5 best submission wins in the UFC's lightweight division

UFC 229: Khabib Nurmagomedov chokes out Conor McGregor in the fourth round [Image via @espnmma on Twitter]
UFC 229: Khabib Nurmagomedov chokes out Conor McGregor in the fourth round [Image via @espnmma on Twitter]

#4. Charles Oliveira defends his title

Charles Oliveira after defending his lightweight title [Image via @charlesdobronxs on Instagram]
Charles Oliveira after defending his lightweight title [Image via @charlesdobronxs on Instagram]

After capturing the vacant lightweight title following the unforeseen retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Brazilian submission specialist Charles Oliveira faced former title challenger Dustin Poirer for his first defense.

Having lost his bid to win the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, 'The Diamond' worked his way back to the No.1 contender's spot and made his claim for a second chance at the belt. 'do Bronx' and the Louisiana native agreed to scrap and headlined UFC 269.

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While 'The Diamond' began to find success in this fight, the Brazilian was happy to show off his newfound grit and weathered the storm that was Poirier's boxing chops. Oliveira took Poirier down in round two and controlled him there for the majority of the five-minute duration. Oliveira had found his rhythm by round three and went to his niche. With 20 of 32 wins coming by way of submission, it's no secret that 'do Bronx' has the grappling skills to take out most at lightweight.

Within seconds, Oliveira was able to take his opponent's back from a standing position. Albeit not ideal, he took what Poirier would give him. After repeated attempts, the champion eventually thwarted his opponent’s defense as he sunk in a rear naked choke that forced the tap.


#3. Khabib Nurmagomedov finishes Conor McGregor

UFC 229: Khabib v McGregor
UFC 229: Khabib v McGregor

Undeniably the most vitriol-fueled rivalry in UFC history, UFC 229 remains the company's highest-selling pay-per-view to date. Conor McGregor returned from a hiatus after putting on a career-best performance that saw him dismantle Eddie Alvares for the lightweight title. Inactivity stripped the Irishman of both his titles, and that's when Nurmagomedov's lightweight championship reign began.

The trash talk went pretty deep in the build-up to UFC 229. Family, religion, teammates - nothing seemed off-limits leading up to this fight. It all began when Nurmagomedov slapped McGregor's teammate, Artem Lobov, for disrespecting him in the media. This slap snowballed into 'Notorious' throwing a dolly through a bus window in an attempt to frighten his Russian adversary.

When words were rendered useless, and the octagon cage was closed, 'The Eagle' let his skills do the talking. Although McGregor did better than most have against the mauling attack of Nurmagomedov, it wasn't enough to hand the Russian his first loss. Following the first and only round in UFC history that Nurmagomedov lost, he went back to his father's game plan and secured a neck-crank submission victory in the fourth round.

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