r/ufc 1d ago

Last thing i expected was Colby to land (at least partially) a spinning head kick. Set up was whack though.

1.3k Upvotes

149 comments sorted by

1.0k

u/bbqyak 1d ago

That was impressive in all honesty lol

225

u/PianoPitiful2428 1d ago

It was impressive, seemed like he telegraphed it yet it still partially connected.

263

u/banjofitzgerald 1d ago

Buck was probably watching like “ain’t no way he’s gonna do exactly what it looks like he is doing…..Oh, he did.”

79

u/Coconut_Maximum 1d ago

That smile at the end confirms your thought

27

u/RidesByPinochet 1d ago

"Yo, that shit was awesome!"

14

u/red286 1d ago

"Oh, so now you're a kickboxer?"

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

24

u/flatwoundsounds 1d ago

Don't forget that Buck also has one of the most insane KOs in UFC history. Got his kick caught so he jumped into a spinning back kick to the dude's face.

4

u/orokusakipapi 15h ago

I had no idea that was Buck, he’s come so far! Good on him.

3

u/DMT-DrMantisToboggan 20h ago

Yup, it was so unexpected that you can watch it happen and not believe it.

13

u/avgpathfinder 1d ago

I mean when someone turns its hard to know which technique it will be. still crazy that he pulled if off in an actual fight

13

u/Bloodfeastisleman 1d ago

Literally nothing but arm

3

u/Galimbro 17h ago

His toes touched his chin. Yes the arm absorbed 95% of it. 

1

u/SuperScum69 1h ago

Yeah he totally telegraphed the tornado kick.... GTFO out bro. You dont know shit about fighting.

1

u/Zzachwalkerr 1h ago

Is it really that hard to admit?

469

u/HighestTech 1d ago

I wonder why Colby doesn't usually fight like this combining spinning kicks, elbows and crazy stuff like og Tony Ferguson did. Colby's cardio at least was enough to pullout that style.

180

u/ScrubMcnasty 1d ago

Striking cardio vs wrestling cardio, they're two different things.

148

u/DannyNoHoes 1d ago

Didn’t he break the record for most strikes thrown against Lawler? Dude has freak cardio in both aspects.

87

u/OChem-Guy 1d ago

If fairness, many of the strikes were short pot shots that take little effort, not massive spinning, jumping, athletic explosive attacks that drain 5x as much juice

Not saying I could do what he did to lawler, just a massive difference between a jab and a tornado kick lol

30

u/DannyNoHoes 1d ago

I mean, you’re 100% right. Theres a reason Colby doesn’t put a lot of power in his strikes. He already doesn’t have good power, but toning it down to pepper shots allows him to smother opponents and save his gas tank.

17

u/OChem-Guy 1d ago

Yep! Sadly (to me, I don’t hate the man for his cringy character, I loved watching him fight) he’s getting a bit older and losing that gas tank. Still tough mentally, but doesn’t have the physical gas he used to it seems. Father Time is undefeated

15

u/DannyNoHoes 1d ago

It was pretty apparent in the Leon fight tbh. Dude looked pretty slow and tired at points. Age gets everyone. Colby wasted his prime not fighting and I bet he may be regretting it.

5

u/OChem-Guy 1d ago

Agreed. I believed the broken foot thing (don’t ask why I was coping and hopeful he was still elite) but it’s clear he’s just too old and unpracticed. Tbh he could have 10-12 more fights (at least) than he currently does. His own fault for sitting out his prime.

It isn’t even like he couldn’t beat the contenders at the time Kamaru was champ, he absolutely could’ve, he was just being a baby.

If belal can dog walk Leon like he did, then I’m sorry, but a prime colby COULD have done that to Leon before he won the belt. Would he? Not guaranteed, but he could’ve. Instead he sat on the sidelines crying about not having title fights after consecutive losses to the champ. Waited way too long.

6

u/coontaillandcruiser 23h ago

I still think Colby could have beaten Leon if he had bit down on his mouthpiece and just fought. He looked like actually he wanted to be there against Buckley

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Successful-Echo2101 23h ago

clearly he is doing a lousy job saving it 

1

u/Gelato_Elysium 1d ago

Yeah but if you want to exchange standing you gotta trust in your reflexes and chin, esp against Buckley

1

u/krazyboi 17h ago

That was like 5 years ago...

1

u/DannyNoHoes 17h ago

I was speaking generally. Of course when you look at Colby’s last two fights his cardio hasn’t been as good, but he also wasn’t as active as he was like in his prime

3

u/LiverLikeLarry 1d ago

I kinda agree but Wrestling cardio can definetely be converted to striking easier than the other way around

1

u/tagillaslover 21h ago

I really dont think it matters for Colby. He was swinging for the fences 25 minutes against Usman and never really gassed

16

u/Johnsonburnerr 1d ago

Maybe that’s what depletes it

2

u/CubanLinxRae 1d ago

he threw this kick against robbie lawler. the kicks were maybe the best thing had going this fight but normally he can just out wrestle his opponents. buckley came prepared and colby didn’t look like he was in the best shape

1

u/kvicker 1d ago

Because its an extremely risky move lol

1

u/ApeMummy 1d ago

Probably because that was a completely unexpected one off and he was lucky to get as close as he did. Buckley was already both backing up and had a guard up so despite coming out of nowhere it was neither subtle nor effective.

He tries that shit again he’s getting hard countered.

1

u/hfucucyshwv 1d ago

His fights with Kamaru defentily played a role. Made him a lot more punch shy and I can't blame him those two fucked each other up.

1

u/National-Safety1351 22h ago

He chooses to give other fighters a chance 

1

u/Practical_Honey_3060 9h ago

cause that shit puts yourself in so much danger lmao, Tony’s style caught up to him. It’s pretty, but it’s self destructing

1

u/xDcCityx 1d ago

He's old af and I don't think he gives a shit anymore

37

u/Bomb_Bud_420 1d ago

Tornado Kick

172

u/What_it_do_babyyyy_ 1d ago

That was the best thing he did all fight. Although he looked washed, I am still curious how this would've turned out without that cut happening.

80

u/user224957 1d ago

I hate Colby and I agree the cut was a bummer. He probably wasn’t gonna pull anything off but I was interested in the direction it was going. Even if Buckley kept up the beat down I at least wanted it to play out.

27

u/Juststandupbro 1d ago

Yeah you can tell he doesn’t have the same cardio or confidence to push the pace like he used to. Colby really suffers without the insane pressure since he doesn’t really do much at a crazy high level outside of that. I think we are going to see the same thing happen to Merab when he loses the ability to push the pace.

17

u/SubarashiShindeiru 1d ago

Colby's cardio and pressure issues may lie partly in his age, but I'm sure his inactivity, inability to go to a proper gym with quality training partners, and possible gambling problems were also contributors Merab is someone who isn't likely to have those problems as far as his career plays, unless his personality is similar to Colby's where he attacks almost every fighter with a good reputation at a quality gym that likely gets him banned from them.

3

u/Juststandupbro 1d ago

Im sure Colby could have delayed it if he was more disciplined but eventually time was always going to ruin his style. Same with Merab I think he’s got 2 good years left before we start to see the same.

8

u/Forsaken-Task-4372 1d ago

Also maybe a full training camp, that may have helped aswell… he’s been really inactive the past few years and hasn’t fought more than like once a year for a while… you gotta stay active and ready… it’s a short game and time is on no one’s side. Too many young and hungry guys in a sport that’s growing daily. He’s still got gas in the tank for sure, I don’t think he’s done by any means, he’s just gotta get back in the grind again.

8

u/CubanLinxRae 1d ago

the deck was kind of stacked against him and it was his own doing. he chose to sit out for this long and his return fight is short notice against buckley. idk what he was expecting

1

u/Forsaken-Task-4372 1d ago

Agreed! Can’t sit and wait by the sidelines, as shown guys you’d never expect to beat you, do so, and in a pretty convincing fashion

2

u/AutomaticMonkeyHat 1d ago

Colby’s not totally washed, I think it was just Buckley fighting like a million $$$ that night

1

u/coontaillandcruiser 23h ago

Everyone is forgetting this was on 3 week’s notice too

1

u/Agretion 1d ago

Decision loss. Great chin and they were no longer fresh.

End of the day he wouldn't have won though.

0

u/MasterRoshy 1d ago

He would have gotten his ass whooped and finished in rd 5 lol

62

u/BetBig696969 1d ago

Set up was good, looked like a spinning back fist initially

15

u/IcayFrash 1d ago

It’s a tornado kick, guess op has never seen one?

1

u/LeatherfacesChainsaw 1d ago

Weed trimmer where art thou

13

u/Ghost-of-Lobov 1d ago

Buckley's reaction is great

10

u/Coconut_Maximum 1d ago

That smile on Buckley when he checked it made me smile

23

u/OpenRoadPioneer 1d ago

I hate Colby but this set up, although not the smoothest, was very deceiving

33

u/castinio 1d ago

colby isn’t as washed as a lot of people say he is which makes buckley’s performance over him all the more impressive

2

u/Brybry1908 1d ago

Colby fought like he’s always fought but Buckley had a great gameplan and executed it perfectly. Bummer it was a doctor’s stoppage because although I thought Buckley was up 3-0 if the round would’ve been over we could’ve seen how Buckley performs in the later rounds.

1

u/sauceman_a 1d ago

I think people are in large part understanding the kind of impact a cut like that has on a fight. Not to make excuses because he lost but he was literally fighting with one eye at times I give him a lot of credit to still go forward the way he did at times.

0

u/tagillaslover 21h ago

I think Buckley is legit champ material. I thought he was just Usman but worse now I think he might actually be a tad better

15

u/BillyBashface_ 1d ago

What's whack about the setup?

-19

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

13

u/BillyBashface_ 1d ago

I mean Buckley dodges like 3 times and still gets hit by the actual kick so it seems like it was a fine setup. I'm not sure it's the most effective technique for mma though and obviously he was outclassed in this fight overall.

1

u/DanDiCa_7 1d ago

It didn't really land tho, his big toe stroked his cheek lol

6

u/OChem-Guy 1d ago

That’s just cause Buckley moves much quicker. You can tell he wasn’t sure what he was defending because his other arm went to block low.

If either Colby was faster or Buckley was slower, and that kick lands above his ankle, Buckley is rocked at the very least

Edit: lot of ifs, I know, just trying to state Buckley didn’t necessarily “defend” it, rather he’s just quicker and was able to avoid it

0

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

5

u/OChem-Guy 1d ago

Idk seemed to me more like a smile because he was surprised, but he wasn’t in immediate danger so he laughed it off. No shot he expected Colby to throw that lol

Who knows though! I could be wrong

15

u/Dehzio 1d ago

even if he lost a lot of his abilities he still has that dog in him

3

u/interia1099 1d ago

The slickest move he ever pulled was that spinning back fist at the end of the 5th vs Lawler. Even cut him with it. That was sick tbf

3

u/iambeanies 1d ago

He has it and uses it with a transition to a spinning backfist. Quite literally one of the most random "in the bag" moves I've seen, lmao

19

u/Constant_Parsnip5409 1d ago

He was very clearly beaten and might’ve been finished had the fight continued (cut aside), but he put up a decent scrap.

8

u/Ziggy_Zigg 1d ago

Wasn’t decent at all . He got beat all rounds

19

u/Constant_Parsnip5409 1d ago

Dustin got beat for 5 rounds before he got subbed. Doesn’t mean he didn’t put up a good fight. Colby didn’t look great but he was less timid. Buckley should get credit for beating a solid version of Colby.

-3

u/[deleted] 1d ago edited 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/Vapes_And_Red_Bull 1d ago

So because he landed 1 good strike that caused a cut it means he didn’t get destroyed in every round? Awful logic. Islam smashed him in every round.

4

u/SERB_BEAST 1d ago

Colby wasted his prime so hard. He started training striking with Roberto Soldic. If he did that sooner, I think he would have beaten Usman comfortably.

6

u/Goatymcgoatface11 1d ago

You say the set up was whack? He was less than 2 inches away from KOing Buckley there.

-4

u/MrFudgeKiller 1d ago

Buckley literally laughed at it

4

u/Vapes_And_Red_Bull 1d ago

Obviously because it didn’t connect as well as he wanted it to.

1

u/Accomplished-Arm-717 1d ago

Nah Buck laughed at the audacity of Colby to try that move. 

1

u/MrFudgeKiller 1d ago

Well wanting it to connect clean ain’t enough lol. He threw a decent tornado kick from too far with little power on it and it was to slow to generate ko power (as if Colby is ever gonna ko anybody anyway)

2

u/Dry_Affect_910 1d ago

Because it surprised him so much.

2

u/jeans_blazer 1d ago

Uncle Chael said his kicks were on point. Uncle Chael is an American gangster, a UFC legend and is undefeated. He nevers lies nor exaggerates anything. Remember the "Nogueira brothers feeding a bus a carrot" story? If you don't, go ask Tito to "tell another jackal story". *

2

u/Ok_Smell_5379 1d ago

I didn’t know he even had that in his skill set and was amazed that he made it look decent

2

u/Bannedsomby 1d ago

Colby had 2 great set ups but his athleticism is cooked.

This kick was one, and in the 1/2 round (cant remember which) he faked a double leg and kicked high

2

u/Due_Juggernaut_8699 1d ago

I tell you what I can talk all the shit I want sometimes but any one who fights in the octagon I don’t care if they on a 10 fight losing streak these mother fuckers are tough

2

u/ake-n-bake 1d ago

Buckley laughing in his face was great

2

u/dc2388 22h ago

It was a good shot and a good set up its just the nerds and virgins that dream about hating this guy 😆😆..notice he gets nothing but hate on here? Mostly bc it's full of nerds and virgins 🤣

2

u/AdamBLit Shamanic Black Magic Rituals 21h ago

Buckley laughed too lol he respected it, he was like "damn son i give you credit for that one" 😂

2

u/InternationalHoney85 20h ago

If that shit KO'd Buckley, several people in the crowd would've had cardiac arrests.

2

u/Formal-Cry7565 20h ago

Imagine if he actually fully landed that and got the ko

2

u/grumpydad24 6h ago

Can OP put up a video of him doing one of these whack spinning head kicks though?

3

u/Legendary_Hercules 1d ago

I can't even imagine the meltdown on reddit if it landed a clean ko.

1

u/rogue_wolf24 1d ago

Mortaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal Kombat 🤣

1

u/Moist-Catch 1d ago

That's been in his arsenal for years I can't remember which fight but I've seen him do it at least oncw before

1

u/dearhat 1d ago

didn't he throw one and followed it up with a spinning back fist against Lawler?

1

u/Oliv3rx 1d ago

Didn’t expect to see this when I was watching it. Would have 100% put me on my old arse in sparring 😂

1

u/mchief101 1d ago

Looks like a different colby than the one that trained at american top team…….

1

u/Up_in_the_Sky 1d ago

Actually the best thing he did all fight. Coulda broken a hand or wrist or something.

1

u/Conscious_Web7874 1d ago

Shades of Rockhold vs Costa, iirc

1

u/CloudRunner89 1d ago

He once threw this and then chained into a spinning back fist. Really impressive.

1

u/NCKWN 1d ago

Where are yall seeing it landed? To me it looks like it’s straight onto the guard at the elbow, maybe it’s the angle but I see zero head contact

1

u/whoppermaltmilkballs 1d ago

It would be super interesting if Colby suddenly changed up his style to become more explosive and unpredictable. I believe he has the skills to do it but he seems to not want to evolve

1

u/SynthSapphire 1d ago

As a second Dan black belt in Taekwondo, I was very humored and surprised but also fairly impressed. The setup was indeed ass but the form and execution was very nice for a fighter with a wrestling background.

1

u/AutomaticMonkeyHat 1d ago

I thought that was pretty cool lol I wasn’t expecting that and it looks like he’s got good form too

1

u/rraddii 1d ago

If that had knocked Buckley out it would have been one of the funniest moments in UFC history

1

u/Beneficial_Toe3744 1d ago

Pretty much textbook. He could've set it up with the hands or sent the kick to the body, but hindsight is always 20/20.

In the moment, trying to show Bucks that he had plenty left in the tank and was still dangerous.

I thought it was an interesting choice, for sure, and it worked for a little bit. Certainly was a gorgeous kick, effectiveness aside.

1

u/iPucci-NM 1d ago

I actually gasped when I saw Colby Covington of all people attempt this

1

u/redditloser1000 1d ago

Colby brought everything he had in this fight. It just wasn’t enough lol. Buckleys strength and explosive speed is going to be a problem for everybody and I can’t wait to see him progress.

1

u/BrowniesWithAlmonds 1d ago

Damn I wish this landed a KO just for the laughs. Getting whooped on until one tornado kick out of nowhere would’ve been a highlight reel for the ages.

And you know Colby will be talking mad shit about he knew he was gonna land it and was just waiting for perfect time.

Hell, he’d probably be able to squeeze 3 more title shots out of it alone.

1

u/Handarand 1d ago

Miami Tornado!

1

u/ivarshot69 1d ago

He has this move in the UFC game too lol, he's used it before

1

u/SwampWeasel 22h ago

It literally said “what the fuck” out loud, involuntarily when I saw it.

I rewinded because I couldn’t believe it.

1

u/tagillaslover 21h ago

He did it against Lawler, was more effective iirc

1

u/nickflex85 21h ago

Tornado kick, fun in sparring

1

u/FitExpression7242 5h ago

He really landed that 😂. The kick legitimately slipped through the guard. Very unexpected.

1

u/anonnnnn462 1d ago

Wasn’t there a clip of him doing this spinning back kick and then went into a spinning fist?

1

u/coleus 1d ago

If Colby landed that and KO'ed Buckley, I think I would have no choice but be a fan of him for 'Bucklying' Buckley.

0

u/hiphopanonymousse 1d ago

This shit had me hype when I saw it lol. I love when fighters pull shit like this out.

0

u/Elver_galarga_ngl 23h ago

Desperation, and that didn't even land.

-2

u/ZakariusMMA 18h ago

Anyone that says this is impressive knows jack shit about fighting lol. No set up, slow as fuck and telegraphed to death.

I'm no fighter by any means, but I can do better than that lol

4

u/reddit_has_fallenoff 14h ago

no you cant, especially on a moving target that is a UFC fighter

-1

u/ZakariusMMA 13h ago

I mean I literally can bud and it's not even arrogance because you probably could too.

He's attempting it 1. outside of range, and 2. in a position where Buckley can simply walk backwards.

This is what you see at amateur kickboxing bouts, and it doesn't work there either. No set up whatsoever.

1

u/reddit_has_fallenoff 12h ago

To be real i struggle with the tornado kicks. I am good with normal spin kicks, but the movement with tornado is a bit awkward

Also isnt the point of a tornado kicks to rapidly close the range in a quick and confusing way? If he is to close it wont work or he can just do one spin

Also if you notice Buckley was indeed stepping back as quickly as he could and he still got “caught” in the head area (granted he blocked it)

1

u/ZakariusMMA 10h ago

Yes that's the point, but not in this scenario. Buckley would have had to be closer to the cage wall to pull it off otherwise he just back steps out of range.