5 times fighters tried to weather a submission but paid the price

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Andre Muniz (left) & Jacare Souza (right)
Andre Muniz (left) & Jacare Souza (right)

#4. Renzo Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba - Kimura submission

Renzo Gracie regards his submission loss at the hands of Kazushi Sakuraba at the Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Japan, back in 2000 as one of the most influential fights of his career. The fight went down as part of the Pride FC 10: Return of the Warriors card. It was a rather unusual take considering the fight ended with the most gruesome injury he ever suffered over the course of his career.

The member of the foremost family in the realm of MMA went toe-to-toe with Sakuraba, who had dismantled two of his cousins. His fight against a third member of the Gracie clan ended with yet another win to his name. However, Renzo Gracie suffered a brutal injury during the fight.

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The UFC star in waiting found himself caught in a devastating Kimura submission that left him with a dislocated elbow after he refused to tap out in the second round. The win against Rezno earned Sakuraba a significant amount of acclaim in his home country of Japan. In addition, he walked away from the fight with the Moniker of the 'Gracie Hunter'.


#3. Tim Sylvia vs. Frank Mir - Armbar submission

Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir fought at UFC 48 back in June 2004. Their clash was for the vacant UFC heavyweight title. Mir recorded a first-round finish against Sylvia, walking away with the coveted strap.

Mir managed to overcome the challenge presented by Sylvia within the first minute of their fight, taking the win by way of submission with an armbar. However, the injury that Sylvia endured was the talking point of the fight.

While in the painful hold, the heavyweight suffered a broken arm. However, no one in the arena, with the exception of referee Herb Dean, noticed the injury until the fight-ending sequence was shown on the big screen.

In addition to refusing to tap, Sylvia wanted to continue competing. However, the fight was waved off by referee Dean after he noticed the arm-break.

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