The best tapouts in UFC history: Part 2: Arm submissions

#2 Kimura – Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – UFC 140 – 12/10/2011

Frank Mir's kimura submission of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was stunningly brutal

The kimura – named after the legendary Japanese martial artist Masahiko Kimura, who used the move to submit the equally legendary Helio Gracie in the 1950’s – is a type of shoulder lock which utilises a double wrist grip to torque both the shoulder and elbow joints. Also known as a double wristlock or a hammer-lock, the kimura requires a blend of slick technique and brute strength to be successful, and over time it’s become ever rarer inside the UFC Octagon.

One fighter who did have the perfect blend of technique and strength, however, was submission expert Frank Mir. The former UFC Heavyweight champion won two UFC fights via kimura in his storied 26-fight career inside the Octagon, but it was the second of those that remains one of the most shocking and memorable tapout finishes in UFC history.

Part of the reason for this was Mir’s opponent – Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was also a former UFC Heavyweight champ and was widely recognised as Mir’s top rival for the best submission artist in the history of the Heavyweight division. They’d fought once before – at UFC 92 in 2008 – and Mir had won by knockout, but by UFC 140 in 2011, Nogueira claimed to be much healthier and was gunning for revenge.

Early on it looked like he’d get it. He stunned Mir with a combination of punches that caused him to fall face-first, but rather than look to finish him with strikes, Nogueira decided to attempt to submit Mir with a guillotine choke. Despite being seemingly semi-conscious, Mir managed to roll to survive, only to allow Nogueira to hit a switch to take back control. The Brazilian made a simple mistake though – leaving his right arm trapped under Mir – and it was all that Mir needed.

Suddenly, Mir rolled into side mount and seamlessly locked up a kimura on the right arm in the same movement. Nogueira attempted to roll to alleviate the pressure, only for Mir to roll with him, and seconds later Mir ended up on top – and torqued Nogueira’s arm until it snapped.

Unsurprisingly the tapout was then academic, as Nogueira could do nothing but stare at his mangled right arm. It was the first time he’d been submitted in his MMA career. For the sheer brutality of the visual this tapout provided – as well as the calibre of opponent – it remains Mir’s greatest ever UFC finish, and one of the best arm-based submissions in UFC history.