One day after seeing the wrong Samoan come in as #30 in the 2017 Royal Rumble, the two-time NXT Champion, Samoa Joe, made his long-awaited debut on Monday Night Raw. The Samoan Submission Machine attacked Seth Rollins and absolutely decimated the former Shield member, throwing him around from pillar to post and finally making Rollins pass out under his dreaded Coquina Clutch – his version of the rear-naked choke.
A little history lesson for those new to the awesome power of Joe – he made his name as a professional wrestler who looked more the part of an MMA fighter due to his incredibly stiff style of wrestling. Looking at him demolish opponents, it's not hard to imagine him dominating in the Octagon either.
So, with the former TNA star now making it onto the biggest stage in the WWE, let's take a look at 5 MMA fighters who could get choked out by Joe and his Coquina Clutch:
#5 CM Punk
Ahh CM Punk. The poster boy for why professional wrestlers shouldn't make the mistake of stepping into the Octagon. Everyone remembers Punk's ill-fated UFC debut where he didn't get in a single significant piece of offence against Mickey Gall and was eventually choked out by the youngster.
Now, imagine CM Punk trying the same deluded tactics against someone who is twice the size of Gall and has a mean streak to go with it. Yeah, not a pretty sight. The only way this fight is going to go is Punk gets rag dolled around the cage until Joe is done playing with his food.
With the known animosity between Punk and Joe's new home – the WWE – you can be damn sure the Samoan will have an extra incentive to, if you will excuse the term, make Punk "Go to Sleep."
#4 Sage Northcutt
Sage Northcutt is pretty much the Golden Boy of the UFC. He has been billed as the next big thing for a couple of years now and to be fair to the young American, he made an explosive start to his fighting career as an 18-year-old. Then came the two defeats in his last three fights.
After being choked out Bryan Barberena for his first loss, Northcutt's rebound decision victory over Enrique Marin made the defeat seem like a small bump in the road to greatness. And then came our old friend, Mickey Gall. Exposing multiple weaknesses in Northcutt's game, Gall absolutely picked the 20-year-old apart, registering a submission win via a rear-naked choke in the second round.
Northcutt's inexperience and weakness against choke submissions going up against the veteran submission expert that is Samoa Joe? Best of luck Mr. Northcutt, because I don't see you lasting anywhere near as long as you did against Mickey Gall.
#3 Chael Sonnen
Next up is the original trash-talker and all-around dumbass, Chael Sonnen. Don't get me wrong, Sonnen has been a solid fighter throughout his career but his claim to fame comes from his ability wind up his opponents and provide a modicum of entertainment with his gimmick.
Hell, he probably would've done better for himself in the WWE.
The issue with Sonnen is two-fold. Firstly, that he is, as mentioned earlier, an all-around dumbass. From the multiple failed drug tests during his days with the UFC to his numerous shady business deals which have gotten him into trouble with the law.
Secondly, it's his inability to deal with submission specialists in the UFC. Ten out of his fifteen losses have been via submission including his latest fight against Tito Ortiz, of all people, at Bellator 170.
Samoa Joe, on the other hand, is a rare combination of cerebral brilliance and pure rage. Sonnen gets him mad with his trash talking? He'll just go into full barbarian mode and rip him to shreds. Sonnen keeps his mouth shut? Joe will just use his superior intellect to methodically take apart the Bellator fighter.
Add to all this Sonnen's weakness against submission specialists and you have a disaster in the making for the former UFC man.
#2 Michael Bisping
Now, we come into the elite territory. "The Count” Michael Bisping is no joke when it comes to UFC fighters. He is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most accomplished fighters on the roster today and he is the Middleweight Champion for a reason. There is absolutely no guarantee that Samoa Joe will be able to take out Bisping, but there is a good chance.
There are two major factors for this, the first of which is Bisping's pillow hands. For a guy fighting in Middleweight against the likes of Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, Chris Weidman, and Gegard Mousasi, "The Count's" punching power isn't on that elite level. This is something which works tremendously to Joe's advantage.
The second factor is Bisping's inexperience with wrestling. The Englishman had no experience with wrestling before his days as an MMA fighter and while he has certainly improved, this combined with his below-par punching power gives Samoa Joe a very good chance of choking Michael Bisping out.
#1 Conor McGregor
The biggest name in MMA against one of the biggest names in WWE. A clash for the ages. When it comes to Conor McGregor vs. Samoa Joe, the chance for the Samoan to choke out the Irishman is minuscule but it is still indeed there.
For all of McGregor's striking brilliance, it is on the ground that he suffers the most and this is where Joe excels. If he can keep away from that absolute cannon of a left-hand which is McGregor's go to weapon, then Joe is in with a real shout of causing the biggest upset in MMA history.
All three of McGregor's losses in his MMA career have been submissions including his most recent one to Nate Diaz which was, as you might have guessed, the rear-naked choke.
Keep away from the punches, take Conor down, choke him out. Easy? Hell no. Possible? Yes, it is.
