5 current UFC stars who used unique submissions to tap out their opponents
This past weekend saw Jessica Andrade make UFC history in her headline bout with Amanda Lemos, as she became the first fighter to submit an opponent inside the octagon with a standing arm triangle choke.
A night for the record books 📖
- The first standing arm triangle submission in UFC history ✅
- Tied for most wins in women's UFC history (14) ✅
- 2nd most finishes in women's UFC history (8) ✅
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Over the years, we’ve seen numerous UFC fighters use unique submission holds to force their foes to tap out, and while these moves tend to be high risk, they also offer high reward.
The use of a unique submission can send a fighter viral for a time, or can even turn a fighter into an outright superstar, depending on the nature of the fight, of course.
With that considered, here are five current UFC stars who used unique submission holds to finish their opponents.
#5. Jessica Andrade vs. Amanda Lemos – UFC Fight Night 205
We begin with the most recent entry on this list, as Jessica Andrade was able to make UFC history in her fight with Amanda Lemos this past weekend. ‘Bate Estaca’, who is usually better known for her brutal striking power than her submission skills, became the first fighter in the octagon to submit an opponent with a standing arm triangle choke.
Interestingly, the grounded version of the arm triangle choke, usually applied from either the full mount or side mount, is one of the more common submissions seen in the octagon, as a number of fighters have deployed it over the years.
Brock Lesnar, for instance, retained his UFC heavyweight title by submitting Shane Carwin with an arm triangle back in 2010. The move was also responsible for handing future legend Chuck Liddell his first defeat in MMA way back in 1999.
However, there’s a simple reason why, until Andrade, nobody had been able to successfully use the standing version of the hold. Essentially, it’s an incredibly difficult hold to pull off. Not only does it take an inhuman amount of strength and squeezing power to apply, it’s also easier for an opponent to escape from if they’re standing.
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Still, that didn’t stop ‘Bate Estaca’, who bullied her way into the clinch before putting the squeeze on Lemos, who immediately seemed to recognize she was in trouble. Before she could even attempt an escape, though, the hold was too tight and it was time to tap out.
Will we see more standing arm triangle chokes used in the octagon in the future? To be honest, it seems doubtful – meaning that Andrade could be the only fighter to apply this one successfully for the foreseeable future.