozero9]

first time i saw leg kicks win matches was the first japan open kyokushin tournament in 1976. the movie is called the fighting black kings.

[@musclegang8255]

The counter to a low calf kick is to head kick off the front leg if you time it well it’s a ko shot or will at least scare them, if you can time it perfect it’s devastating

[@AndreMB94]

Lot's of respect to your knowledge of MMA history, Uncle Chael. I think I've never seen a non-brazilian aware and recognizing Marco Rua's as the pioneer of leg kicking in MMA.

[@nitomutan4593]

Now you understand the reason why muay-fighters always get this stance raising their knees up when the other faints a low-kick, that’s a reflex they built… People get too comfortable with this, always aiming for the head, obsessed with the k.o., thinking they can get through this, but that’s fundamentals that are so basic that people forgot about it… Somehow in the same category as body strikes, that’s undermining : when you have to destroy a defensive wall, you don’t start with the top of it

[@konvaljen2]

respect to benson henderson but no way im calling it that

[@Amzyy]

‘I was inefficient with my energy’ - Conors calf

[@808riko2]

Alright you've made two comments now, stop begging it

[@cheefah3271]

@@808riko2 he can make 3 more.

[@abdulismail6739]

@@cheefah3271 facts lmao.

[@marksimpson7348]

I could listen to you all day chael

[@cserpakbalazs6342]

I mean, you can still check it if you turn your leg out and block with your shin. Most of the time thigh kicks are also blocked with the shin instead of the knee. Yes, kicking the knee hurts and can potentially break your leg, but kicking the shin is painful enough as well.

[@Vi_XXiV]

Makes me happy seeing Benson Henderson comments. He deserves much more credit

[@antonihardonk8970]

Hey Cheal, I’ve to correct you here. The Low-Kick placed to the calf originates from Kyokushin Karate and has been used in K-1 Kickboxing by a few fighters mostly from that style. Especially Kyokushin fighter Nicholas Petas used the “Calf”-Kick frequently together with other Low-Kicks. Anyways, thank you for the great videos! 🙏🏻

[@ericwoodlee9745]

It should be called the nerve kick or more precisely the “peroneal nerve” kick. The peroneal nerve runs along the outside of the calve and is a branch of the sciatic nerve which supplies movement and sensation to the lower leg, foot and toes. If you watch the ending of the Dustin vs Conor fight, right before Conor falls you’ll notice his foot buckle because his peroneal nerve temporarily lost its ability to send the signal from the brain to the lower leg which caused his foot to buckle and he fell backwards. That’s when Dustin took advantage of his handy work and landed enough punches to temporarily KO Conor.

[@nomudnolotus4410]

The Thai's have had the answer to the calf kick for literally over a century. Try that on a Thai and you'll get you foot broken on the very first attempt. A more squared up front on stance, light and bouncy front leg, very fast well trained reflexes to raise the leg up quickly when you see the kick coming and pull your toes upwards towards the ceiling to expose the sharp/hard bone of your shin. The lower on their leg you aim the easier you make it for them to put their shin in the kick's path.

[@manfrombritain6816]

most MMA fighters have done plenty of muay thai, but mcgregor (for example) uses his karate style so he can maintain distance better and enable his striking. it's a trade-off

[@JustYKnowY]

The problem is with a flat out Thai stance and you'll get taken down or out boxed. It's a tradeoff you can still check leg kicks In an orthodox stance

[@Samuel-qe9lj]

@@JustYKnowY yup most of Muay Thai lift the front leg up to avoid those kicks...

[@nomudnolotus4410]

@@manfrombritain6816 Yeah I know mate, good call. I feel like Wonderboy has developed the best method of utilizing that style for mma. He's still vulnerable to all leg kicks (calf and the standard above the knee kick) but he uses so much footwork, lateral movement and stance switching he's such a moving target that it's hard to land enough of them consistently with power to significantly affect him.

[@manfrombritain6816]

@@nomudnolotus4410 good point, he is shifting a lot more than conor does. it will be interesting to see if conor adapts to it well

[@Maazitung]

RIP Bob. He never had a chance :(

[@justingreen4450]

Boy Benson Henderson. Now there's a guy that looked damn near unbeatable then the next thing you know he's off to the b league. This sport is crazy.

[@arthurmorgan4942]

The sport evolves studiously. I said this before and people may dislike it. In the space of 5 years the sport has evolved alot. Even conor mcgregor cannot keep up with it. Now a days you have fighters who have amazing wrestling and striking that the difference is not that much. I.e remember when GSP fought josh koshcheck. Everyone thought josh wrestling was superior. Well now compare josh wrestling with usman and even colby.

[@thefacelessquestion3333]

USADA

[@showkatali4896]

Arthur Morgan ik the sport is evolving fast do you remember the striking technician Anderson Silva, now I'm saying this as massive Silva fan Isreal is ten times better at striking his feints foot work and ability to evade his opponents and understanding his distance is ten times better than Silva will ever be, but I still love Silva tho.

[@Gallowglass7]

I'm amazed Conor didn't' do the calf kicks also, plus front kicks etc...and I'm amazed calf kicks aren't more prevalent in MMA, I know they are used, I've been a fan for like 10 years, but I think they will definitely be used more often after Saturday night....absolutely! Remember that fight with Brent Primus and Michael Chandler, after like 2 calf kicks, his leg was done man, watch the highlights of it. He couldn't walk his leg kept falling from under him.

[@evanburgess4340]

For an interesting perspective, calf kicking/shin kicking has been a well known tactic for hundreds if not thousands of years. In the UK, in Gloucestershire they tried re introducing shin kicking tournaments. There is also something called "purring" from Northern England where the idea was to kick eachother in the shins until one quit, with the tradition it was invented for sword fighting when someone was in armour. The objective was to disable the opponent when their hands were engaged with sword and shield, and if possible cast them to the floor so that their armour dented and their breathing was restricted. Benson Henderson may or may not be aware of this.

[@pradyumnaan4608]

damn that was informative

[@MP-cc5rv]

You're a gentleman, and a scholar👊🏼🔥👍🏼

[@spideymcgee4718]

I'm 35 and I've been in martial arts for over 25 years. I always kicked the calves in sparring and fights. I never understood why it isnt used more frequently. Gaethje has been doing it for a while now too and he seemed to have made it popular again. I said this when I was 16 (about to fight a guy from school who had been bullying me all year) "he wont be able to move if I land 2 low kicks."... guess what, 2 leg kicks later I had him on the ground giving up. He couldn't wall for a week. I had been training with 5lb weights on my legs and 3lb weights on my wrist, all while skateboarding and sparring. No one, and I mean no one can take calf kicks by a trained fighter.

[@adrenalineunlimited]

I blame Phil Sutcliffe for having Conor in that heavy boxing stance. This ain't boxing

[@KurrieSauce]

Yeah conor’s love for boxing ruined him tbh. Like he just looks so stiff and awkward trying to force that style

[@swagoneto7922]

He completely abandoned his karate stance for some strange reason...

[@mplovecraft]

A lot of the responsibility lies with coach Kavanagh in my opinion. Even if Conor is away from the game the coach should stay up to date. It's his job to make sure that Conor knows how to check a calf kick.

[@pbplauralfilms]

I'm not sure Conor takes any notice of ye man anymore

[@stevedavies1261]

Ummm, more like, Conor has fought 6 times and lost 3 of those fights - it's not a coaching issue or a "lay-off" issue, it's exposing Conor for what his is... A limited skilled fighter, whose only real talent is WWE-like self promotion, nothing more.... Anyone got a Kleenix for Dana, to wipe his "Conor-is-dead" tears away???

[@mplovecraft]

@@stevedavies1261 I think he is limited, but so is/was a lot of great fighters. He's got good power and precision, great timing and footwork. He just looked like he didn't know what was going on when he was kicked, and I think his team and coach have to take at least some of the responsibility for that.

[@letmegetuhhh3959]

@@stevedavies1261 limited skillset? He's still a good fighter and has a lot of skills, he just got caught lol. Nobody beats khabib regardless of skillset at lightweight. He lost to diaz at welterweight while moving up from a featherweight camp. His skillset is there, he even did well vs Porier in the clinch was was able to get up from the take down. Y'all be wildin with these lol

[@castill1]

He did a video with Ariel yesterday where he goes into detail about the defense of this. Long story short there’s trade offs to everything and one thing you can’t practice is the pain of slightly mis-checking a calf kick since you have to use shin guards, that is only experience you get in the octagon. So they practiced all they could and Connor needs more ring time

[@McKenzieMartialArts]

Correct on Benson Henderson... well done.

[@hugoleesong]

Horiguchi Vs Asakura for the Riizin bantamweight title was another calf kick masterclass

[@Maazitung]

Dustin landed 19 leg kicks and Conor checked maybe 2 of them. There is a way to defend the calf kick while deliverin some pain for the kicker. First is the obvious one, turn your leg so it's shin to shin. Second, seen mostly in Mooo Thai fights: lift your leg and try to block with your heel. Now shin on heel will hurt like a mf compared to shin on shin.

[@stza16]

🐄 moooooooo thaï

[@andresvelasco2767]

Its Muay Thai homie

[@rogerv6590]

Ernesto hoost is and will always be the master of leg kicks. im just adding that to the conversation 🤘

[@erikb776]

100% true

[@sullivangate]

Mirko Cro Cop beat Hidehiko Yoshida basically on the mind games of Yoshida thinking Cro Cop would go high kick and Cro Cop was able to knock him out via almost only leg kicks.

[@Amzyy]

Me foot was a balloon, me calf was a basketball

[@BristolMatt]

American football, keep up.

[@nono559]

In sanshu calf kicks are more popular than thigh kicks give the nature of how sanshu fighters catch any kick that go s to there finger tips. Akop Stepanyan vs Justin Wilcox. That fight showed how effective the calf kick is in mma. Great fight overall.

[@CelsoMollo]

You are very right about Ruas the Brazilian fighter

[@CelsoMollo]

You have to turn your shin to it, it will hurt both but will discourage the opponents to throw it

[@salahuddinmuhammad3251]

Detailed low kicking to the calf and ankles is nothing new in predates MMA by a great deal. It is extremely an effective but many are Reinventing the wheel in claiming it as new. Good stuff though

[@tsmith1646]

Pat Berry whole career came from leg kicks. He had more finishes from leg kicks than anyone. I believe I've heard his kicks are the hardest in mma history

[@theDavidChannel1]

That would be Pedro Rizzo.

[@gscryinlikeabitch]

Pat Berry, Pedro Rizzo, and Edson Barboza deserve serious respect for their incredible leg kicks and their ability to end a fight with them. Douglas Lima has ended one fight with leg kicks and he's a complete beast as well.

[@RobWitchdoctor]

Pat Berry's leg kicks were awesome (and I don't call much awesome but they were). I don't think anyone he fought could take them until he got to the UFC. Plus he could do the Techno Viking

[@scottmartain9941]

It also seems like it would be tough to keep your mind on a calf kick because it is such a short throw and if your worrying about a calf kick your paying attention to less immediate dangers that can get you knocked out.

[@andresvelasco2767]

You mean "more immediate dangers"

[@scottmartain9941]

@@andresvelasco2767please don't break my nose oh God my calf hurts really bad I think my leg might be broken that sucks I would hate that honestly

[@zacksomers1811]

the counter to the calf kick imo is a reactive steep kick. think muay thai style light on the front leg. masvidal would tear someone up throwing them off balance if they tried to calf spam him

[@Jidds]

I could only imagine Bob’s face when Uncle Chael was beating the living crap out of him. He’s lucky Chael injured his foot. I guess Bob is the only man on earth to get over on Uncle Chael.

[@LARDinhoFC]

Great video, keep it up Chael!

[@nj2526]

McGregor, McTapper, McNapper......continually evolving in the sport.

[@theohuioiesin6519]

You are officially my favourite MMA poet as of now.

[@Knuckles2oO6]

🙃

[@25Soupy]

Pat Barry's first 4 fights in MMA in 2008, win legs kicks, head kick, leg kicks, and leg kicks all in the 1st round. Jose Aldo kicked Faber with calf kicks WEC April 24, 2010.

[@lucasmerlin7674]

Video label should be "Benson Henderson's kick is here to stay"

[@NipplesMagee]

Glad to hear Chael invented the calf kick

[@jayodon67]

Douglas Lima has powerful leg/calf kicks.

[@ps9501]

I think Askren said that Lima landed just ONE kick on him and he couldn't walk properly for 2 weeks.

[@notorious4204]

Limas Kicks would Cripple McGregor

[@jayodon67]

Rory MacDonald had trouble walking for a while too!

[@arubuolaebenezer9986]

If it's Marko uuuaahh, then it is 😂😂😂

[@funfacts377]

Stfu

[@andrewbrown8927]

Nobody has said this but Conner was checking it by turning his calf towards it. He didn’t even realize that’s where he planned for. That’s why he said I thought I was checking it.

[@HYPER973]

It was sakuraba

[@0P9ine]

Jose aldo damn near performed a leg amputation on faber

[@criminallyilliterate1867]

Didn't a similar thing happened with the calf kick in the Rick Roufus vs Changpuek Kietsongrit fight? am I misremembering?

[@Marcoetal]

Everybody knows Benson Henderson, GSP and those guys were already utilising the calf kicks as a huge part of their game.

[@twistedtrailerparktales2126]

Keith Hackney in UFC 3 used a side kick at the knee to keep opponents away. Its unbelievable we had to wait fifteen years for Jones and Conor to use it before anyone else had the nuts to try it.

[@dorkanderson4963]

I remember my first day of TKD. Was used to kicking with shoes or boots on so I had some pretty bloody toes my first day. Never toe kicked ever again.

[@thxDornal]

Why would you even do that

[@dorkanderson4963]

@@thxDornalEvery time I used kicks in a fight I had shoes or boots on. Toe kicking vastly increases range and cause the force is consecrated in a smaller area it does more damage.

[@PKV-wl3ec]

Chael, Pedro Rizzo was the guy for not only doing these kicks, but also checking them by just pulling his leg back and opening to the side

[@jodyjones4928]

Pedro Rizzo has or had one of or the best kicks I've ever seen. Seen him drop fighters with just one. One kick and they were down, and a few stayed down.

[@Hellhasfrozenover]

Unc dropping some knowledge

[@lucascalou8525]

Marco Ruas is a true legend. 👏🏼

[@maxtoro7681]

Marco Ruas is the most underrated MMA legend.

[@sanderson9338]

Ricardo arona used it before Benson in Pride against both Shogun and Wanderli.

[@ShredderSensei]

Forrest Griffin used these to beat Rampage. Quinton referenced the kicks in the post-fight

[@mylapermejo3248]

Marco Ruas vs Paul Varelans. Nasty leg kicks!

[@waelharp4060]

Poirier experienced those leg kicks from Gaethje. Gaethje vs Poirier should rematch for the for the title and if they want Chandler to be there then it should be Chandler vs Oliviero for the interim title.

[@hhspector3006]

ruas was ahead of its time

[@zeaferjones1404]

I feel like Mighty Mouse and Benson Henderson are some of the best tacticians of all time.

[@dreadcool3329]

As a Farmer I can relate.

[@vutran3758]

Chris Weidman broke Anderson silva's leg checking the calf kick. The best way to really check it is from opposite stance, I'm surprised Conor didn't do more stance switches, he has a world class kicking game with either leg.

[@Captain_Insano_nomercy]

Dustin Poirier: let me offer you this counter to my move