Last updated: May 25, 2026
Quick Definition
A kick check is a defensive technique in MMA where a fighter raises their leg and turns the shin outward to block an incoming kick, forcing the attacker’s foot or lower shin into the harder upper portion of the defender’s tibia.
What is a kick check?
In MMA, the kick check is the standard defense against leg kicks. The defender lifts the targeted leg and angles the shin so that the attacker’s incoming kick lands on bone rather than muscle. The technique appears under several names in commentary and training: “kick check,” “leg check,” “checking,” and “checked kick” all describe the same action.
The check matters because leg kicks accumulate damage. An unchecked low kick lands on the quadriceps, calf, or peroneal nerve, and a fighter who absorbs too many of them loses mobility and balance as the fight goes on. Checking flips the math. The kicker’s thinner lower shin or instep meets the defender’s denser upper tibia, and the energy of the kick now travels back through the attacker’s leg. In rare cases, this can break the kicker’s leg outright, as has happened in the UFC on multiple occasions.
Kick checks work against a range of strikes: low kicks aimed at the thigh, calf kicks targeting the peroneal nerve, and body kicks where the defender can take impact on the knee or upper shin instead of the ribs.
How a kick check works
A check works because of anatomy. The tibia is the second-strongest bone in the human body, and its upper portion sits close to the knee, where the bone is thickest. A leg kick is built to strike soft tissue, usually with the lower shin or instep, both of which are thinner and more vulnerable.
When the defender lifts their leg and rotates the shin outward to roughly 45 degrees, two things happen at once. The intended target (the thigh, calf, or ribs) disappears, replaced by hard bone. And the attacker’s weakest bone hits the defender’s strongest, with the kicker’s momentum doing most of the work against them.
The trade is asymmetric. The check still hurts the defender, but the kicker is the fighter genuinely at risk.
Kick check vs. catching a kick
Confusion between the kick check and the catch is common in casual MMA discussion. A check uses the shin to absorb and damage. A catch traps the kicking leg with the arm to unbalance the opponent and create a takedown opportunity.
| Kick check | Catching a kick | |
|---|---|---|
| Body part used | Shin (raised leg) | Arm or hand |
| Primary intent | Damage and deter | Off-balance and reset |
| Common follow-up | Counter punch or counter kick | Single-leg takedown or trip |
| Risk to defender | Bruising, occasional clash injuries | Hand or wrist strain, eats some of the kick’s force |
| Best against | Low and calf kicks | Body and high kicks delivered slowly |
Checks are reactive and quick. Catches require timing and reach, and they trade defense for a grappling exchange. Both have a place in MMA, but the choice often comes down to a fighter’s style and the kick they are seeing.
Types of kick checks
Mechanics stay similar across kick types, but leg height changes depending on what is being defended.
| Check type | What it defends against | How the leg sits |
|---|---|---|
| Thigh kick check | Roundhouse kicks aimed at the quad | Knee lifted to mid-thigh height, shin angled out |
| Calf kick check | Low kicks targeting the calf and peroneal nerve | Leg lifted only slightly, shin turned to meet the kick |
| Body kick check | Roundhouse kicks aimed at the ribs or liver | Knee lifted high, taking impact at the kneecap or upper shin |
| Inside leg kick check | Kicks targeting the inner thigh | Lead leg turned inward to present the shin to an inside angle |
The inside leg kick check is the variation most associated with the broken-leg incidents in UFC history.
Common misconceptions about kick checks
Two confusions come up regularly in fan discussion.
The first is whether a checked kick still counts as a landed strike. In UFC statistics, it does. FightMetric and the UFC’s official numbers register any kick that makes contact with the opponent as a landed strike, regardless of whether the impact was blocked, checked, or absorbed cleanly. Judges weigh damage rather than contact, so a checked kick contributes far less to a scorecard than one that lands clean on the thigh.
The second misconception is that the check is performed with the knee. In practice, the check is built around the shin. The knee can take some incidental contact when the defender lifts high, but deliberately offering the kneecap is a recipe for the defender’s own injury, since the patella is far more vulnerable than the tibia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a kick check count as a strike for the kicker?
Yes, in official UFC and FightMetric statistics. Any kick that makes contact with the opponent is recorded as a landed strike even when checked, though judges score for damage rather than for contact, so a checked kick rarely sways a round.
Has a kick check ever ended a fight in the UFC?
Yes. The most documented cases are Chris Weidman checking an Anderson Silva inside leg kick at UFC 168 in December 2013, which broke Silva’s left tibia and fibula, and Uriah Hall checking Chris Weidman’s opening leg kick at UFC 261 in April 2021, which broke Weidman’s right leg seventeen seconds into the fight.
Is checking a kick legal in MMA?
Yes. There is no rule against checking kicks in any major MMA ruleset, including the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The check is a standard defensive technique used in every promotion.
Why do checked kicks sometimes break the kicker’s leg?
The kicker connects with full forward momentum using the thinner lower portion of the shin or the bones of the foot. The defender meets that with the denser upper tibia. When the angle of impact is sharp enough, and the kicker’s leg has nowhere to flex, the bone fractures under its own force.
What is the difference between a kick check and a block?
A check uses the leg, specifically the shin, against an incoming kick. A block usually refers to using the arms or guard against punches and high kicks. The terms are often used loosely in casual conversation but describe distinct actions.
Sources
- ESPN. “Chris Weidman suffers gruesome leg injury seconds into Uriah Hall bout at UFC 261.” Accessed May 2026.
- ESPN. “Weidman defends belt at UFC 168.” Accessed May 2026.
- CBS Sports. “UFC 261 results: Chris Weidman suffers horrifying broken leg in opening seconds of fight with Uriah Hall.” Accessed May 2026.
- Fox Sports. “Weidman retains middleweight belt as Silva breaks leg at UFC 168.” Accessed May 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Low kick.” Accessed May 2026.
- Yahoo Sports / MMA Junkie. “Today in MMA history: The Silva leg break heard ‘round the world.” Accessed May 2026.
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