Jones focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Even in a naturally brutal and extremely regulated sport, there is still room for discussion regarding the rules. One of the most controversial strikes in MMA and an important part of Jon Jones ' arsenal , the oblique kick has been the target of criticism for many years, and now there is another big name against its practice. Stephen Thompson came forward last Wednesday (30) to talk about the kick, popularly known in Brazil as a knee stomp.
According to the fighter, who will soon become a father and is approaching his last fight as a professional, the strike is particularly dangerous due to its severity, also citing athletes whose careers have been severely affected by the attack.
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“Look at Shavkat Rakhmonov , look where he is. When was the last time he fought? He’s still dealing with those injuries he had when he fought Ian (Garry),” he stated in an interview with 'Full Mount MMA'.
❌🦵Wonderboy Thompson calls oblique kicks an ILLEGAL technique and says they're causing career ending injuries:
"Look at Shavkat Rakhmonov , look where he's at. When is the last time that he's fought? He's still dealing with these injuries that he had when he fought Ian… pic.twitter.com/dM69yq2gks
— Full Mount MMA (@MMAFullMount) September 30, 2026
Undefeated and considered one of the top contenders in the welterweight division (up to 77,1 kg), Rakhmonov was set to face Belal Muhammad for the title and defended his position as the number one contender after defeating Ian Garry by unanimous decision in December 2024. However, a series of knee injuries have prevented the Kazakh fighter from returning to the octagon to this day. Despite posting videos showing his rehabilitation, there is no timetable for his return to the world's largest MMA organization.
Jon Jones has already spoken about the subject.
The topic has been addressed on several occasions since the kick became popular. When questioned about the use of the move in an interview on the 'Deep Cut' podcast in 2024, the fighter appeared very calm and said that the technique is just another tool available in the sport.
“I have no mercy in the ring… I’m a fighter who stomps on other fighters’ kneecaps, and a lot of people think that’s slightly unsportsmanlike, and you can cause someone a career-ending injury by doing that. But the way I was trained was: if someone is punching you in the brain, your memory starts to decline, your ability to pronounce a word starts to decline. He’s trying to cause you brain damage, so why not leave him crippled for the rest of his life?” he declared.
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