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In 2023, the UFC enjoyed a healthy dose of finishes. While fans are generally drawn to knockouts, submissions are equally thrilling. Watching high-level grapplers create artistry in the match is a joy for many fans, both hardcore and otherwise, especially if it culminates in a submission.
In some cases, the fighter regarded as the inferior grappler, on paper at least, gets the better of their more credentialed foe. Such was the case with Leon Edwards' wrestling masterclass against the more experienced Colby Covington. Unfortunately, that bout was without a submission.
Other matchups throughout the year, however, did feature reportedly inferior grapplers submitting more celebrated grapplers. In other cases, some fighters who have never lost via submission were made to tap out for the very first time.
#5 Shavkat Rakhmonov submits Stephen Thompson at UFC 296
Unbeaten welterweight phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov once again put the division on notice with his UFC 296 performance. He took on renowned striking specialist Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, who had never lost via submission before. That statistic, however, did not survive his encounter with Rakhmonov.
Check out Shavkat Rakhmonov submitting Stephen Thompson in the clip below:
After a slow, grinding affair in round one, which saw 'Wonderboy' mount a fair amount of resistance against Rakhmonov's takedown attempts, he was eventually dragged to the mat in round two. Upon doing so, he suffocated the karateka before submitting him with a rear-naked choke.
While rear-naked chokes are nothing special, it was the first submission loss of 'Wonderboy's' career. Not even the likes of Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns were able to submit him. That milestone went solely to Rakhmonov.
#4 Shavkat Rakhmonov submits Geoff Neal at UFC 285
On one of the first pay-per-views, Shavkat Rakhmonov cast an ominous shadow over the welterweight division, given how he defeated Geoff Neal. After a thrilling back-and-forth striking exchange in various instances in the bout, 'The Nomad' repeatedly stunned his foe on the feet, setting up a submission.
Check out Shavkat Rakhmonov submitting Geoff Neal in the clip below:
With Neal reeling, Rakhmonov bullied him in the clinch before trapping him with a standing rear-naked choke. Such was the leverage behind his choke that he rendered Neal unconscious, who collapsed after Rakhmonov relinquished his grip. It was a remarkable outcome, given how rare standing submissions are.
It helped maintain Rakhmonov's 100% finishing rate, with a rare standing submission as well.
#3 Bobby Green submits Tony Ferguson at UFC 291
Bobby Green is not a grappler by trade. While he has submission wins on his record, he prefers to box if he can help it. Tony Ferguson, meanwhile, was once a well-renowned grappler at lightweight, with many once eager to watch him test his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu against lightweight grappling legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
But at UFC 291, Green overcame Ferguson, submitting him in round three of their contest via arm-triangle choke. While 'El Cucuy' did not tap out, he fell unconscious, marking just the third time that Ferguson had lost via submission in 35 fights. It was a shocking outcome, given Green's reputation as a boxer.
Check out Bobby Green submitting Tony Ferguson in the clip below:
In few instances have less experienced grapplers like Green, who is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt to Ferguson's black belt, defeated more credentialed and even feared submission specialists like the latter.
#2 Jon Jones submits Ciryl Gane at UFC 285
Jon Jones made his long-awaited octagon return at UFC 285, taking on former interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane for the division's vacant undisputed title. It was Jones' heavyweight debut and many were curious about what he would look like at his new weight class.
It turned out that 'Bones' was more than ready for conquest in a new division. It took him just two minutes to secure a rear-bodylock and drag Gane to the ground. From there, he secured a quick guillotine, trapping the Frenchman against the fence, while applying tremendous pressure to the rear of his neck.
Check out Jon Jones submitting Ciryl Gane in the clip below:
With no other option, 'Bon Gamin' tapped out, awarded Jones one of the easiest wins of his career. Furthermore, in beating Gane, Jones became the very first person to finish the Frenchman inside the octagon. In doing so, he also crowned himself the promotion's undisputed heavyweight champion.
#1 Alexa Grasso submits Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285
Alexa Grasso stepped into her fight with Valentina Shevchenko as a noticeable underdog. 'Bullet' was the dominant women's flyweight champion and she was merely a lamb being readied for slaughter. Instead, the bout was more competitive than expected, especially in the striking department.
Shevchenko quickly found herself unable to contend with Grasso's speed and boxing, so she resorted to securing takedowns. However, she also did her usual, which is exposing her back, either by attempting risky head-and-arrm throws or throwing a spinning back fist. The latter allowed Grasso to take her back.
Check out Alexa Grasso submitting Valentina Shevchenko in the clip below:
Once she had, she quickly trapped Shevchenko in a face crank and the Mexican star squeezed with all her might until Shevchenko's jaw was red from the increased blood flow and she tapped out. The submission win was a massive upset and crowned Grasso the women's flyweight queen.
