Video: Justin Gaethje demonstrates how to counter a calf kick

Calf kicks have become a major topic of discussion in MMA, and Justin Gaethje believes he knows just the way to combat them.

We’ve recently seen Dustin Poirier chop away at Conor McGregor’s lead leg, which helped him set up a second-round TKO finish in their UFC 257 main event rematch.

Known for devastating leg kicks himself, Gaethje has both dished and been on the receiving end of some brutal kicks throughout his wars in the cage. In a recent video courtesy of “Full Reptile,” Gaethje shows his training partner how to turn away from a calf kick and make an opponent pay on the counter.

Gaethje’s defense was in full effect when he faced Edson Barboza in March 2019. Both men came out firing with low kicks, but Gaethje was able to eventually get a read on Barboza’s timing by dodging them. In the finishing sequence of the fight, Gaethje walked through Barboza’s kicks without absorbing any significant damage and threw a perfect overhand right to knock him out in Round 1.

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