The 10 Rarest submissions in MMA history
At times, it feels like the term “Mixed Martial Arts” is a bit of an overstatement. Take a second to contemplate this. For a sport that espouses the best from a spectrum of martial arts, there are only a few techniques from boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that form the bedrock of MMA
Fighters are always trying to permute and combine the intricacies of these sports. This isn’t a knock on MMA, but the most effective and opportune techniques are those that are drilled relentlessly and very rarely do we see finishes coming by a predominantly undiscovered instrument.
Guillotine chokes, rear naked chokes, triangle chokes, armbars and kimuras are the few representatives of centuries-old martial arts that MMA draws inspiration from. Why is that? Perhaps because one of the commandments of BJJ is to wrangle for position over submission?
Or is it because these are the most efficient game changers within the context? The answer is moot because the point I’m coming to is that there are certain fighters who worship the submission, which, contrary to its description, is more a science than an art.
To paraphrase Conor McGregor’s movement coach and overnight MMA guru Ido Portal, when you look at the arm rather than the punch, you’re more aware of the possibilities. Oleksiy Oliynyk probably shares that perspective, which is why possibly he has more wins by Ezekiel Choke than everyone in the history of MMA cumulatively.
Now this isn’t a tribute to the Boa Constrictor, but a commemoration of the most elusive and artful submissions in recent MMA:
#10 Ryo Chonan submits Anderson Silva with a flying scissor heel hook
The Submission of the Year in 2004. Chonan’s slick and fluent transition made it look as though even average Joes could pull off the Sambo takedown and the agonising leg lock. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett, who was commentating for the fight, said that he “lost his mind” when Chonan pulled off the submission.
Barnett’s retelling isn’t without histrionics, as he makes it sound like Chonan capped a fairytale comeback with a miraculous submission.
The truth is, Chonan was most likely ahead on the scorecards and Silva, aware of this, was upping his offence. In 2004, Silva’s reputation was nowhere near the mythical heights it would scale in the years to come. But anyone who watches the video will instantly recognise The Spider’s duck-and-weave, sniper-like style.
Silva’s dervish calms for a moment, a moment too long he would realise painfully. Chonan scouts Silva’s lead leg and pounces on it. Watch the video and imagine the magnitude of pain that forced Silva to tap almost instantly.