An American fighter is delighted to fight in Japan, where he can finally soccer kick someone in the head legally
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- Bellator's MMA fighters compete against the Rizin roster in Japan on New Year's Eve.
- Rizin, in Japan, uses a different rule set than American MMA fighters are used to.
- It means competitors like A.J. McKee can throw soccer kicks if they wanted to.
High-flying American fighter A.J. McKee is delighted to fight in Japan on December 31 at Saitama Super Arena, as it means he can finally soccer kick someone in the head.
Such a maneuver is illegal in the US, where the Long Beach, California-based athlete tends to compete under the Bellator MMA banner.
The mixed martial arts rule set, however, is different at Rizin Fighting Federation, and McKee can't wait to fight in the landmark event, which will pit Bellator's fighters against Rizin's roster.
"We're going over there and fighting them in their home turf, in their ring, under their rules," the 27-year-old told MMA Junkie recently.
"For us, we're the risk-takers but for me, there's no problem. More risk, more reward for myself."
McKee then said that ever since he was a kid, growing up watching Pride — which utilized a similar ruleset — he's dreamed about doing the types of things that are outlawed in American arenas.
"That's what I'm ready for," said McKee. "Go unleash some soccer kicks and knees to the face."
Soccer kicks can be ghastly
A soccer kick in ultimate fighting is, in case you were wondering, used to describe the action of an attacking athlete kicking a grounded, kneeling, or rising opponent. When the strike lands, it can cause significant damage.
Watch Shogun Rua demonstrate the technique right here:
In an effort to make MMA more acceptable to mainstream sporting fans, unified rules were implemented in 2000 and soccer kicks were outlawed in the US, due to the apparent dangers they can cause an opponent in a vulnerable position.
But there will be no such restriction on McKee Saturday, when he comes to blows with Roberto de Souza in the main event of the Bellator vs. Rizin show.
"It's an opportunity for me to utilize an arsenal I don't get to use too much," McKee told Sports Illustrated recently.
"My opponent is a really great jiu-jitsu ground fighter, so I'm not really worried about my takedown attempts, especially without a cage.
"I've been acclimated to the head kicks, the knees to the ring, and being in a ring. This fight will be mainly on the feet."
Other fights in this weekend's event include Bellator's Patricio Pitbull against Rizin's Kleber Koike Erbst, and Bellator's Kyoji Horiguchi against Rizin's Hiromasa Ougikubo.
The event airs via tape delay at 8 p.m. ET on Showtime.