Thiago Santos, Knee Wrecked by Jon Jones, Says Don't Ban Oblique Kicks

Thiago Santos knows exactly what an oblique kick can do. In his 2019 light heavyweight title fight against Jon Jones at UFC 239, lateral kicks shredded his left knee while his right one was already compromised going in. He lost a split decision anyway, then went straight into double knee surgery and a recovery that kept him out for over a year.

So when California State Athletic Commission director Andy Foster and UFC CEO Dana White recently floated banning the strike, you'd expect Santos to be first in line. He isn't. The 42-year-old Brazilian told MMA Fighting he doesn't see the technique as illegal or especially hard to defend, comparing it to a well-placed low kick that any fighter can bend, block, or step away from.

Santos Points the Finger Elsewhere

"Marreta" argues the sport has bigger problems than oblique kicks. He'd rather commissions crack down on the strikes that are already illegal — shots to the back of the head, eye pokes — with harsher penalties that actually deter fighters. He name-checked Alex Pereira and former interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall, who he said nearly lost his sight, as the kind of incidents that deserve real attention.

There's a wry edge to his logic, too. Santos suggested that if regulators want to ban something, they should revisit 12-6 elbows before they worry about oblique kicks. More restrictions, in his view, risk hurting the sport rather than protecting it. Coming from the man whose career arguably turned on those kicks, it's a hard argument to wave away.

Still in the Fight, Sort Of

The context for all this is a fighter who won't quite say goodbye. After the Jones loss, Santos went 1-4 down the stretch before parting ways with the UFC. He frames his situation like leaving the armed forces — you don't retire, you go into the reserve. He considers himself retired but refuses to post it online, and he's not chasing long deals either.

He's also not convinced he's done getting hit. Santos pointed to his most recent outing: a split-decision loss in which he broke his hand in the first round against an opponent 20 pounds heavier, yet still went three rounds. For a 42-year-old giving up that much size, he doesn't see a huge gap between himself and the field. Married to UFC bantamweight Yana Santos, he says he keeps competing not for money but because he still feels capable — no career plan, just a man who won't fully close the door.