The best tapouts in UFC history: Part 2: Arm submissions
It’s time for the next part of our series looking at some of the best submission finishes in UFC history. Last time out was a look at the greatest chokehold tapouts, and in this second part, I’ll be looking at submission holds that attack the arm and shoulder.
The best tapouts in UFC history: Part 1: Chokes
Former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir once stated that the brilliance of a submission hold was the way in which it pits the attacker’s whole body against one limb of his opponent, and that saying certainly rings true for arm-based submissions.
Here are 5 of the greatest arm-based tapouts in UFC history.
#1 Armbar – Matt Hughes vs. Georges St-Pierre – UFC 50 – 10/22/2004
The straight armbar is one of the most commonly used submissions in the UFC, and it’s also one of the most effective. The move looks to hyper-extend the arm at the elbow joint, using the attacker’s hips and legs for leverage, and can be slapped on from a variety of positions, from top control to the guard from the bottom. The likes of Frank Mir and Steve Cantwell have even used the move to break the arm of their opponent.
Perhaps the most memorable armbar though came from legendary former UFC Welterweight champion Matt Hughes, against none other than the man who would eventually dethrone and replace him as the consensus greatest Welterweight of all time, Georges St-Pierre.
In October 2004 the two men were pitted against each other for the Welterweight crown, made vacant when previous champion BJ Penn left the promotion. The experience gap between the two was huge – Hughes had previously held the title for years and had made 5 successful defences, while GSP was just 23 years old and had only fought in the UFC twice – but when the fight came, you could hardly tell.
GSP looked like he was on top in the opening round, outmuscling Hughes a few times and landing the better strikes, but with around a minute remaining, Hughes managed to take him down and secure top position. As Hughes worked from the top, St-Pierre made a rare mistake – he reached for a kimura without fully securing control of the former champ’s body, and in one deft move, Hughes made him pay.
Using the position of St-Pierre’s grasping arms against him, Hughes suddenly swung himself around in helicopter fashion and went right into an armbar, quickly hyper-extending GSP’s right arm and forcing him to tap out almost immediately. Incredibly, there was just one second remaining in the round when he tapped.
This submission was brilliant not just because of the skill it took to pull off, but also due to the quickness in thought that Hughes required to secure it and the fact that it came in a high-level title fight. Considering Hughes began his UFC career as a one-dimensional wrestler, it was a remarkable finish.