Outside Leg Kick

Last updated: May 25, 2026

What is an outside leg kick?

In MMA, the outside leg kick is one of three primary low kicks, alongside the inside leg kick and the calf kick. It targets the outer quadriceps of the lead leg, generally landing just above the knee where the muscle is thickest and where damage accumulates fastest.

The strike is thrown most often with the rear leg in a closed stance, with both fighters in the same orthodox or southpaw alignment. The kicker pivots on the front foot, rotates the hips, and drives the middle of the shin into the target. Per Strictly Fighters, the foot has 26 small bones that fracture easily, while the shin’s tibia and fibula are dense and can be conditioned over time, which is why the shin, not the instep, makes contact.

The kick exists and persists in MMA’s striking toolkit because of what a lead leg actually does. It carries the fighter’s weight and powers almost every forward movement, including takedown attempts and the fighter’s own kicks. When the lead leg goes, much of a fighter’s offense goes with it. Takedown attempts get harder. Forward movement slows, and even kicks from the rear leg lose snap, since the base they push off has been compromised.

How an outside leg kick works

Outside leg kicks do their damage through accumulation. A single one rarely finishes a fight on its own, but each contact compounds the last, and the quadriceps muscle has limited capacity to recover during a five-round fight. What the kick does is bruise the muscle, then keep bruising it. Wikipedia notes that low kicks attack mobility and stability through repeated impact, with damage from repeated contact extending past the muscle and into connective tissue.

The stance both fighters adopt matters as much as the kick itself. Sweet Science of Fighting points out that MMA fighters carry a wider, lower base than Muay Thai or kickboxing fighters to defend against takedowns. That stance puts more weight on the lead leg and makes it slower to lift in defense, which is part of why outside leg kicks land cleanly in the cage even against high-level strikers.

The kick is most effective when set up. Thrown cold, with no jab or feint to occupy the opponent’s hands, it leaves the kicker open to a straight counter or, in MMA, a takedown attempt. A caught leg kick is one of the more reliable ways to end up on the canvas. A checked leg kick, where the opponent lifts the shin to meet the incoming kick, can fracture the kicker’s leg, as seen at UFC 168 when Chris Weidman checked Anderson Silva’s low kick and broke Silva’s tibia and fibula.

Outside leg kick vs inside leg kick

The two kicks share the same family but do different jobs. The outside leg kick targets the outer quadriceps for damage. The inside leg kick lands on the inner thigh and works mostly as a setup tool, useful for disrupting balance and opening up follow-up punches rather than ending fights on its own.

Feature	Outside leg kick	Inside leg kick
Target	Outer quadriceps of the lead leg	Inner thigh of the lead leg
Throwing leg	Usually rear	Usually front
Primary purpose	Cumulative muscle damage, mobility loss	Distance control and balance disruption (often used to set up punches)
Power profile	High commitment, hard landing	Snappier, lower commitment
Counter risk	Higher (rear-leg commit)	Lower (front-leg quickness)

Inside leg kicks tend to feel sharper and more stinging on impact. Outside leg kicks produce a duller, deeper ache, the kind that becomes harder to walk on as the fight goes on and harder still in the days that follow. Fighter accounts after losses to leg-kick specialists consistently describe the outside damage as the type that lingers longest.

Outside leg kick vs calf kick

The calf kick has overtaken the outside leg kick as MMA’s most common low kick in recent years, but the two share a target zone: both usually attack the lead leg from the outside. The difference is height. The outside leg kick lands on the outer thigh, well above the knee. The calf kick lands below the knee, on the outer calf, where the common peroneal nerve sits just under the skin and reacts to impact almost immediately.

Feature	Outside leg kick	Calf kick
Target	Outer thigh, above the knee	Outer calf, below the knee
Mechanism	Muscle bruising and cumulative damage	Nerve trauma and immediate balance loss
Setup distance	Closer	Longer
Counter risk	Higher (more hip commitment)	Lower (less hip drive needed)
Era of dominance in MMA	Long-established (Muay Thai roots)	Surged in popularity after roughly 2017

The calf kick is technically simpler to throw, can be landed from a greater distance, and produces a visible effect faster because of the nerve involvement. Dustin Poirier’s calf kicks broke down Conor McGregor’s lead leg at UFC 257, a moment often cited as the technique’s entry into the modern striking mainstream.

The outside leg kick has not disappeared. Fighters still use it against opponents who lift the calf early to defend the low kick, which exposes the upper thigh. Edson Barboza, Jose Aldo, Pedro Rizzo, and Alex Pereira are among the names most associated with the strike across UFC history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are outside leg kicks legal in MMA?

Yes. Outside leg kicks are legal under every major MMA rule set, and they appear under various names in Muay Thai and most international kickboxing formats. American full-contact kickboxing is the main exception.

What does an outside leg kick do to the body?

It damages the quadriceps muscle through repeated impact. The result is bruising and swelling of the outer thigh, loss of stability when bearing weight, and a reduced ability to push off the leg for movement or strikes. Severe accumulation can require hospital treatment and weeks of recovery.

Can a fight be ended with outside leg kicks alone?

Yes, though it is uncommon. Several UFC fighters have won bouts by stoppage from accumulated leg-kick damage, with the opponent unable to continue standing on the affected leg.

Is the outside leg kick a Muay Thai technique?

The kick exists in both Muay Thai and MMA. The mechanics are the same: pivot and hip rotation drive the shin into the target. The application differs because of stance. Muay Thai fighters stand more upright and check kicks more easily, while MMA fighters use a wider stance that puts more weight on the lead leg and makes checking harder.

What is the difference between an outside leg kick and a roundhouse kick?

A roundhouse is any kick thrown in a circular arc with the shin or foot. It’s a category, not a single technique. The outside leg kick is one specific roundhouse, aimed low at the outer thigh, while other roundhouse kicks target the body or the head, depending on the height of the strike.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “Low kick.”
2. Sweet Science of Fighting. “How To Throw A Leg Kick.”
3. Strictly Fighters. “What Are Leg Kicks & Why Do They Hurt So Much?”
4. ESPN. “Morphine and misery: The aftermath of Barboza’s and Gaethje’s leg kicks.”
5. UFC.com. “Edson Barboza’s Greatest Hits.”
6. The Sportster. “13 Best Leg Kickers The UFC Has Ever Seen.”
7. Evolve MMA. “The Beginner’s Guide To Leg Kicks In MMA.”

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