UFC Boss Dana White Open to Banning Controversial MMA Technique Used at UFC 331

UFC boss Dana White is apparently on board with trying to outlaw a technique that was on display at UFC 331 last weekend.

Headlined by a flyweight title bout between Joshua Van and the division's former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja, UFC 331 wasn't the most star-studded numbered event the UFC has put on this year but still produced some incredible action and significant results.

"Fight of the Night" honors ended up going to the main event, which saw Van finally silence any lingering doubts about his title reign when he took a unanimous decision over Pantoja after "The Cannibal" lost their first meeting due to an arm injury in just 26 seconds.

UFC 331 Main Card Produced Three First-Round Knockouts Before Van vs. Pantoja 2

The UFC 331 main card also featured three-straight first round knockouts, with former Bellator star Patricio Pitbull securing the biggest win of his career by stopping Doo Ho Choi before Arman Tsarukyan put himself in line for a lightweight title shot with his brutal knockout of Mauricio Ruffy.

In perhaps the most significant result of the night, the main card saw Sean Sharaf upset Gable Stevenson with a 12-second knockout after their heavyweight bout was promoted from the prelims up to the main card during fight week.

The prelim portion of the event did also include several big finishes, but in the aftermath of UFC 331 it's one of the bouts that went the three-round distance that's surprisingly become a major talking point for the MMA world.

UFC Boss Dana White Open to Banning Oblique Kicks in MMA

Competing in the third fight of the evening, Edmen Shahzbayan returned to the win column when he took a unanimous decision over Brunno Ferreira, who now finds himself on a three-fight skid.

Shahzbayan appeared to complain to the referee on several occasions about kicks that Ferreira was throwing to his knee, and in the aftermath of the event California State Athletic Commission Executive Director Andy Foster indicated that he'd like to see that particular technique outlawed altogether.

Following last night's Dana White's Contender Series event, White was asked about Foster's suggestion and confirmed that he and the rest of the UFC brass would apparently be open getting rid of oblique kicks.

"He's the most powerful guy in the commission, anywhere in the world," White answered when asked about Foster's proposal. "He's the best, and yeah - we don't disagree.

Oblique Kicks Were Utilized by Jon Jones During Dominant UFC Career

Oblique kicks aren't seen all that frequently in MMA, but they were a favorite technique of currently-retired future UFC Hall of Famer Jon Jones.

Jones was also at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday night for UFC 331, as he was corning Steveson in what was the 26-year-old's second UFC outing against Sharaf.

Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA Division 1 national champion in wrestling, drew some considerable heat after his loss for immediately exiting the cage, but Jones revealed this week that he was the one that told his protg to head right back to the locker room following the seismic upset.

Today's best reads

• Dana White Sums Up UFC 331 With 2 Perfect Words
• UFC Gives Gable Steveson Huge Opportunity After Major UFC 331 Fight Cancellation
• UFC 331 Morning Weigh-In Show Live Stream & Results for Van vs. Pantoja 2
• UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja Paramount+ Stream, Odds, Full Card, How To Watch Rematch
• Dana White's Contender Series 2026: Week 7 Live Stream Results & Highlights

This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/mma as UFC Boss Dana White Open to Banning Controversial MMA Technique Used at UFC 331.