The UFC hosted the highly anticipated Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic this past weekend at UFC 309. In what was billed to be one of the biggest events of the year, it was Jones who emerged victorious. For those unaware, Jones moved to the heavyweight division last year and took on Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship.

He won his heavyweight debut via first-round submission and became the heavyweight champion. Later, it was announced that Jones would take on Stipe Miocic in November 2023. However, the fight was later postponed after Jones suffered an injury that required surgery. The two finally locked horns at UFC 309. Walking into the fight as a massive favorite, Jones was dominating from the very first round.

There seemed to be a massive gulf in the fighting abilities between the two. It was Jon Jones who ultimately emerged victorious in the third round by TKO via a spinning sidekick.

Jon Jones speaks about practicing the spinning sidekick

The spinning back kick (sidekick) that Jon Jones landed has become a talking point over the past few days. The sheer power that Jones hit it with has left people in awe of his technique. During the post-fight press conference, Jones thanked his coaches and said:

“I’m really excited about was that spinning back kick that was the one thing. I’m really excited about I have amazing coaches Brandon Gibson Greg Jackson Coach Alex Coach Aaron um I mean I’m just naming some of my striking coaches right now but I really want to give a shout out to uh my Taekwondo coach uh a guy named Paige Bates from Albuquerque New Mexico.”

Furthermore, Jon Jones spoke about how he started practicing the sidekick about six months ago. While suggesting that he practiced it three times a week, from both stances, he said:

“We started about six months ago we started doing the spinning back kick uh he would come over my house three days a week and I’ve worked that same kick from both stances uh 3 hours a week uh for several months and you Bruce Lee says that he doesn’t fear the man that knows a thousand 10,000 kicks but the man who has worked one kick 10,000 times.”

Moreover, Jon Jones claimed that the spinning sidekick can even break a person’s rib, and stated:

“And uh man I put a lot of work in with that spinning back kick and uh it’s it’s getting faster and more unpredictable there’s really no tell when it’s coming and it’s a devastating shot you know. I didn’t hit Stipe’s liver I hit him on the opposite side but I mean it just it sends shock waves to a person’s body it can break a rib. It’s just a really powerful shot so I’m really proud of Landing that shot after so many hours of working.”

What is a spinning sidekick?

Spinning sidekick aka spinning back kick, is considered to be one of the most dangerous kicks in MMA. The technique was developed as a way to get past an opponent’s guards to score points or land a debilitating blow. The key to getting the most out of the technique is keeping the leg straight as you throw the technique as this shortens the time it takes for your kick to find its target.

The spinning part of the technique involves rotating your body before throwing the kick to generate devastating power.

How to throw a spinning sidekick?

• Start with facing your opponent while in your kicking stance to execute a spinning sidekick.
• Look over your back shoulder while keeping both feet in place. Your feet will naturally pivot as you look back, but try to keep them where you started the technique from. Some slight movement of your feet is okay, but you don’t want to significantly change your stance.
• Turn your upper body with your head while lifting your kicking leg off the surface in a straight line. This will help to generate significant torque that will be shortly released on your opponent. Engage your thighs and glutes as you spin your body.
• Keep your toes pointing downwards as your legs reach their target. You want to land with your heel for maximum possible power.

Conclusion

With that said about the spinning sidekick, it is safe to say that the hours that Jon Jones put into practicing it paid off. Now, as he has successfully defended his title, it remains to be seen as to what’s next for the UFC heavyweight champion.

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