It’s not too often you hear the phrase “sore winner” used in combat sports (who complains about a win?) but Ben Rothwell is trying his hardest.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Rothwell slammed his UFC Fight Night 50 opponent Alistair Overeem based on some tactics used by “The Reem.”
“I almost yelled at him in the fight,” Rothwell said. “He was doing some real dirty push kicks to my knee, and it’s just a dirty move. It’s not honorable in my mind because this isn’t street fighting.”
Overeem utilized the same kicks we’ve come to expect from UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones in his fights. It’s no surprise Overeem decided to try these out, as he’s moved his camp to Greg Jackson’s MMA.
There are two sides to Rothwell‘s claims about the kicks to the knee. Anyone who has played a team sport (baseball, basketball, football, etc.) knows that the knees are a sacred area for a player. Speaking from the perspective of someone who has played on the offensive line in football, if you want to really annoy the guy across from you, dive at his knees.
Targeting someone’s knees is just something that isn’t viewed as being strategic or taking advantage of a weakness, oftentimes it’s viewed as playing dirty.
There’s a reason guys in the NFL have been telling other players to aim at their head instead of tackling low. Recovering from a concussion is viewed as better than recovering from a blown-out knee.
But, on the other side, it’s a legal move in MMA, and the result isn’t much different than a knee bar or heel hook. MMA is inherently a violent sport, and attacking the legs is a strategy often employed by strikers. Rothwell should’ve expected Overeem to employ similar tactics as Jones considering they come from the same camp.
A simple check, or adjusting his weight to not be so heavy on his front leg would’ve negated the effects of Overeem’s kicks.
It obviously bothered Rothwell enough to complain about it even after winning the fight, but being a sore winner isn’t what Rothwell wants, considering it was his first fight after getting popped for elevated testosterone.
Rothwell wants to move up the heavyweight rankings following the win, but it remains to be seen whom the company will match him up against. Overeem, meanwhile, heads back to the drawing board after yet another underwhelming performance in the UFC.
He’s quickly becoming one of, if not the biggest free-agent bust in UFC history.
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