- Charles Oliveira holds the most submissions in UFC history with 16.
- Ronda Rousey’s 14-second armbar finish of Cat Zingano is the fastest submission in UFC history.
- Islam Makhachev, the reigning UFC lightweight champion has 11 submission wins.
One of the best ways to win in the UFC is through submission and fighters with superior grappling skills double down on this technique against their strike-heavy opponents. Athletes with Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts are the usual submission artists in the sport.
These submission wins in the UFC help the fans with their method of victory betting in UFC odds to make their potential payout bigger. But who holds the record for the most submissions in UFC history? Find out below.
Who Has the Most Submissions in UFC History?
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira holds the record for the most submissions in UFC history with 16. The Brazilian competed in 32 UFC fights since 2010, meaning half of his bouts in the promotion were wins via submissions.
#OnThisDay in 2022: Charles Oliveira earned an incredible 19th finish and 16th submission with THIS stoppage!
📺 Watch more on @UFCFightPass now! pic.twitter.com/TtppphwHgG
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) May 7, 2023
Two of his favourite submission techniques of Oliveira are the rear-naked choke and the guillotine choke, which he used in beating the likes of Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Clay Guida, Nik Lentz, Kevin Lee, and Jim Miller.
What Is the Fastest Submission Win in UFC History?
The fastest submission win in UFC history was the 14-second straight armbar finish of Ronda Rousey of Cat Zingano during their UFC bantamweight title fight in February 2015 at UFC 184. It was Rousey’s fourth straight title defence.
Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano is the only UFC championship fight to not feature a single landed strike. #UFC184
— UFC (@ufc) March 1, 2015
This record by “Rowdy” also stands as the fastest submission victory in a UFC title fight. Half of Rousey’s wins in the UFC were via submissions and her favourite move is the armbar. She uses her judo background to set up the submission.
What Is the Fastest Finish in UFC History?
The fastest finish in UFC history was the five-second knockout of Jorge Masvidal over Ben Askren during their welterweight showdown in July 2019 at UFC 239. Masvidal went straight to Askren with a flying knee that perfectly landed on his head.
On this day in 2019, Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) starched Ben Askren with a flying knee 😵 #UFC239 pic.twitter.com/o4ZSq2S9bT
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) July 6, 2023
That flying knee instantly flattened Askren, and “Gamebred” officially ended the fight with two more punches on Askren that forced the referee to stop the fight. Masvidal eventually won the “BMF” belt and challenged for the UFC welterweight title twice but came up short of winning it.
Are There Any Illegal Submissions in the UFC?
There are no specified illegal submissions in the UFC, but maneuvers involving biting, pulling of hair, fish-hooking (inserting a finger to the mouth and nose of an opponent and pulling them), small joint manipulations, and putting pressure on an opponent’s neck using fingers or thumb are considered foul and not allowed under the rules.
How Many Submission Wins Does Islam Makhachev Have?
Reigning undisputed lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has 11 career submission wins in his 25 bouts, which means 44% of his career victories were via this method. In 15 fights under the UFC, Makhachev has six submission wins.
ISLAM MAKHACHEV SUBMITS CHARLES OLIVEIRA
A LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION HAS BEEN NAMED 🏆 #UFC280 pic.twitter.com/TOD3VdbiLF
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) October 22, 2022
Thanks to his strong Sambo background, Makhachev was able to submit Leo Kuntz, Kajan Johnson, Drew Dober, Thiago Moises, Dan Hooker, and Oliveira.
