Strikeforce Results: Josh Barnett and the 7 Best Heavyweight Submission Artists

Welcome back to the big show Mr. Josh Barnett.

One of the most experienced heavyweight fighters in MMA, Barnett had been relatively inactive in major promotions for the past few years.

With his dominating performance and devastating submission over Brett Rogers, Josh Barnett is back in, what I feel is, a pretty big way.

So how do his submission skills stack up with the other top heavyweights in the world?

These are the top 7 heavyweight submission artists currently in MMA. 

7. Alistair Overeem

He may not be known as a crafty ground specialist, but Alistair Overeem is certainly a talented submission artist in his own right.

His record shows 19 wins via submission. Overeem has a range of submissions, but his guillotine is his most deadly.

6. Jeff Monson

At 40-years-old, Monson's best days are probably behind him.

That does not mean he is still not one of the best heavyweight submission artists around.

He has an incredible 26 wins via submission. His specialty is the rare but devastating North/South choke.

5. Fedor Emelianenko

One of the best submission artists of all time, Fedor Emelianenko is one of the sport's biggest submission threats despite his recent skid.

There is no place that you are safe when fighting Emelianenko.

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

He's one of the greatest submission artists of all time, regardless of division.

With his last submission victory coming in February of 2008, however, it appears that "Minotauro" is losing a step.

His next fight is against former football player, Brendan Schaub, and we'll get to see if "the submission magician" has any of that famous magic left. 

3. Frank Mir

Frank Mir has been one of the best heavyweight submission artists for a long time.

At 32 years of age, he is still one of the biggest threats around.

His last submission victory was December of 2009, when he choked Cheick Kongo out cold. 

2. Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett has been submitting guys since 1997.

His arm-triangle choke over Brett Rogers reaffirms his place as one of the most technically adroit submission artists in MMA.

He has submitted several grappling specialists and has never been submitted himself (except due to punches or injury, which should be considered more of a TKO loss anyway).

1. Fabricio Werdum

Long considered one of the absolute best grapplers in all of MMA, Werdum did the unthinkable when he submitted Fedor Emelianenko last summer.

That historic victory will go down as one of the greatest submissions ever and, in my mind, solidifies Werdum as currently the greatest heavyweight submission artist in all of MMA.