Submission of the Year Watch: May 2013 Edition

The UFC had it's busiest month ever in April, putting on events in four consecutive weeks.

While there were a number of submissions in those events, none broke into the Submission of the Year watch for 2013. Instead, it was rising women's promotion Invicta FC that produced the flashiest submissions in April.

Bumped out of the Submission of the Year watch by those female finishes was Ronaldo Souza and his kimura against Ed Herman. While Souza may no longer be in the running for Submission of the Year right now, he'll have a chance to get back in the race soon.

On May 18, Souza will meet Costa Philippou in the co-main event of UFC on FX 8. 

As the UFC takes a well-deserved rest over the next couple of weeks, let's take a look at the best submissions that have happened thus far in 2013.

5. Renan Barao

Event: UFC on Fuel TV 7

Opponent: Michael McDonald

Submission Method: Arm-triangle choke

Initially, after becoming interim bantamweight champion with a win over Urijah Faber, it looked as though Renan Barao would wait for fellow 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz to return before fighting again. However, as Cruz's recovery persisted, it was eventually decided that Barao would have to defend his interim belt against Michael McDonald.

As two of the youngest and most talented bantamweights in the world, Barao and McDonald are expected to be a big part of the future of the 135-pound division. Therefore, their title fight at UFC on Fuel TV 7 had the potential to greatly impact the future of the bantamweight class.

In the end, Barao set the tone for what could be the first of many fights between himself and McDonald.

The Brazilian champion started off cautious of McDonald's knockout power, but he was able to take the fight to the ground frequently. Eventually, a Barao takedown turned into a submission opportunity as he locked up an arm-triangle choke in the fourth round that forced McDonald to tap.

4. Michelle Waterson

Event: Invicta FC 5

Opponent: Jessica Penne

Submission Method: Armbar

Michelle Waterson earned a shot at the Invicta FC atomweight title by beating Lacey Schuckman in her debut with the promotion.

In a back-and-forth contest with then-champion Jessica Penne, Waterson was able to lock up an armbar midway through the fourth round to capture the 105-pound championship.

"The Karate Hottie" has actually turned into quite a whiz in jiu-jitsu. Of her 11 career victories, seven have come by way of submission.

3. Ronda Rousey

Event: UFC 157

Opponent: Liz Carmouche

Submission Method: Armbar

A former Olympic judo medalist, Ronda Rousey rose to the top of the women's MMA world quickly by taking opponents to the ground and catching them in her dangerous armbar.

Rousey became so skilled at securing the same submission over and over, though, that her opponents began focusing almost the entirety of their training camps on defending against that hold. That was the case with Liz Carmouche, but Rousey still found a way to lock up an armbar in the first round of their bout at UFC 157.

Carmouche did give Rousey a scare, taking the champion's back and threatening with a neck crank. However, Rousey found a way to free herself and kept her amazing streak of first-round armbars going by breaking through Carmouche's rehearsed submission defense.

2. Rose Namajunas

Event: Invicta FC 5

Opponent: Kathina Catron

Submission Method: Flying armbar

Girlfriend of UFC heavyweight Pat Barry, Rose Namajunas is quickly becoming one of the more popular fighters in women's MMA. While having a notable significant other doesn't hurt in that area, it has really been Namajunas' performances inside the cage that have caught the attention of fans.

At Invicta FC 5, Namajunas picked up her second pro MMA win with a spectacular finish.

Only seconds into her bout with Kathina Catron, Namajunas attempted a rare flying armbar and ended up securing it once she hit the ground. Although it didn't occur in a high-profile fight, Namajunas is definitely worthy of consideration for Submission of the Year after scoring this flashy submission win.

 

1. Kenny Robertson

Event: UFC 157

Opponent: Brock Jardine

Submission Method: Ham ripper

It takes something special for a preliminary card fighter to be mentioned in Submission of the Year talks, and Kenny Robertson really pulled off a jaw-dropping submission at UFC 157.

After taking Brock Jardine's back in the first round, Robertson sunk in his hooks. However, where most people would have began pounding away with punches or trying to sink in a rear-naked choke, Robertson decided to do something completely different.

Seeing Jardine's leg extended outward, Robertson grabbed near the ankle and began to extend his opponent's leg, causing immense hamstring strain. It was the first ham ripper ever used inside the Octagon.