MMA in 2014: The Top 10 Submissions

Folks, it was a good year for finishes in MMA. This was especially the case for submissions, as audiences were dazzled by some awesome finishes on the ground.

We saw kimuras, bulldog chokes, neck cranks, triangle armbars and everything in between. It made it very tough to narrow down the best tapouts of 2014, but we've come to a conclusion here.

So, what were the 10 best submissions of the year? Let's take a look now at the masterpieces we were given.

Honorable Mentions

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

• Russell Doane def. Leandro Issa via triangle choke
• Ilir Latifi def. Cyrille Diabate via ninja choke
• Ovince Saint Preux def. Nikita Krylov via von Flue choke
• Mitch Clarke def. Al Iaquinta via D’arce choke
• Niklas Backstrom def. Tom Niinimaki via bulldog choke
• Alexey Oleinik def. Anthony Hamilton via scarfhold headlock
• Yancy Medeiros def. Damon Jackson via reverse bulldog choke
• Godofredo Pepey def. Dashon Johnson via mounted triangle armbar
• Demetrious Johnson def. Chris Cariaso via kimura
• Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Jake Lindsay via triangle keylock
• Gilbert Burns def. Christos Giagos via armbar
• Anthony Pettis def. Gilbert Melendez via guillotine choke
• Ian Entwistle def. Anthony Birchak via heel hook
• David Branch def. Jesse Taylor via D’arce choke
• Rousimar Palhares def. Steve Carl via heel hook
• Brandon Halsey def. Alexander Shlemenko via rear-naked choke
• Marcin Held def. Rodrigo Cavalheiro via toe hold
• Joey Beltran def. Vladimir Matyushenko via north-south choke
• Pat Curran def. Daniel Straus via rear-naked choke
• Katja Kankaanpaa def. Stephanie Eggink via D’arce choke
• Tonya Evinger def. Ediane Gomes via armbar
• Raquel Pennington def. Ashlee Evans-Smith via bulldog choke

10. Luke Rockhold Def. Michael Bisping Via Mounted Guillotine Choke

Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Going into UFC Fight Night 55, nobody had ever submitted Michael Bisping in his then-31-fight career. Then Luke Rockhold entered Bisping's life.

Bisping and Rockhold had a personal, bitter war of words coming into the bout that headlined the card in Australia. It was the type of intensity that guaranteed that this fight would be intense and entertaining.

The bout did not disappoint. 

After a competitive first round, Rockhold turned up the heat in Round 2. Rockhold snapped a head kick and some follow-up strikes that hurt Bisping. He then quickly found a tight guillotine choke and jumped on it. 

He mounted Bisping with the choke and basically torqued it with one hand. Bisping was forced to tap, giving Rockhold his biggest career win to date.

9. Herica Tiburcio Def. Michelle Waterson Via Guillotine Choke

Courtesy of Invicta FC

Women's MMA had some awesome submissions and finishes in 2014, but none was as important, shocking or awesome than that of Herica Tiburcio at Invicta 10.

Tiburcio, who came in as a sizable underdog to champ Michelle Waterson, was known in Brazil as a skilled grappler and deadly submission specialist. The question was: Could the little fireplug get in tight on Waterson and put her on the mat?

She did, and what ensued was the biggest moment of her career.

In the third round, Tiburcio secured a vicious guillotine choke on the champ from an awkward-looking position. That said, the torque was incredible, which gave Waterson no choice but to relinquish her title via tapout. 

It was just one of several great guillotine chokes that graced 2014.

8. Frankie Edgar Def. Cub Swanson Via Neck Crank

Michael Thomas/Associated Press

It may not have been the prettiest submission or the most technical finish, but there is no denying that Frankie Edgar's neck crank of Cub Swanson deserves a spot on this list.

First off, Swanson was a guy whom many had pinned for a title shot even before this showdown with Edgar. He had been running rampant through the 145-pound division with a path of violence and destruction.

Second, the fact that Edgar was dominating the fight and still grabbed the latest finish in UFC history is telling. He could have coasted but instead decided to go for the kill, which he got with four seconds remaining in the fifth and final round.

Finally, the submission was important because it put Edgar back atop title contention. Sure, he is likely behind Conor McGregor right now should he beat Dennis Siver, but Edgar is not far behind. 

7. Liam McGeary Def. Kelly Anundson Via Inverted Triangle Choke

Credit: Bellator MMA

Bellator provided us with one of the best submissions of the year with one of its biggest rising stars. The submission showed us why Liam McGeary is special.

Taking on wrestler Kelly Anundson in the finals of the Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament, McGeary was put to the test. He was known as a striker, but we all questioned if he could hang with a wrestling-based fighter with skills.

He passed the test with flying colors. Despite getting taken down, he was able to halt any advances of Anundson. He then found a way to finish, which was both flashy and amazing.

From the bottom, Anundson threw up an inverted triangle choke that was as tight as it was beautiful. He squeezed until the American could no longer hold on, forcing a tapout late in Round 1.

The win earned McGeary a date with champ Emanuel Newton, which will happen in 2015.

6. Shinya Aoki Def. Yuki Yamamoto Via Twister

It didn't happen in the UFC and it may not have been the best opponent available, but Shinya Aoki grabbed a spot on this list literally at the last second. 

On New Year's Eve, Aoki took on Yuki Yamamoto at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 during the entertaining main card. The card boasted a fight between Mirko Cro Cop and Satoshi Ishii, which delivered, but Aoki's performance stole the show.

Early in Round 1, the talented grappler already had Yamamoto in his metaphorical spider's web. From back position, Aoki was able to snake to a position where a Twister, a rarely seen submission, was available, and he slapped it on.

He turned and churned Yamamoto, likely causing intense pain. Aoki's foe had no choice but to tap out to the brutal hold, giving Aoki a look at one of the top submissions of the year.

5. Charles Oliveira Def. Hatsu Hioki Via Anaconda Choke

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Few grapplers are more skilled and feared than Hatsu Hioki in the UFC featherweight division. His submission game is noted, and his ability on top or off his back is intimidating.

Charles Oliveira didn't get that memo.

One of the most underrated ground fighters in the UFC (for some reason), Oliveira engaged in a war of attrition against Hioki on the mat that dazzled the New Zealand audience. They changed positions, looked for submissions and stayed active in a great grappling affair.

However, it was the Brazilian who would shock Hioki, submitting the Japanese fighter for the first time in his career with a nifty modified anaconda choke. It caught everybody, including Hioki, by surprise, while earning Oliveira what should be one of his most prized career wins.

4. Joseph Benavidez Def. Tim Elliott Via Mounted Guillotine Choke

USA TODAY Sports

In terms of sheer violence and brutality when it comes to chokeholds, nothing in 2014 resembles what Joseph Benavidez did to Tim Elliott's poor neck. 

Benavidez's showdown with Elliott flew under the radar, as Elliott, while entertaining, was not toward the top end of the division and Benavidez was coming off a title-fight knockout loss to Demetrious Johnson. This was a bout to keep Benavidez in a holding pattern, but Elliott brought the fight.

Toward the end of the first round, Benavidez finally checked himself into the fight in a violent way.

Benavidez jumped on a mounted guillotine choke, trapping both of Elliott's arms and squeezing his neck so hard that it appeared his head was going to pop off his body. Elliott had no choice but to tap, as the choke was absolutely devastating.

Just another guillotine on the resume of the "Joe-Jitsu" master.

3. Rousimar Palhares Def. Jon Fitch Via Kneebar

USA TODAY Sports

We all know what Rousimar Palhares is good at in MMA: the leglock. Despite everybody knowing that and game-planning for it, opponents can seemingly never stop it.

Jon Fitch was no different. 

Fitch found himself in a World Series of Fighting Welterweight Championship fight with Palhares, who had taken the belt in his previous fight by heel-hooking Steve Carl. All he had to do was keep his legs out of the Brazilian's grip.

That proved too tough a task. Ninety seconds into the fight, Palhares snagged a gnarly kneebar that was quick, precise and damaging. Before Fitch could even start tapping, the damage was done, as he screamed in pain.

Palhares retained his belt, and Fitch was just lucky the Brazilian didn't literally take his leg home to mount on his wall.

2. Luke Rockhold Def. Tim Boetsch Via Triangle Kimura

USA TODAY Sports

Luke Rockhold strikes again in 2014, this time with the second best submission of the year. His victim this time was Tim Boetsch.

It took just over two minutes, but Rockhold dazzled fans with his superior grappling prowess and overall dominance. Boetsch was able to get Rockhold in a somewhat dominant position, but it didn't last long.

Rockhold threw up a triangle choke that he started to work to get tighter. As Boetsch turned to alleviate pressure, Rockhold ended up smacking on a kimura and cranking on it, using leverage to take it to the breaking point. 

It didn't come to that, as Boetsch tapped before the pressure could cause serious damage. The win built on an already exciting 2014 for Rockhold, who should have been in the conversation for Fighter of the Year.

1. Ben Saunders Def. Chris Heatherly Via Omoplata

USA TODAY Sports

The UFC has never had a successful omoplata finish in the Octagon...until Ben Saunders made his return to the UFC and took on RFA veteran Chris Heatherly. 

Heatherly is a wrestler who, unsurprisingly, went for the takedown early and often. Saunders, being well-rounded, was comfortable off his back and stayed calm with his opponent on top of him.

He then looked to use an omoplata to reverse his position. As he turned Heatherly over, he found the torque and position to be great for pressure.

Heatherly was forced to tap, and Saunders was given a piece of UFC history, as well as the best submission of 2014.