Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, like many fans, was left stunned by Elijah Smith’s spectacular slam knockout at UFC on ESPN 72. On Saturday at UFC Vegas 109 in Las Vegas, Smith produced what could be the greatest slam finish in UFC history when he attempted to drive Toshiomi Kazama through the mat during their bantamweight bout. Late in the first round, trapped in a tight triangle choke from Kazama, Smith couldn’t escape, so he went for a powerbomb. Lifting the Japanese fighter high, he slammed him down with devastating force, knocking him out cold on impact. The moment instantly drew comparisons to Jackson’s infamous 2004 slam on Ricardo Arona. But after witnessing the frightening finish, the question is, should that move be banned?
Yesterday, on the Good Guy / Bad Guy episode of ESPN MMA, Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen broke down Elijah Smith’s viral slam knockout at UFC Vegas 109 and debated whether such a dangerous move should be banned. Cormier described Smith as a highly doubted UFC debutant with a strong wrestling background and a father who once fought in the UFC. Coming off a Contender Series win, Smith was determined to be more aggressive this time. Late in the first round, trapped in a triangle choke, he stood up and delivered a devastating powerbomb. “The guy’s out the moment he hit the ground… It was one of the most violent knockouts I have ever seen,” Cormier said.
Sonnen recalled Smith visiting The Ultimate Fighter set in the past and noted his connection to Gilbert, Smith’s father and Sonnen’s former teammate. He praised Smith for shouting out Rampage Jackson after the fight, calling it “awesome,” and remarked on his unexpected strength. “You can’t just pick somebody up and bring them down with that type of force,” Sonnen said, adding that even Smith’s follow-up shots showed rare athleticism. UFC later provided a medical update confirming Kazama was transported to a Las Vegas hospital for evaluation; CT scans of the head, face and neck were reportedly negative and he was discharged. Cormier said he felt relief only when he saw Kazama moving his hand, signaling he was okay.
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Cormier admitted the finish made him reconsider the move’s legality. “That was the first time I felt like maybe it should not be legal,” he said, explaining how the arena went eerily quiet as Toshiomi Kazama lay motionless. Even UFC officials like matchmaker Sean Shelby rushed to the cage in concern. Cormier said he felt relief only when he saw Kazama moving his hand, signaling he was okay.
Sonnen then compared the moment to Rampage Jackson’s 2004 slam on Ricardo Arona in PRIDE, explaining that wrestling rules require putting an opponent down safely, but MMA has no such rule. He noted that California has banned slams in grappling competitions, with regulators arguing a slam counts as a “blow” because the canvas itself delivers the impact. “You are being picked up and hit, but you are being hit by the canvas,” Sonnen explained.
It’s worth noting that many grappling organizations and events explicitly ban or restrict slams or spiking opponents — for safety reasons — (for example, IBJJF rules prohibit dangerous spikes, and ADCC has tightened takedown/slam guidance in recent rule updates). Those rule differences help explain why the same maneuver can be legal in one contest and illegal in another. He noted that some regulators have argued a slam can effectively be counted as a “blow” because the canvas itself delivers much of the impact. “You are being picked up and hit, but you are being hit by the canvas,” Sonnen explained.
In the end, Cormier concluded by pointing out that while certain strikes, like punches to the back of the head, are illegal, slams that land an opponent on the back of their head remain legal in MMA. So comparing Smith’s slam to pro wrestling finishers, he admitted, “I would not be too mad if they did away with that,” citing the dangerous level of impact. So, while the powerbomb KO slam was legal and unlikely to be banned, it appears Elijah Smith still made some unnecessary moves. What did he do?
UFC ref under fire for slow reaction to scary powerbomb KO
On his FunkMasterMMA podcast with Jake Fine and Steve Lee, Aljamain Sterling discussed UFC 109’s highlight, the Rampage-style slam by Elijah Smith, and how it was both spectacular and frightening. So, yesterday, during the conversation, Steve Lee brought up an unnecessary move made by the 9-1 fighter. Sterling agreed, saying, “Those last two punches, probably super unnecessary.”
Lee also criticized referee Chris Tognoni’s positioning, questioning, “What is his name? The ref.? I’m like, ‘Come on, man.’ The instant you see a motherf—– getting picked up in the air like that, you should be like, ‘Alright, maybe I’ll be close by just to see what’s going down.’ But he was like 4 miles away. He is jogging over. Bop bop! Alright fight over. But like, where were you?” He added that when Kazama locked in the triangle choke, the referee should have already been in position, in case the fight needed to be stopped quickly.
Because the referee wasn’t close enough, Toshiomi Kazama had to be rushed to a Las Vegas hospital for medical evaluation. Fortunately, a CT scan revealed no serious injuries, and the “Silent Finisher” later wrote, “Defeat at Five Guys . For now, I’m just really glad to be alive…” Still, many felt the official should have reacted sooner. That said, what are your thoughts on Elijah Smith’s move? Should the Rampage-style slam be banned?
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