With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from October 2019: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for October.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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The Nominees
Deiveson Figueiredo def. Tim Elliott at UFC on ESPN+ 19
Deiveson Figueiredo (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) gave Tim Elliott (15-9-1 MMA, 4-7 UFC) a rude welcome back to the octagon after nearly two years when he ended their flyweight fight with a slick choke in the first round.
Figueiredo put his submission prowess to work in the early going of the matchup. Elliott did not protect his neck when entering into a grappling exchange with the Brazilian, and that’s when Figueiredo jumped on a guillotine choke and squeezed until he elicited a tap from Elliott.
Charles Rosa def. Manny Bermudez at UFC on ESPN 6
Charles Rosa (12-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) returned from the longest layoff of his career against Manny Bermudez 14-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), but the nature of his performance and the scene where it unfolded made the multi-year break worthwhile.
In front of his hometown fans in Boston, Rosa showed how dangerous he can be when he locked up an armbar from bottom position against Bermudez. The attempt wasn’t all the way there from the beginning, but after an adjustment – and a little help from the fence – Rosa got it deep enough doc cause his opponent to tap out less than three minutes after the fight began.
Ciryl Gane def. Don’Tale Mayes at UFC on ESPN+ 20
Not just a striker, Ciryl Gane (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) now has more submissions than knockouts on his resume after putting away Don’Tale Mayes (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the third round of their heavyweight bout.
Gane carved up Mayes with his super striking for nearly the entire fight. Despite being clearly ahead going into the final minute, Gane still pushed for the finish. He found it when he jumped on a heel hook that got Mayes to take out with just 14 seconds left in the fight, setting a new record for latest submission in a UFC heavyweight bout.
Demian Maia def. Ben Askren at UFC on ESPN+ 20
Demian Maia’s (28-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) otherworldly jiu-jitsu skills were once again on display as he further entrenched himself into the UFC record books with a submission win over former ONE Championship and Bellator titleholder Ben Askren (19-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC).
After an exciting back-and-forth for more than two rounds, Maia found his opening for the finish in the third round of the welterweight affair. He climbed on Askren’s back and locked in a fight-ending rear-naked choke for his 22nd octagon triumph, which is the second most in company history behind only Donald Cerrone (23).
Patrick Mix def. Isaiah Chapman at Bellator 232
Patrick Mix (12-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) achieved a first in Bellator history when in his bantamweight fight he managed to force Isaiah Chapman (9-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) to tap out with a rarely seen submission.
After just a few minutes of action, Mix found himself on Chapman’s back during a grappling exchange. He went after the leg and got in position to secure the Suloev stretch, which he fully locked in to become the first in Bellator to win with the technique.
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The Winner: Patrick Mix
Mix exited Bellator 232 the same way he entered: undefeated.
A former King of the Cage champion, Mix made quick work of opponent Chapman when he pulled off a rare Suloev stretch submission at 3:49 of Round 1.
Not long after the opening bell, Mix dragged the fight to the ground. From there he worked from the back and the front, applying rear-naked chokes and a guillotine choke.
After he hopped onto the back for the second time, Chapman perched up on his hands. Mix grabbed a hold of Chapman’s leg and torqued it back towards his head. The hamstring stretched to a point of no endurance and Chapman tapped.
With the victory, Mix stays undefeated through his first 12 professional fights. The Buffalo, N.Y. native turned professional after an impressive amateur career where he was undefeated through 10 fights.
MMA Junkie's 'Submission of the Month' for October: Bellator gets its first Suloev stretch
