Real-Life Mortal Kombat Moves Get Ed Boon's Approval

Who knew a hook kick could lure in clicks? One YouTuber piqued "Mortal Kombat" co-creator Ed Boon's interest with a Sonya Blade-inspired video in which she recreates the Special Forces General's moves. Sofia Stunts – a streamer, martial artist, gymnast, and stunt performer — has created video game martial arts content for months. In her segments, Sofia does flip kicks, roundoffs, and similar moves like those seen in "Mortal Kombat." Best of all, she sticks the landing. These aren't delicate dances, but what appear to be bone-crushing hits worthy of a Brutality. 

Sonya Blade, the character Sofia portrays in Boon's highlighted clip, fights as part of a special task force called the Outer World Investigation Agency (OIA) in the "Mortal Kombat" universe. She commands many units within the force, including the Earthrealm unit led by her daughter, Cassie Cage. She first appeared in "Mortal Kombat" and has featured in nearly all of the subsequent series entries, including the most recent "Mortal Kombat 11." It makes sense that a martial artist would be able to throw down like Sonya, considering that the Special Forces are trained in hand-to-hand combat. Here's what else we know about Sofia, plus a quick look at Boon's track record sharing fan content.

Sofia tweeted that Ed Boon's praise was like a "dream come true" before promoting more of her work. Beyond the clip shown in Boon's tweet, she has a full video showcasing her Sonya Blade moves and additional sequences where she recreates the skillsets of other characters. Notably, she's done a video for Cassie Cage.

Boon has a record of highlighting fan content, such as the time he shared a "Mortal Kombat" video created by someone who actually trained at a Shaolin Temple. Sonia likely won't be the last martial artist who creates content based on the franchise, but she is one of the few that got Ed Boon's public seal of approval. He also allegedly backed a a bid by fans to create a "Mortal Kombat Trilogy" 4K remake, which the IP holder didn't greenlight because it wasn't convinced the project would attract enough interest to sell even 100,000 copies.

Those interested in Sofia's work can follow her on Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram. Or, if you'd rather play "Mortal Kombat 11," you can do so on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and even Google Stadia.