Sherdog’s Top 10: Strongest Kickers
C.J. TuttleJun 11, 2014
Lyoto Machida carries the flag for karatekas everywhere. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
“The Dragon” is one of the elite karate black belts in the combat sports world, and when he utilizes the core kicking techniques of the discipline frequently, he can seem almost unbeatable.
Machida is different than many kick-first fighters because of his ability to strike from any angle and do so with impressive speed. Those gifts have been magnified even more since he dropped to middleweight. High kicks that actually land and are not just fleeting attempts at a knockout are not all that prevalent in MMA. However, Machida has a highlight reel of some of the most impressive renditions of this move in the history of MMA. Look no further than the crane kick heard ’round the world against Randy Couture at UFC 129 or his brutal finish of Mark Munoz at a UFC Fight Night event in October.
With a title shot against Chris Weidman on the horizon -- it comes at UFC 175 against a man who has made every single mixed martial artist rethink throwing kicks -- it will be interesting to see how Machida’s immediate future plays out.
Number 4 » Anderson Silva