Calf kicks are more prevalent than ever in MMA, and if you need proof, look no further than Randall Rayment’s fight-finisher from this past Saturday.
In Saturday’s main event at Urban Fight Night 24 in Sydney, Rayment (10-3) landed one of the most damaging calf kicks in recent memory, clipping opponent Dean Maxwell (2-1) with a shot that caused Maxwell’s leg to instantly buckle when he tried to plant it back down.
Check out the nasty injury for yourself (Warning: it’s gruesome):
Unsurprisingly, the light heavyweight title bout was waved off in the first round shortly after Maxwell fell. UFN promoter and UFC vet Suman Mokhtarian later told MMA Junkie that Maxwell broke his tibula and fibia and isn’t expected to be able to walk for three months.
A pay-per-view replay of UFC 24 is available on FITE TV.
Calf kicks are not a new technique, but they’ve become a hot topic of conversation with Conor McGregor recently seeming mystified by their effectiveness following his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, and many prominent UFC fighters noticeably utilizing them in the past few weeks.