Best MMA Submissions from 1st Half of 2013

Many excellent submissions have been recorded over the past six months, but Ronda Rousey remains the only undisputed UFC champion to score a submission win in 2013.

By continuing her amazing streak of armbar victories against Liz Carmouche in February, Rousey ensured she'd be in the running for Submission of the Year by the time 2013 comes to an end. However, she'll only have one more opportunity to top herself before the calendars are flipped to a new year. As a coach on TUF 18, Rousey has been on the shelf and is preparing for a December rematch with Miesha Tate.

Between now and Rousey's second UFC title defense, several submissions are likely to join the race for Submission of the Year. For now, though, these are the leaders at the midway point of 2013.

10. Fabricio Werdum

Event: UFC on Fuel TV 10

Opponent: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Submission Method: Armbar

Having already submitted the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum is considered one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the heavyweight division. So, it probably shouldn't come as a surprise when "Vai Cavalo" forces elite heavyweights to tap, but there's still something special about submitting Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Nogueira was previously beaten by a Frank Mir kimura, but that didn't make Werdum's finish of "Minotauro" much less impressive.

Midway through the second round, Werdum caught Nogueira in an armbar. Not wanting to have his arm broken the way he did against Mir, Nogueira verbally submitted before sustaining an injury of similar significance. 

9. Josh Burkman

Event: World Series of Fighting 3

Opponent: Jon Fitch

Submission Method: Guillotine choke

Years after being released from the world's top MMA promotion with a 5-5 UFC record, Josh Burkman has emerged as the face of a major organization.

Wins over Gerald Harris and Aaron Simpson put Burkman in a position to welcome former UFC title challenger Jon Fitch to the World Series of Fighting. Although Burkman was considered a massive underdog heading into the bout, he made the most of his opportunity.

Less than one minute into the contest, Burkman locked up a tight guillotine choke and put Fitch to sleep. In becoming the first fighter to submit Fitch in more than a decade, Burkman must now be recognized as one of the world's top welterweights competing outside the Octagon.

8. Michael Chandler

Event: Bellator 85

Opponent: Rick Hawn

Submission Method: Rear-naked choke

Michael Chandler's wrestling played a significant role in his rise toward becoming Bellator lightweight champion. However, a fight with Olympic judoka Rick Hawn was supposed to test Chandler's ground game in a new way.

Instead, Chandler took Hawn down repeatedly, using explosive single-legs and double-legs to avoid getting into an upright clinch with an opponent who has such a strong background in judo.

Once he dragged Hawn to the ground, Chandler was in complete control. After softening Hawn up in the first round, Chandler brought the fight to the canvas again in the second and eventually locked up a rear-naked choke to retain his lightweight championship. 

7. Pat Curran

Event: Bellator 95

Opponent: Shahbulat Shamhalaev

Submission Method: Guillotine choke

In his second title defense of 2013, Bellator MMA featherweight champion Pat Curran met 145-pound tournament winner Shahbulat Shamhalaev.

Halfway through the first round, Curran put on a beautiful display of chain grappling. After taking Shamhalaev down, Curran took his opponent's back briefly and locked up a guillotine choke as the challenger attempted to turn into him. 

Shamhalaev went to sleep, allowing Curran to retain his championship and take a step closer to becoming recognized as one of the best featherweights in the world. 

6. 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 22-year-old 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 then-25-year-old 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.

5. 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.

4. 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.

3. Adrian Cruz

Event: Bellator 91

Opponent: Nick Gonzalez

Submission Method: Scarf hold armlock

Undefeated Adrian Cruz made a big splash in his Bellator MMA debut, picking up a rare submission win that would keep his record spotless.

In the second round, Cruz took opponent Nick Gonzalez to the canvas and moved to side control. After securing a head and arm, Cruz trapped his opponent's arm between his leg and cranked to finish an uncommon scarf hold armlock submission.

With the finish, Cruz handed Gonzalez his first career loss.

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.