Contrary to Cecil People’s belief that leg kicks don’t finish fights (in regards to his judging in a particular bout [Machida/Rua] he states, You have to keep in mind we always favor the fighter who is trying to finish the fight, and leg kicks certainly don’t do that), they most certainly do! At a bare minimum, they have the potential to extremely influence the outcome of a bout.
The low leg kick is one of the most devastating yet underrated techniques in all of martial arts primarily due to the fact that the damage is accrued cumulatively overtime and, for the most part, is a technique that one must continue to employ and trust that damage is being done over time.
This technique is one that not only requires balance and power to master but one that requires the discipline to continue to have faith in, to use, and to intuitively know that the damage is taking its toll. The damage inflicted, overtime, by this technique can be incredibly effective and, if consistency is maintained, can result in the stoppage of a fight. Highlighted below are some of the best leg kick finishes we have ever witnessed in mma.
5) Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber
This fight took place in the now defunct WEC and although not technically a leg kick finish, the leg kicks delivered by Jose Aldo were so devastating that one could easily say that they alone determined the outcome of the fight. Urijah Faber had to utilize the use of crutches for days after this fight and was not medically cleared to train for weeks solely due to the damage inflicted by the low leg kicks of Jose Aldo.
4) Pat Barry vs. Mike Delaney
An avid kickboxer in his own right and coming into only his first professional fight, Pat Barry came into the arena the night of his professional debut intent on making a statement against Mike Delaney who was the veteran of 38 fights. Make a statement he did indeed. After merely three low leg kicks from Barry in the first round Delaney went down to the canvas writhing in pain and calling an end to the bout.
3) Edson Barboza Jr. vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Although a weight class higher than Jose Aldo, little distinguishes their fighting styles as Edson Barboza was called by some the 155lb. Jose Aldo. This is not only due to their similar appearance but also due to their love of Muay Thai and similar devastatingly powerful low leg kicks. Fun fact of the day, there was a brief period in time when these two trained together down in Nova Friburgo. With tremendous power and pinpoint accuracy, Barboza delivered continuous blows to the leg of Oliveira leading to a fight stopping TKO victory.
2) Marlon Moraes vs. Joseph Barajas
At WSOF 28 just a month ago Marlon Moraes, childhood friend, teammate, and training partner of Edson Barboza Jr., put on a Muay Thai clinic defending his bantamweight title against Barajas. Honing his craft in the favelas of Nova Friburgo, Moraes brought a taste of Brazilian style Muay Thai stateside stopping Barajas with brutal leg kicks in just over sixty seconds.
1) Edson Barboza Jr. vs. Mike Lullo
As a late replacement for Darren Elkins, Mike Lullo had no idea what he was in for when he made his UFC debut alongside a young, up-and-coming bjj blue belt with an extensive Muay Thai background fighting out of Jupiter, FL named Edson Barboza. A veteran of our list, he now finds himself at the top; Barboza utilized his low leg kicks throughout this fight and showed the world why he deserves to be mentioned amongst mma’s elite strikers when he rendered Lullo unable to walk in the third round thus earning him the TKO victory.
