A reader writes:
At UFC 84, Dong Hyun Kim did a Cradle Piledriver to Jason Tan. Nobody on the blogosphere even mentioned it.
At UFC 85 two weeks later, Nate Marquardt does a Gasno Bomb and he's the MMA antichirst.
What is going on?
My response:
Well, it's complicated. The rule isn't that you can't spike a fighter on his head, it's that you can't intentionally spike. Therefore, the intention to spike has to be clear. There's a strong case that Nate intentionally spiked Leites, but even then that's hard to "prove". How do we know he didn't try to flip him over and because Leites grabbed ahold of Nate's leg, Leites wound up landing the way he did? Unlikely, but possible.
As for Kim, the case is even weaker. Yes he picks him up, but it looks like it's for a turn and in the struggle loses positioning on his left leg. Moreover, he sets Tan down more than he spikes him. Again, a case can be made, but the intentionality of it complicates the issue.
Is this the reason those spikings haven't been enforced or is incompetence having a hand in matters?
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