The world is home to a myriad of different fighting styles that have evolved through the ages. And for each discipline, there are different rulesets. If you want to throw punches, there’s boxing. For kicks, there’s Muay Thai, kickboxing, and even Taekwondo. If you want to grapple, there are a plethora of disciplines like wrestling to name a few. Heck, if you want to mix things up, there is MMA.

Why then, would anyone in their right mind throw a kick in a boxing match? The act would boggle even the least educated of combat sports fans. Factory MMA uploaded a video to Instagram where a boxer threw a head kick at his opponent. The move was scintillating with a perfect wind-up and execution, but it has gained traction for all the wrong reasons.

The video in question had the following captions, “A brutal knockout occurred in a boxing match due to head-kick! What should the punishment be for this behavior?”

Members of the combat sports and MMA community were quick to respond with sharp reactions, with some hilarious reactions to the brutal moment.

“Charge him with assault”- How the MMA world reacted to the illegal kick

If there’s one thing that is undefeated in the world of combat sports and MMA, it’s the internet. Whether you win or lose, the internet will always have some reaction to it; good, bad, and/or either. Even in this case, the video in question had the internet split down the middle.

Some members of the MMA community were furious, with one user calling for the violator to be convicted, “Charge him with assault and ban him from boxing”. One user complained that acts like this paint combat sports in a bad picture. They alluded to combat sports being a source of restraint and discipline and expressed quite a bit of disdain for the act with, “[S**t] like this [is] gonna keep the sport from growing and people [are] gonna keep calling combat sports a bunch of hooligans. If they ain’t even got discipline under their belt they shouldn’t fight. Ever. My opinion.”

While some users were outright furious at the move, one user chose sarcasm and humor to call out the act. They said, “If only there was a sport similar to boxing that allowed you to throw kicks, but no such thing exists”. Since Muay Thai and Kickboxing employ boxing with kicks and even knees, one user wrote, “Brosef, just switch sports”.

While many were critical of the act, one user reminded us of the fundamental rule of fighting, which is, “Protect yourself at all times”. This comment, of course, is redundant in this context, since boxers never prepare for head kicks. Taking a direct shot at the sport of boxing, one user stated that boxers can’t prepare for strikes other than kicks, “Proof that boxers are protected by their rule set”.

Like all comment sections, many trolls made light of the situation, posting some admittedly hilarious comments. Invoking the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, known for brutal head kick KOs, one user wrote, “CHAMA”. While the kick was a violation, it was clinical, nevertheless. Taking note, a user called for a performance bonus for the violator – “Give him KO of the Night bonus”.

What do you think should be the penalty for such a violation? Is there a sufficient punishment for such an act? Let us know in the comments section below.