Catching Kicks

Last updated: May 13, 2026

What is catching kicks?

A catch happens when a fighter traps an opponent’s kick mid-flight, usually a body roundhouse or a push kick, and secures the leg under the arm so the kicker cannot retract it. The catch is most often a reaction to a body kick, but head kicks and teeps can also be caught when telegraphed.

Catching kicks matters more in MMA than in kickboxing or Muay Thai because of what the defender can do next. Kickboxing rules limit follow-ups after a catch. In Muay Thai, the standard counter is a sweep, which doesn’t score. MMA opens a wider menu: a caught leg can be turned into a takedown or used to set up counter strikes against an opponent stranded on one foot. Either path makes the kick costlier than it would be in pure striking sports.

A catch has three parts: the entry (stepping offline to take power off the kick), the trap (wrapping the leg under the arm), and the follow-up (the action taken with the captured limb). Without the follow-up, holding a leg is largely pointless and burns energy. The position has value only because of what it sets up.

How catching kicks works

The mechanics of a catch hinge on angle and timing. A fighter who stands square and tries to scoop the kick out of the air absorbs much of its force on the ribs or forearm. The standard answer is to step laterally as the kick travels, moving the body off the path of the kick so it loses power, then closing the arm around the leg as it arrives.

The catching arm scoops underneath the kicking leg with the palm up, hooking the limb against the body. The free arm stays up to protect the head. In MMA specifically, that head protection matters more than in pure striking sports because small four-ounce gloves offer less defensive coverage than boxing gloves.

Once the leg is secured, the kicker’s base is compromised. They are hopping on one foot, their hips are exposed, and their reach is cut in half. The defender is now in control of the exchange and can pick from a menu of responses.

Catching kicks vs. checking kicks

These two defenses are often confused because both deal with incoming kicks, but they work in opposite directions.

Catching a kick	Checking a kick
Traps the kick with the arms	Blocks the kick with the shin
Used against body kicks, sometimes head kicks and teeps	Used against low kicks and body kicks
Sets up a follow-up action (takedown, sweep, strike)	Damages the kicker’s foot or lower shin
Requires the kicker to be off-balance afterwards	Returns both fighters to neutral after impact
Most common counter: takedown in MMA	Most common counter: return strike after the check

Checking is a deflection. Catching is a capture. Henry Cejudo, the former two-division UFC champion, has gone on record saying he avoids checking kicks in MMA whenever possible because the impact slows his own movement, and he prefers to catch a kick and turn it into a takedown when one lands.

What happens after a kick is caught

Everything that makes a catch worthwhile happens after the leg is secured. In MMA, the most common responses are:

Takedowns. The captured leg is already a single-leg grip. The defender can step forward to convert it into a single-leg or double-leg takedown, or use a knee tap to dump the opponent. Georges St-Pierre built much of his offense around this conversion, regularly turning caught kicks into takedowns during his welterweight title reign.

Counter strikes. With the kicker stuck on one leg, the defender can throw straight punches, knees, or elbows into an opponent who cannot move or counter. The Muay Thai approach, brought into MMA by fighters like Brad Riddell, often involves landing a knee to the midsection while the leg is trapped.

Sweeps and dumps. The defender can step through the support leg or lift and drop the captured leg, sending the kicker to the canvas without committing to a full shot.

Cage pressure. The catch can also be used to walk the opponent toward the fence, where their movement is limited and the takedown becomes easier to finish.

Which option a defender picks comes down to skill set. Wrestlers tend to drive straight into the takedown. A striker may keep things standing and unload combinations into a fighter who cannot move, while grapplers sometimes pull guard or work for a sweep instead.

Which kicks can be caught?

Not every kick is catchable, and which strikes get caught in MMA is largely a function of speed, angle, and commitment.

Kick type	Catchability	Why
Body roundhouse	High	Travels in a wide arc, lands flush against the torso, slow enough to read
Head kick	Moderate	Catchable when telegraphed, but the height and speed make it hard to time
Teep / push kick	High	Slow with a heavy back-foot commitment, easy to redirect and grab
Snap front kick	Low	Retracts quickly, often hits and pulls back before a catch can close
Low kick	Negligible	Lands below waist height where the arms cannot reach
Spinning kicks	Not caught	The kicker is more often rushed mid-rotation than caught

Snap front kicks are particularly hard to catch because of how fast they retract. Anderson Silva’s front kick knockout of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 is the textbook case: the kick travelled straight up the centre and snapped back before any catch was possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is catching kicks legal in MMA?

Yes. Catching a kick and using it to set up a takedown, sweep, or strike is fully legal under the Unified Rules of MMA. There are no holding-time limits as long as the action remains active.

Can you catch a low kick?

Generally no. Low kicks land below the waist, which is outside the natural range of the catching arm. The standard defense for low kicks is checking, not catching.

Why don’t fighters catch kicks more often in MMA?

Catching is a reactive technique that requires reading the kick early and stepping offline at the right moment. Most fighters default to checking or evading because those options are faster and less risky. A failed catch usually means absorbing a clean kick to the body.

Who is the best at catching kicks in MMA?

Wrestlers with strong striking-defense backgrounds, such as Georges St-Pierre and Henry Cejudo, have built reputations for converting caught kicks into takedowns. Muay Thai-trained MMA fighters tend to favour the catch-to-strike follow-up.

Does catching a kick hurt the catcher?

It can, if done poorly. Catching with the ribs exposed or the arm extended away from the body invites a hard impact on the forearm or torso. The lateral step is what neutralises that force.

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Sources

1. The Fight Site. “MMA Basics: Kicking.” Accessed May 2026.
2. Dynamic Striking. “Catching Kicks To Set Up A Takedown With Henry Cejudo.” Accessed May 2026.
3. Dynamic Striking. “Catch The Body Kick With Liam Harrison.” Accessed May 2026.
4. The Arena Gym. “How To Properly Catch A Kick And Counter Attack.” Accessed May 2026.
5. Evolve MMA. “What To Do If An Opponent Catches Your Leg In Muay Thai.” Accessed May 2026.
6. Engage Industries. “MMA Striking Tutorial: Catching & Checking Kicks.” Accessed May 2026.
7. Wikipedia. “Low Kick.” Accessed May 2026.

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