This content is protected and [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsyewDz3FRI&feature=player_embedded[/ame]
When I was showing my mate the different sides of MMA i.e. Muay Thai, Wrestling and BJJ, the first thing I showed him in kicks is the front kick. He boxes so I showed him elbows and knees which generally aren't difficult to pick up. Kicks are very very hard so I showed him the front kick as it is easy to pick up and doesn't rely too heavily on flexibility. I've always been a big fan of the front kick, foot jab, whatever you want to call it. I've been a big fan of all its variations. So much power yet it can be powerful through precision also. Fighters will begin to be more aware of it, like they will for the jab and other moves becoming more widely used. Fighters who risk putting their foot out like that must have their leg swept, be taken down etc Silva and Machida really are the perfect guys to execute the move though in the way that they did.
I agree with you, I think the front kick is a very legitimate weapon and I hope we see more of it particularly against wrestlers. It's perfect for the crouched forward wrestler stance. back in the day when I used to spar point karate. there is to be this guy who was really uncoordinated, and used to do this sort of front kick with his leg virtually straight. and it was absolutely horrible to defend against because it was either hits you in the kneecap groin or face. If I'd tried to rush in it would invariably hit me in the bollocks.
You can be the best fighter in the world but if you are scared to engage because you'll enter an area (i.e. wrestling) that someone is better than you at then you are ****ed. Guys like Silva and Machida had the talent but also the balls to execute a move against dangerous opponents. Most other fighters are simply too scared.
Having a few conflicts about MMA, I was just thinking what if it was my dad getting kicked in the head like that, I would not like it. the sound of the kick landing was awful, it was exactly like a cabbage being hit with a baseball bat. Bit off topic I know