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ONE Championship is home to some of the most breathtaking and awe-inspired submissions in MMA. The world of martial arts changed forever after Royce Gracie introduced submissions to mainstream consciousness at UFC 1. Today, the idea of strangling someone or hyper-extending someone's limb is considered as devastating as a KO punch.
The difference, however, is that a KO punch can sometimes be deemed a 'lucky punch' while submissions are completely different. One simply doesn't get lucky and catches their opponent with a choke. Submissions are calculated attacks that are set up and finished with masterful technique and precision. It's like chess; you don't get checkmated out of the blue with just one move.
Just look at how ONE Championship bantamweight champ Bibiano 'The Flash' Fernandes ingeniously evaded a punch to take the back and choke his opponent in one fluid sequence:
That's why MMA submissions are so fascinating to watch as we witness the beautiful confluence of many things. Attributes like athleticism, timing, speed, and most importantly, technique are on full display. Today we list down some of the most inventive, brutal, and amazing submissions in ONE Championship history. Submissions that are so slick you need to watch the replay so you can figure out how they did it.
#5. Joshua Pacio submits Pongsiri Mitsatit with a hammerlock from back control (ONE Championship: Reign of Kings)
ONE Championship strawweight king Joshua 'The Passion' Pacio pulled off a rare one against Pongsiri Mitsatit back in 2018. It's rare enough to see a hammerlock submission finished in MMA. Doing so from the position Pacio was in, however, makes it all the more rare. We bet you won't find another submission win exactly like that.
Known mostly as a wushu practitioner, Pacio showed he can also be a force on the ground. After catching a kick, Pacio wrapped his arm around Pongsiri's hip and slammed him hard on the mat. From there, 'The Passion' dominated the bout from mount until Pongsiri gave up his back.
Not wanting to get choked, Pongsiri trapped Pacio's left arm under his armpit. Using this entanglement as a way to manipulate his opponent's arm, Pacio pulled Pongsiri's wrist behind his back and cranked it hard. It was nasty and Pongsiri tapped right away. The submission even got its own name now: The Passion Lock.
Watch the full fight and submission below:
#4 Ariel Sexton submits Kota Shimoishi with a reverse triangle choke/keylock combination (ONE Championship: Pursuit of Power)
Upon seeing Ariel 'Tarzan' Sexton's submission, ONE Championship VP and commentator Rich Franklin didn't even know what to call it. The former UFC champion called it an 'arm crank' but it's more than that. Combining a reverse triangle and a keylock/Americana in one submission is unheard of.
It also happens to be Sexton's signature move.
The Costa Rican jiu jistu blackbelt calmly stepped over Shimoishi to wrap his legs around his neck. From there 'Tarzan' sat back while squeezing Shimoshi's corotid arteries, all while cranking his arm in a very painful manner. The whole sequence was so precise and quick you could post it in an Instagram story. Sexton knew exactly how to set up the move and finish it swiftly. It is indeed his signature move.
Watch the full fight and submission here:
#3. Angela Lee submits Natalie Gonzales Hills with a Twister (ONE Championship: Pride of Lions)
Every time we see a twister submission in MMA it's bound to be a highlight. This spinal lock submission was developed by jiu jitsu legend Eddie Bravo. The details of how to even set up this submission are so complex that we rarely see it finished in MMA. Once applied successfully, however, it generates tremendous pressure on someone's spine, forcing them to tap instantly.
In just her third professional fight, ONE Championship atomweight champion Angela 'Unstoppable' Lee submitted Natalie Gonzales Hills with this devastating lock. Just look at how twisted Hill's body is as the Canadian-American grappling wizard cranked hard:
After a scrappy start on the feet, Lee dragged the fight to the ground and reversed Hills with a high-level sweep. From top position, the ONE Championship queen dominated until Hills gave up her back. Instead of going for the rear naked choke, Lee opted to switch her leg hooks and went for the spinal crank.
Watch the full fight and submission here:
#2. Yusup Saadulaev submits Jordan Lucas with a modified rear-naked choke (ONE Championship: State of Warriors)
This submission by ONE Championship bantamweight fighter Yusup 'Maestro' Saadulaev is as inventive as it is brutal. With jiu jitsu getting more popular through the years, masters of the art have created new and different ways to attack. Such is the case with Saadulaev's modification of the famous rear-naked choke.
Fans collectively gasped when 'Maestro' sunk the choke deep into Jordan Lucas' neck. The submission was so brutal it's quite impossible to survive it without tapping.
Watch the full fight and submission here:
#1 Garry Tonon submits Yoshiki Nakahara with a heel hook (ONE Championship: Enter the Dragon)
Swift, precise, and absolutely brilliant. Jiu jitsu legend and now ONE Championship featherweight Garry 'The Lion Killer' Tonon does what he does best.
The multi-time jiu jitsu and submission grappling champion is a master of the fundamentals. He doesn't go for fancy, over-the-top holds but his grasp of the basics is near-perfect. His masterful heel hook on Yoshiki Nakahara is just the latest entry in Tonon's massive highlight reel.
A member of the famed 'Danaher Death Squad', a jiu jitsu team headed by master John Danaher, Tonon is a genius when it comes to leg locks. He faked a single-leg takedown attempt to pull Nakahara's leg to set it up for a heel hook submission. The sequence couldn't have been smoother. It looked like Tonon was just practicing a drill in the gym. It was effortless.
Watch the full fight and submission here:
