Top 5 heavyweight submissions in UFC history
The UFC heavyweight division has witnessed some of the most dangerous professional combat sportspersons go to war against each other. It's believed that the margin for error is the minutest in the division of giants. After all, the slightest miscalculation could get you knocked out or submitted when facing off against another skilled, hulking combatant.
Speaking of submission skills and overall grappling prowess, there's been a fair share of legendary wrestlers and Jiu-Jitsu wizards in the UFC's 265-pound division.
Extraordinary grapplers like Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira, Daniel Cormier, Aleksei Oleinik ('The Boa Constrictor' himself!), and more have wreaked havoc in the heavyweight landscape over the years.
In the wake of an incredible, but surprisingly overlooked, heavyweight submission stoppage, we look at some of the very best submissions in UFC heavyweight history.
#5 Mark Coleman vs. Dan Severn — Scarf hold
Mark Coleman and Dan Severn were highly accomplished amateur wrestlers well before they transitioned to the sport of MMA. The revered American fighters faced off at UFC 12 (Feb. 1997), with the inaugural UFC heavyweight title at stake. The matchup was also scheduled to unify that title with the UFC superfight championship.
Severn attempted multiple takedowns in the initial phase of the fight. Coleman showcased brilliant takedown defense and appeared to have a slight advantage against his older opponent on the feet. Eventually, Coleman countered another takedown attempt, and the ensuing scramble resulted in him taking Severn's back.
'The Hammer' soon moved to the mount position after Severn turned toward him. What followed was a sequence of grappling excellence, as Coleman moved to side control and locked in a chokehold while maintaining pressure with his weight over 'The Beast.'
To his credit, Severn attempted to break free by clasping his hands to mitigate the pressure and even landing hammer fists to his opponent's head. With Severn's fingers dangerously close to his eyes, Coleman valiantly maintained his position and squeezed. 'The Hammer' ultimately secured the tap in round one.
Coleman thereby became the inaugural UFC heavyweight champion, besides unifying the UFC superfight championship with it, courtesy of the scarf hold submission victory against Severn.
Watch the submission sequence below (5:10):
#4 Ben Rothwell vs. Josh Barnett — Gogo choke
Ben Rothwell is an MMA veteran. Of his seven submission victories, three came via what he calls a gogo choke, which some believe is an iteration of the guillotine choke. The first time 'Big' Ben pulled it off in a professional MMA bout was in a first-round submission victory against Matt Mitrione at UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson (June 2015).
Some refer to it as the ten-finger guillotine choke, while Rothwell and others suggest the gogo choke is different.
In his very next fight at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader (Jan. 2016), Rothwell used the choke to submit legendary grappler and former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett in their fight's second round. He became the first, and thus far only, fighter to defeat 'The Warmaster' via submission in MMA.
Many fights later, Rothwell beat Chris Barnett via second-round submission at UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt (May 2021) with the same choke.
During his post-fight octagon interview after beating Josh Barnett, Rothwell credited one of his coaches for teaching him the choke and emphasized that it was a gogo choke. The fearsome striker and deft submission artist stated:
"And I just want to make it clear -- that's a 'gogo choke,' created by Luiz Claudio, the black belt that is creating me, soon to be champion of the UFC."
Check out Rothwell's gogo choke and his comments on it below:
#3 Frank Mir vs. Pete Williams — Inside shoulder lock
Frank Mir became a Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championships gold medalist in the 100-kilogram-plus category in 2001 and was a tremendously skilled Jiu-Jitsu combatant at a young age. Mir went on to become a UFC heavyweight champion and retired after a long and successful MMA career.
The American fighter pulled off one of his most spectacular submissions as an undefeated up-and-comer. Mir fought Pete Williams at UFC 36 (March 2002) and displayed his improved boxing and kickboxing arsenal. He then clinched with his foe and seemed to pull guard, while Williams went with the flow and took him down to gain the top position.
In what's still regarded as one of the most terrifying submission finishes in the sport, Mir twisted Williams' right arm with an inside shoulder lock and forced the tap, winning in the very first round.
Watch Mir's stoppage of Williams below:
#2 Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane — The UFC legend's guillotine choke
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones ended his three-year-plus MMA hiatus when he made his heavyweight divisional debut at UFC 285 (March 2023). 'Bones' fought French striking extraordinaire Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship in the event's headlining match.
Neither fighter fully committed to their strikes, and Jones soon got a body lock and dragged 'Bon Gamin' down. He got the back, but Gane defended by turning toward him. Nevertheless, Jones forced him to carry his weight and eventually ensnared him against the cage and locked him in a guillotine twice.
Gane tapped during the second attempt, and Jones was crowned the new UFC heavyweight champion. Jones still possesses the title. 'Bones' applied the choke from an unorthodox position, pressing Gane up against the octagon, and was adept enough to prevent him from escaping from either side.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Jones gave a rather spine-chilling (no pun intended) breakdown of his first-round submission win, jesting that he gave Gane a 'nice chiropractic adjustment' and was popping his spine. He opined that Gane tapped fast during the second attempt, as he was petrified after feeling the force the first time around. Jones stated:
"I locked it up twice. The first time, I could hear his spine popping."
Watch Jones' submission stoppage of Gane below:
#1 Serghei Spivac's revenge against Marcin Tybura — Simplicity and speed
We've come full circle to the one submission stoppage that simply isn't getting enough attention. The UFC Vegas 95 event, which transpired at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Aug. 10, 2024, was headlined by a rematch between Serghei Spivac and Marcin Tybura.
Poland's Tybura had defeated Moldova's Spivac via unanimous decision in their first encounter that took place at UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo (Feb. 2020). Spivac exacted revenge in style, stopping Tybura with a first-round armbar submission at UFC Vegas 95.
The end came when Spivac was on his back and threw an armbar attempt that a veteran like Tybura would usually defend with ease. Nevertheless, the simplicity and conviction of 'Polar Bear' is what made his seemingly innocuous armbar attempt turn into a vicious fight-ending one.
Dare I say the 29-year-old heavyweight showcased a glimpse of MMA legend Georges St-Pierre's rhythm-changing ability. Spivac fully committed to the armbar attempt and went about the step-by-step transitions at lightning speed in a five-round heavyweight fight that many expected to be slow-paced.
The submission was straightforward and speedy, but it's often the basics that facilitate your success.
Watch Spivac's swift transitions and submission below: