One of the most controversial strikes in mixed martial arts could finally be banned inside the Octagon. For years, the debate over whether oblique kicks should be legal has gripped the MMA community, with fans remaining divided on the maneuver’s effects and side effects. Finally, it seems the commission has made up its mind to do away with the strike once and for all. But before the commission could announce its decision, Joe Rogan leaked the news. 

The revelation came during Joe Rogan’s JRE MMA Show #188 podcast with Paddy Pimblett, where both were discussing Shavkat Rakhmonov’s recurring knee injuries, which they attributed to Ian Garry’s oblique kicks at UFC 310 co-main event.

“You think that it should be made illegal?” Pimblett asked Rogan. 

In response, the UFC color commentator broke the news.

“It’s going to be made illegal,” Rogan confirmed.

A surprised Pimblett asked Joe Rogan once again.

“Do you think?”

Rogan reiterated that the commission has indeed decided to do away with oblique kicks and admitted to announcing the decision before the governing body could publicly address it.

“Yes, I know,” Joe Rogan confirmed. “I think we are announcing it right now. I don’t think people know, but it is going to be made illegal.”

Rogan did not cite a specific source or confirm the commission had formally decided, only stating his belief the ban would occur.

Pimblett, however, disagreed with removing oblique kicks from fights. However, there have been plenty of instances where athletes had to endure serious damage after getting hit by those kicks, which convinced many to think otherwise.

An oblique kick is a straight strike in which a fighter stomps the opponent’s knee joint with their foot. Jon Jones popularized this technique during the peak of his career at light heavyweight. Later, it was used by fighters like Khalil Rountree Jr., Ian Garry, and others. So, it has been a part of Unified MMA Rules for a long time. 

But despite its commonality, the force behind an oblique kick can leave a fighter in agonizing pain instantly and, worse, cause lifelong damage that can end a career. Thus, the MMA move gained notoriety for being highly controversial.

After getting hit with an oblique kick, a fighter can tear the ACL, MCL, and other ligaments. Such related injuries could require multiple surgeries and sideline athletes for years, and some fights have gone through excruciating medical procedures because of those kicks.

In 2019, Jon Jones attacked Thiago Santos with oblique kicks in their championship fight at UFC 239. The Brazilian managed to survive to the distance, suffering a unanimous decision loss against Jones. However, the kicks left lasting medical consequences, as he had to undergo double knee surgery as a result of them.

Another notable instance came in 2021, when Khalil Rountree Jr. punished Modestas Bukauskas with the controversial strike. Rountree landed a brutal oblique kick on Bukauskas, ending the fight in round 2 at UFC Fight Night 191. In a grim aftermath, the Lithuanian fighter underwent knee surgery after the fight. 

Then comes Ian Garry using the same weapon on Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310, a discussion that prompted Rogan to leak the decision.

The Irishman landed it multiple times during their fight. Though Rakhmonov’s injury has other complications, Garry’s repeated oblique kicks are often considered one of the reasons behind his knee injury and prolonged hiatus from MMA.  

This seems to be the first time Joe Rogan has leaked an important decision before the stakeholders announced it to the world. However, the UFC commentator’s claim gains momentum because two of the most influential figures behind such a decision have already hinted at it.

Andy Foster and Dana White weigh in on controversial MMA move

At UFC 331, the debate over oblique kicks resurfaced once again. Edmen Shahbazyan, after beating Brunno Ferreira via unanimous decision in California, complained about getting hit with oblique kicks.  

Shahbazyan addressed the issue during the post-fight press conference, saying he thought the strike was illegal, only to realize afterward that it was not the case. Later, the California State Athletic Commission’s executive officer, Andy Foster, reportedly revealed that he formally proposed banning the kicks to the authorities.

Alongside Foster, UFC president and CEO Dana White has also shown support for the ban and wants the kicks removed from the sport.

“Listen, he’s the most powerful guy in the commission anywhere in the world, and he’s the best,” White said at the Contender Series 2026 post-fight presser. “And we don’t disagree.”

Rogan’s comments have aligned with Dana White and Andy Foster’s push behind banning the oblique kick.

With the most powerful figures in the MMA world in unison to ban oblique kicks, the odds are very high that athletes will stop performing them.

It would be a welcome change in the sport because fighters can avoid any unnecessary damage they might suffer. On the other hand, the fans would definitely miss the sheer brutality of the strike.

Still, the debate over strikes and their legal status isn’t new. Back in the early days, a knee to a grounded opponent was a perfectly legal shot. But as the safety standards developed, the commission decided to make it illegal, as they are doing with oblique kicks now, for the athletes’ safety.

Now, it remains to be seen whether any other strike will go from legal to illegal, and whether Rogan will leak it before anyone else.