After 5 years of allowing its fighters to use soccer kicks, ONE Championship will no longer permit its competitors to use the move in future matches.
Company chairman Chatri Sityodtong personally announced the prohibition of the technical ground kick, which will take effect in its maiden trip to Macau, China dubbed “Heroes of the World” on Saturday, August 13.
“As of this Macau event, we will not allow soccer kicks to head anymore,” he said in a media scrum on Friday, August 12.
Soccer kicks have been a source of controversy in the sport and were explicitly classified as a foul under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), which are embraced by all state athletic commissions in the United States and other organizations worldwide.
The Singapore-based MMA promotion implements an international rule-set, which blends a combination of best combat practices from all over the globe, tolerating soccer kicks, stomps to the body and legs, and knee-strikes to a standing or grounded opponent.
Link: ONE Championship bans use of soccer kick in fights