5 Lessons Learned From ONE FC 19

5. Soccer Kicks Are Brutal & Should Probably Go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCl4YmAdOQo When ONE FC started out in 2011, one of the notable differences between it and the major MMA promotions at the time was the inclusion of soccer kicks. ONE FC wasn't following the Unified Rules of MMA, but was instead allowing kicks to a downed opponent based on a signal from the referee, a sort of card system. Think of it as Go, Don't Go. Oh, and for those of you who don't know what soccer kicks are - they're kicks to the head (generally) of an opponent who is on the ground. Like you'd kick a soccer ball. Only it's the head of a human being. Brutal, right? Early on, the card system, which was done with fighter safety in mind, turned out to be confusing for fighters. In a highly touted match between former UFC champions and long-time rivals Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, the issue came to a head (no pun intended) as Arlovski wound up disqualified for kicking Sylvia in the head despite thinking he was in the clear to do so. Stemming from that fight, which got all eyes on ONE FC, the promotion removed the card system entirely - and went full Pride rules. Pride, for those who don't know, was a legendary MMA promotion in Japan that was purchased by the UFC and merged in - and it evokes strong nostalgic feelings among many MMA fans. So with ONE FC going full Pride, soccer kicks were in - but they shouldn't be. Watching James McSweeny soccer kick the head of fallen opponent Cristiano Kaminishi wasn't pretty. It got a bunch of folks talking, but in the end, it wasn't necessary. Kaminishi was on his way out in the fight anyway. Strikes could haven't finished it off just as easily. To be fair to McSweeny, this is no fault of his, and he showed great control and respect for his opponent in pulling back from a second kick and walking away instead of landing the blow, which could have done even more damage as the ref hadn't yet stopped the fight. Still, as gnarly as they are to watch in a grotesque sort of way, they're the one move that probably has to be yanked from ONE FC, especially if it wants to attract more international fighters.