Leavitt prefers ban on slams after brutal KO win: Slams are ‘ugly’ and ‘dangerous’

On Saturday at UFC VEGAS 16, lightweight Jordan Leavitt kept his undefeated record intact when he knocked out veteran Matt Wiman via a vicious slam inside 22 seconds. Wiman’s head hit the canvas hard, immediately turning his lights out.

Leavitt was happy with his victory, but he also recognizes the ugly nature of the slam as a legal move in MMA. He is also perfectly fine with its banning in case the powers that be decide to do so in the future.

“I feel like the sport would be a much safer, artful thing if slams like that weren’t allowed,” Leavitt told TMZ Sports. “But when you’re in that cage, you have to decide, like, ‘Am I gonna pay rent tonight? Or I’m gonna have to downgrade my house and I’ll have to put my family in an unstable position.’

“I think slams are ugly, and I think they’re dangerous. And even though I didn’t slam him on the back of the head, there are dozens of fights where they do get slammed on the back of the head. And if it lands in that way, unless you’re in a submission, I don’t think it’s warranted.”

“The Monkey King” had a chance to speak with Wiman’s wife after the fight, and she was totally accepting of the outcome.

“She just said, ‘it’s the fight game, it happens,” he recalled of his conversation with Mrs. Wiman. “Very calm, very… I respect the crap out of that.”

Leavitt received a $50,000 performance bonus for his win. Wiman, however, was reportedly released from the UFC on Tuesday after racking up three straight losses.