But which Submissions are used the most in MMA?
Chokes rule the sport’s submission ratio being the rear-naked-choke the most utilized strangle-hold of 2015. Another interesting aspect of the data is the lack of lower limb finishes, as we saw no kneebars, straight ankle locks, heel hooks, calf slicers or toe holds this year. Zero.
Top 5 submissions in the UFC during 2015:
Where the sport of jiu jitsu has grown tremendously in the submission only format in 2015, the majority of submissions registered have come from positional dominance, which also explains why there has been such a lack of successful leg attacks. Here are the total of 2015’s submission finishes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and their ratio:
Where the sport of jiu jitsu has grown tremendously in the submission only format in 2015, the majority of submissions registered have come from positional dominance, which also explains why there has been such a lack of successful leg attacks. Here are the total of 2015’s submission finishes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and their ratio:
- 32x Mata leao 36%
- 20x Guillotines 22%
- 9x Armbars 10%
- 5x Katagatames 6%
- 4x Triangles 4%
- 3x Choke undetermined
- 2x Darce chokes
- 1x Japanese Necktie
- 1x Triangle armbar
- 1x Kimura
- 1x Anaconda
This is even more interesting when looking at the data from 2014, where we see the same pattern, with the same positions ruling the submission game in the exact same order:
- 41x Mata leao 43%
- 13x Guillotine 13%
- 7x Armbar 7%
- 5x Katagatame 5%
- 5x Triangle 5% (+ 2 inverted triangles)
2014 did bring one finish by heel hook (Ian Entwistle over Anthony Birchak), the first footlock since the UFC released Rousimar Palhares, MMA’s most successful footlock specialist in the sport.
Lastly a mention to the promotion’s most successful finishers of 2015. They were (with 2 submissions each):
Warlley Alves, Tony Ferguson, Rose Namajunas, Nikita Krylov, Charles Oliveira, Aljamain Sterling.
Warlley Alves, Tony Ferguson, Rose Namajunas, Nikita Krylov, Charles Oliveira, Aljamain Sterling.
With many of our sport’s biggest figures having planned moves to MMA in 2016, names such as Michelle Nicolini,Marcus Buchecha, Rodolfo Vieira, it will be interesting to see if these numbers will increase when these athletes make it to the big stage.
