5 rarest submissions in the UFC
In the UFC, certain techniques are rarer than others. While a knockout with a left hook is a fairly common occurrence, a fighter claiming victory over his opponent by landing a spinning heel kick is an event witnessed by few. The same principle applies to grappling sequences.
Once a fight is on the ground, it is subjected to far more phases than striking. If a fighter misses a punch, many of which can end a bout, they can simply throw it again with few preceding steps required. However, if a fighter hopes to secure a triangle choke, they must first successfully take their opponent down, then advance to half-guard to be in a position to attempt the submission.
If the fighter fails, a scramble ensues and the opponent might find their way back to their feet, forcing the mixed martial artist in question to redo every step. Ending a fight with a submission requires more steps than ending a fight with strikes. Thus, fighters typically resort to submission maneuvers with high success rates from secure positions.
That, however, does not mean that rare submission maneuvers are not attempted. This list looks at 5 of the rarest submissions in the UFC.
#5. Ovince Saint Preux, Von Flue choke
One of the largest light heavyweights on the roster, Ovince Saint Preux is an athletic fighter with great height, reach and punching power.
Despite the threat he poses as a striker, 'OSP' is no slouch in the grappling department. In fact, the light heavyweight standout is responsible for consistently implementing the exceedingly rare Von Flue choke in the UFC. 'OSP' has successfully submitted foes a total of 4 times using the maneuver, most recently at UFC Fight Night 160.
STEP-BY-STEP 😳
Get the details of one of @003_OSP's FOUR Von Flue chokes. #UFCVegas7 https://t.co/e5rajCxD9J
Devised as a counter-submission against the guillotine choke, the Von Flue choke involves hooking one arm around the back of an opponent's neck before clasping both hands together and pressing one's shoulder deep into the foe's neck.
Ovince Saint Preux uses the submission to great effect, pressing his entire bodyweight into his opponent's neck to either force the tap or choke them unconscious as Michał Oleksiejczuk recently learned.