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Some of the most inspiring performances by UFC fighters this year culminated in shocking submissions. In fact, some of the most iconic moments in UFC history have involved a fighter forcing their opponent to either tap, injure a limb, or go to sleep.
Georges St-Pierre's rear-naked choke against Michael Bisping and Khabib Nurmagomedov's neck crank against Conor McGregor stand out as two of the most momentous submission wins in UFC history.
Submissions are a thing of beauty. Unlike knockouts, there's rarely an element of luck that goes into a fighter forcing their opponent to tap. There's very little chance of a fighter sinking in a ‘lucky’ submission at the highest level of the sport, where almost all the athletes are well-versed in every position and transition of the grappling realm.
That said, let's look at the five most shocking submission victories in the UFC in 2021.
Honorable mentions include Tom Aspinall's rear-naked choke against Andrei Arlovski, Vicente Luque's D'Arce choke against Michael Chiesa, Andre Muniz's armbar against Jacare Souza, and Anthony Hernandez's guillotine choke against Rodolfo Vieira.
#5. Khamzat Chimaev (against Li Jingliang at UFC 267)
Khamzat Chimaev is undoubtedly the hottest prospect in the UFC right now. He burst onto the scene in Abu Dhabi last year with a couple of dominant wins. He followed them up with a 17-second knockout victory over UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaert in Las Vegas.
Despite getting off to a 3-0 start in the promotion, there wasn't much talk of Chimaev competing for the title as he was still unranked. His three opponents were also all unranked, with two of them no longer a part of the UFC.
Earlier this year, Chimaev was booked to fight No.11-ranked Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi. Many believed that the durable Chinese welterweight, who had never been finished in the UFC, would pose a threat to the Chechen-born Swede. Consensus opinion was that the bout would be a conclusive litmus test to show whether he was a legitimate title contender.
Chimaev made a resounding statement in the very first minute of the fight, picking up Jingliang and carrying him over to UFC president Dana White, who was seated octagon-side. He secured the takedown and effortlessly choked out Jingliang in the first round.
There was no doubt after the bout that Khamzat Chimaev is a real threat to Kamaru Usman's reign as the UFC welterweight champion. His background in sambo-style wrestling, coupled with his underrated striking and relentless approach to fighting, will prove to be a handful for anyone in the 170 lbs and 185 lbs divisions.
In his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, 'Borz' seemingly put the entire roster on notice.
#4. Vicente Luque (against Tyron Woodley at UFC 260)
Vicente Luque began 2021 as the No.10-ranked fighter in the UFC's welterweight division. 'The Silent Assassin' had a shot at breaking into the top 10 in 2019 when he took on Stephen Thompson at UFC 244. However, he came up short on that occasion.
Luque rebounded with impressive stoppage victories over Niko Price and Randy Brown in 2020. He finally got another shot at breaking into the top 10 when he took on former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 260 earlier this year.
Woodley was coming off consecutive losses to Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington. 'The Chosen One' was undeniably motivated to return to winning ways when he took on Luque, as was evident in the first two minutes of the bout.
The former champion rocked Luque multiple times in the opening minutes, but failed to put him away. The resilient Brazilian then returned the favor and stunned Woodley with a series of heavy blows. As Woodley shot for a desperate takedown, Luque locked in a D'Arce choke and put the American to sleep.
The fight was incredible for as long as it lasted and won the 'Fight of the Night' bonus at UFC 260. It marked the end of Tyron Woodley's UFC career, who was released a few weeks later. Additionally, it marked the emergence of a new contender at 170 lbs.
#3. Charles Oliveira (against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269)
Throughout his career, Charles Oliveira was accused of giving up in fights and not showing the heart of a champion. The Brazilian proved his doubters wrong in emphatic fashion at UFC 262 when he knocked out Michael Chandler to win the UFC lightweight title.
However, it was his next bout that truly changed the public perception of the Brazilian.
Oliveira took on Dustin Poirier in his first title defense at UFC 269, the final UFC pay-per-view of the year. The Brazilian was the betting underdog going into the fight, as many believed he would struggle against the power and pressure of 'The Diamond'. Additionally, Poirier was considered the 'uncrowned champ' going into the fight, despite Oliveira holding the belt.
However, Oliveira made a resounding statement with a stunning victory over Poirier. The fighters split the first two rounds. Poirier dropped the champion in the first, while Oliveira took the challenger down and controlled him in the second.
In the third, 'Do Bronx' jumped on his opponent's back and locked in a rear-naked choke. Poirier was forced to tap and Oliveira secured his first title defense. It was the Brazilian's 18th finish and 14th submission win in the UFC, both records.
The year saw Charles Oliveira go from being a top contender in the toughest division in the UFC to becoming an undisputed world champion. Moreover, there were a lot of lingering doubts surrounding the Brazilian's willingness to fight through adversity. He silenced his critics in style, producing two come-from-behind victories against top contenders in the 155 lbs division.
#2. Brandon Moreno (against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263)
Brandon Moreno’s UFC career has been tumultuous, to say the least. The Mexican flyweight was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter and suffered a loss in his first fight on the show. Considering how thin the UFC’s flyweight division was at the time, he signed a contract with the promotion despite coming up short on the reality series.
Moreno began his UFC career by winning three fights on the bounce but lost the next two before being released by the promotion. He joined Legacy Fighting Alliance and won the flyweight championship in his new home. Subsequently, he was re-signed by the world’s premier MMA organization.
Upon his return, ‘The Assassin Baby’ went on a four-fight unbeaten streak to earn a shot at the flyweight belt at UFC 256 in 2020.
At the time, the man holding the belt was considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. Deiveson Figueiredo was quickly gaining a reputation for being a potential long-reigning champion at 125 lbs. Figueiredo’s well-rounded skills and terrifying aggression led many to believe that he would make light work of Moreno.
However, the bout turned out to be a razor-thin contest with the judges scoring it a draw, allowing Figueiredo to retain his belt. Analysts and fans believed that Figueiredo wasn’t at his best on the night considering he had cut weight and fought a month before.
Nevertheless, the fact that Moreno competed for 25 minutes with one of the best fighters in the world warranted a rematch, which was booked for UFC 263.
In the most historic upsets, the final KO/TKO or submission tends to come out of nowhere. Much to the surprise of the MMA community, Moreno absolutely demolished Figueiredo in the rematch. The Mexican dominated every second of the bout before submitting the Brazilian in the third round to become the new UFC flyweight champion.
Watch Brandon Moreno’s full post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
#1. Julianna Pena (against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269)
Julianna Pena was just another fighter in the women’s bantamweight division before UFC 269. She won The Ultimate Fighter in 2013 and compiled a 6-2 run before finally getting a crack at UFC bantamweight gold.
Her only UFC losses came against current flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and former featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie.
Pena took on the GOAT of women’s MMA, Amanda Nunes, at UFC 269. Most were of the opinion that Nunes would make light work of Pena and the betting odds reflected the same. Nunes was a -1100 favorite going into the bout.
Julianna Pena took the fight to ‘The Lioness’ unlike anyone had done previously, repeatedly catching the long-reigning champion with her jab. In the second round, Nunes looked noticeably fatigued. Sensing her opportunity, Pena dragged the Brazilian to the ground and locked in a rear-naked choke to complete one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Pena's win over Nunes left MMA fans around the world in shock. What made the victory even sweeter was the fact that she had predicted how the bout would play out and executed her game plan perfectly. Speaking to Joe Rogan in her post-fight interview, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' said:
"I told you! Don't ever doubt me again! Willpower, strength and determination! It will take you places."
Watch Julianna Pena’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
