BJ Penn and the Top 31 Submission Finishes in MMA History

BJ Penn earned the nickname "The Prodigy" for his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu accomplishments. He is speculated to be the fastest man to achieve black belt status out of all active BJJ fighters and he was also the first non-Brazilian to win the black belt division at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Penn still carries with him the strong tradition of submission finishes in mixed martial arts competitions.

As an art, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers many things. It fosters physical and mental strength, and encourages discipline and creativity.

Most importantly, however, is that it ends fights.

In constructing this list weight is given to level of technique, aesthetics, precedence in technique and context, elite/championship level fights, and representation of worthy practitioners. 

These are the top 31 submission finishes in MMA history.

Martin Kampmann- Arm Triangle over Drew McFedries (UFC 68, 2007)

Martin Kampmann is a Danish kickboxing champion and loves to stand and strike.

When McFedries started getting the better of him striking, Kampmann had to resort to taking the fight to the ground.

It was a good thing he chose to do so, because he was able to choke McFedries unconscious with a beautiful arm-triangle choke.

Marcus Aurelio- Armbar over Ryan Roberts (UFC Fight Night 13, 2008)

In one of the fastest submissions in MMA history, Marcus Aurelio absolutely steamrolled Ryan Roberts.

Aurelio knocked Roberts down with a strike and then swarmed his hapless opponent.

Aurelio swiftly maneuvered positions to finish with a beautiful armbar at just 16 seconds of the first round.

Shinya Aoki- Hammerlock over Mizuto Hirota (Dynamite!!! 2009)

Aoki is arguably the most dangerous submission artist in all of MMA.

His first round submission over Mizuto Hirota is the perfect example of why.

Aoki locked in a hammerlock against the Sengoku champion and torqued the hold against his resilient opponent until Hirota's arm was brutally broken.

Rumina Sato- Flying Armbar over Charles Diaz (Shooto, 1999)

The flying armbar is one of the most amazing techniques in a submission specialists repetoire.

It is very difficult to pull off, but when done correct, it is jaw-droppingly amazing.

Sato stormed Diaz like a bat out of hell and executed a flying armbar to get the submission victory at just six seconds of the first round.

Mauricio Rua- Kneebar over Kevin Randleman (Pride 32, 2006)

Mauricio Rua finishes most of his fights by way of strikes, but he proved just how dangerous his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is when he finished Kevin Randleman with a kneebar.

Randleman yelled out in pain as Rua transitioned through a series of different leg-locks.  Eventually, Rua snatched up the kneebar and pulled it back excruciatingly far, until Randleman was forced to submit.

Ken Shamrock- Kneebar over Bas Rutten (Pancrase, 1995)

Shamrock and Rutten were two of the sports early pioneers, and two of the baddest men on the planet.

Shamrock won the first fight via rear naked choke, and in the second fight, started searched for his patented leg-locks.

Rutten tried to stay calm, but Shamrock snatched up his leg and pulled back for a devastating kneebar.

Nick Pace- Pillory/"Pace" Choke over Will Campuzano (TUF Finale, 2010)

Nick Pace won this fight with a unique and creative choke that was yet unseen in high level MMA competition.

What looked like a triangle attempt at first, Pace held his leg down, that was hooked over the top of Campuzano, then snuck his arm on the same side under Campuzano's neck. Clenching the two limps, Pace was able to elicit the submission due to choke.

Some have called the "Pace" choke a hybrid "customized gogoplata/guillotine/triangle choke".

Demian Maia- Triangle Choke over Ed Herman (UFC 83, 2008)

Demian Maia is argued by some as the best pure Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter competing in MMA today.

He started his UFC run with five straight impressive submission victories.

The most definitive, and perhaps best looking, was against Ed Herman. Maia locked in the triangle choke and then rolled into top position while keeping the choke.

While choking Herman from the mount, Maia was also able to land punches and the hapless Herman parted ways with consciousness.

Chan Sung Jung- Twister over Leonard Garcia (UFC Fight Night, 2011)

Jung executed the first twister submission in UFC history in captivating fashion over his rival Leonard Garcia.

The twister is a spinal chord lock where you hold your opponents hips in one direction while twisting his head and neck in the other direction.

Ouch. That sounds painful.

Phil Davis- Kimura/"Philmura" over Tim Boetsch (UFC 123, 2010)

NCAA wrestling champion turned submission grappling ace, Phil Davis, impressed UFC audiences with his modified kimura victory over Boetsch.

Holding the Kimura lock with just one arm, Davis was able to control Boetsch and torque his shoulder, ending the fight. 

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira- Guillotine over Tim Sylvia (UFC 81, 2008)

Former long time heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia battered Nogueira for the better part of two rounds.

In the third round, Nogueira got the fight to the ground and worked his magic.

Sylvia tried to get up and it was all the Nogueira needed to snatch up a fight ending guillotine choke.

Big Nog won the UFC interim Heavyweight Championship with the victory, and became the only man to be a champion in both Pride and the UFC.

Anderson Silva- Rear-Naked Choke over Dan Henderson (UFC 82, 2008)

Dan Henderson was outgunned against Anderson Silva, but he is practically impossible to put away with just strikes.

After hurting Henderson badly with strikes, Silva smothered the olympic wrestler on the ground.

He locked in a body triangle and found enough space to get the rear-naked choke.

It was the only time in Henderson's long career that he has ever been submitted by a choke.

Genki Sudo- Achilles Lock over Craig Oxley (Pancrase, 2000)

Oxley defended well against Genki Sudo's onslaught of submission attempts, but could not hold them off forever.

Sudo picked Oxley up by his legs and spun him around WWF style before dropping down for a leg and ending the fight with a beautiful achilles lock.

Ricardo Almeida- Guillotine Choke over Rob Yundt (UFC 81, 2008)

After a near four year career hiatus, Ricardo Almeida returned to the scene with an impressive first round guillotine over Rob Yundt.

The technique was perfect and the grip was crushing.

Yundt attempted to free himself flipping himself to the ground with Almeida attached.

Despite landing awkwardly near his head and shoulders, Almeida maintained the guillotine and forced the submission.

Georges St-Pierre- Armbar over Matt Hughes (UFC 79, 2007)

The rubber match between the two greatest welterweights in the history of the sport- for the Interim Championship no less.

St-Pierre once again proved superior against Hughes.

He finished the fight with a brilliant Judo throw/hip toss, before finding the right angle for an armbar and torquing Hughes' arm backwards until he had to verbally submit.

Seth Dikun- Flying Triangle Choke over Rolando Perez (WEC 41, 2009)

Seth Dikun executed a breathtaking submission with his flying triangle.

Against the cage, Dikun lept into the triangle position, and then locked in the choke once Perez came down to the ground.

Perez fought off the choke for a little bit, but Dikun's spectacular submission would not be denied.

Dustin Hazelette- Armbar over Josh Burkman (TUF Finale, 2008)

Dustin Hazelett gets extra points for having two of the most amazing and creative submission victories back to back.

Hazelett set up his armbar over Burkman with an agile hop-over of Burkman's arm, mid- takedown.

In his next fight, Hazelett won submission of the night honors again by applying a particularly nasty reverse armbar over Tamden McCrory.

Matt Hughes- "modified" Anaconda Choke over Ricardo Almeida (UFC 117, 2010)

Everyone knew that Matt Hughes was talented at submissions, but not many would have imagined the wrestler choking out such a credentialed BJJ fighter like Ricardo Almeida.

Hughes got a front headlock using some variation of the "anaconda choke" technique, choked Ricardo Almeida unconscious.

It was a surprising and decisive finish. Some have called Hughes' move the "farmaconda choke".

Kazushi Sakuraba- Kimura over Renzo Gracie (Pride 10, 2000)

Sakuraba was known as "The Gracie Killer" for his ability to defeat members of the famous Gracie family in MMA competition.

When facing Renzo Gracie, Sakuraba grabbed a hold of a tight kimura and did not let go of the hold despite Gracie's attempts to roll out.

Unwilling to submit, Gracie's arm was eventually broken by the hold.

Fedor Emelianenko- Armbar over Mark Coleman (PRIDE TE, 2004)

Fedor Emelianenko defeated Mark Coleman twice by armbar. Both times he snatched them up while off of his back.

The first one was the quicker and smoother of the two.

A normal 230lbs man cannot move his hips that well.

Anderson Silva- Triangle Choke/Armbar over Chael Sonnen (UFC 117, 2010)

In one of the greatest fights in MMA history, Chael Sonnen put a pounding on dominant UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for four and a half rounds.

With time ticking away, Anderson threw up a text-book triangle choke. Sonnen tapped just as he was losing consciousness.

The submission earned Anderson Silva perhaps the greatest come from behind victory in the history of mixed martial arts.

Nick Diaz- Gogoplata over Takanori Gomi (Pride 33, 2007)

This is easily one of the greatest submissions in the history of the sport, but is held back because Diaz tested positive for marijuana post-fight, and the result was changed from a submission victory to a "no contest".

Diaz had just left the UFC to find new challenges, and was taking on the consensus #1 lightweight in the world.

Diaz battered Gomi on the feet, but the tough Japanese warrior would not quit.

Finally, Diaz was able to finish the fight with one of the rarest of submissions- the gogoplata choke. 

Forrest Griffin- Rear-Naked Choke over Mauricio Rua (UFC 76, 2007)

Considered by many as the #1 light heavyweight in the world, Mauricio Rua made his UFC debut as a huge favorite against Forrest Griffin.

Griffin was game and seemed to be gaining more and more momentum throughout the fight, and was likely headed to a unanimous decision.

Never relenting, Griffin pursued his tiring opponent to the ground and finished the job with a rear-naked choke over the BJJ black belt.

Shinya Aoki- Gogoplata over Joachim Hansen (Pride Shockwave, 2006)

Shinya Aoki was appropriately the first man to ever succesfuly submit someone with a gogoplata in MMA, and at the elite levels no less.

Extra points for Aoki by trying to one-up himself and executing a gogoplata from the mount against Katsuhiko Nagata less than two years later.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira- Armbar over Mirko Filipovic (Pride FC, 2003)

In a battle of two of the heavyweight division's most legendary warriors, Nogueira was able to survive a first round onslaught to snatch up Filipovic's arm in the second.

It was considered an incredible come from behind victory for Nogueira, who is the only one to have submitted Filipovic in his illustrious career.

Frank Mir- Armbar over Tim Sylvia (UFC 48, 2004)

Frank Mir won the UFC heavyweight championship by famously breaking Tim Sylvia's arm for the submission victory.

Sylvia wanted to continue, but the referee was forced to call the fight after he witnessed Sylvia's arm snap unnaturally in the submission hold.

Fabricio Werdum- Triangle Choke/Armbar over Fedor Emelianenko(Strikeforce, 2010)

In one of the biggest upsets of all-time, Fabricio Werdum submitted Fedor Emelianenko with a triangle choke/armbar in the first round.

Fedor is considered the best fighter in the sport's history, and for all intents and purposes was undefeated heading into this bout.

Fedor got too careless in Werdum's guard, and the BJJ wizard locked in the submission, forcing the first legitimate defeat of the legendary Russian.

Toby Imada- Inverted Triangle Choke over Jorge Masvidal (Bellator 5, 2009)

Toby Imada's inverted triangle choke did many things.

It's online reproduction put Bellator on the map, it won "submission of the year" by several publications, and it choked Jorge Masvidal unconscious.

A shocking submission.

Surprisingly, Bellator fighter Richard Hale also choked his opponent unconscious with an inverted triangle choke, but two years later in the light heavyweight quarter-finals.

Royce Gracie- Rear-Naked Choke over Ken Shamrock (UFC 1, 1993)

In the first UFC, Royce Gracie defeated everyone to prove the superiority of BJJ.

The most impressive victory was against fellow submission specialist Ken Shamrock.

With an impressive modified-RNC, Gracie put Shamrock away and left him wondering "how?"

Ryo Chonan- Flying Scissor into a Heel Hook over Anderson Silva (Pride, 2004)

By today's standards, this match-up would be an inconceivable mis-match. Even when this fight took place in 2004, Silva was a huge favorite.

The fight was surprisingly competitive as Anderson chased Chonen around the ring and Chonen tried using his quickness to befuddle the striking mastery of his opponent.

With less than a couple minutes left in the third round, Chonan did the unthinkable.

He executed a flying scissor takedown that perfectly set him up in heel hook position. Anderson submitted immediately to the heel hook and Chonan took the impressive victory.

BJ Penn- Rear-Naked Choke over Kenny Florian (UFC 101, 2009)

BJ Penn is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world with the rear-naked choke.

The men he has finished with that choke, in professional MMA, include:

• Takanori Gomi
• Matt Hughes
• Jens Pulver
• Joe Stevenson
• Kenny Florian

While every fan has their favorite rear-naked choke from Penn, I lean towards the victory over Florian.

Florian is an elite fighter and accomplished BJJ fighter in his own right.  Penn is the only man to ever submit him.

It also marked the second defense of his Lightweight Championship run.