7 Illegal Moves MMA Fighters Always Get Away With

One of the principal differences between MMA in the east versus the west is the inclusion of grounded kicks and knees to the opponents head.

Those familiar with the now-defunct Japanese promotion PRIDE will remember fondly the utilisation of soccer kicks as a powerful tool to deter many a would-be wrestler from shooting in on an ill-timed takedown attempt. Also legendary fighters such as Shogun Rua standing over a prone opponent and attacking with vicious stomps to the head.

Some fighters didn't seem to remember that not all MMA promotions are okay with the technique after leaving PRIDE. Anderson Silva's last loss before going on his historic UFC undefeated streak was to Yushin Okami after Silva kicked Okami in the face while both men were on the ground, rendering the Japanese fighter unable to continue and forcing an end to the contest.

The problem with these kinds of strikes is that they can make a sanctioned fight look more like a street brawl, and as a result, were banned in the 2001 ruleset.

That doesn't mean that knees and kicks to the head of a grounded opponent aren't still seen in MMA in the west, however, and they regularly go unpunished. During his historic fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor used a grounded knee from the bottom in an attempt to escape a kimura from the UFC Lightweight Champion for which he was not even warned.