What is an Ezekiel choke in MMA? Alexander Volkov makes history as only the 3rd fighter in UFC history to earn the submissionÂ
Alexander Volkov created history at UFC 293 by becoming only the third fighter to earn a submission victory via an Ezekiel choke in the UFC.
Volkov took on Tai Tuivasa in the co-main event of UFC 293, which took place on September 10 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The heavyweight clash was an exciting affair that ended with a second-round submission for 'Drago'.
Volkov has now won three fights in a row; all finishes - two knockouts and one submission.
Tuivasa, on the other hand, is now on a three-fight losing skid with two KO losses and one submission loss.
With the victory, Alexander Volkov has joined Remco Pardoel and Aleksei Oleinik in the small club of fighters with an Ezekiel choke victory in the multi-billion dollar promotion.
An Ezekiel choke involves placing one arm behind your opponent's head and using another to grab their sleeve and put pressure on the neck or throat. The submission can be performed from any position, be it top, bottom, or standing.
The technique, originally known as Sode guruma jime, was named the 'Ezekiel choke' after Brazilian judoka Ezequiel Paraguassu who was one of the earliest proponents of the technique.