With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMAjunkie looks at the best submissions from March 2018: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMAjunkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for March.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
* * * *
The Nominees
Darrion Caldwell def. Leandro Higo at Bellator 195
For about two minutes, it looked as though Darrion Caldwell (12-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) and Leandro Higo (18-4 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) were in for a competitive Bellator bantamweight championship bout.
Then Caldwell exploded across the cage, wrapped Higo’s neck with a guillotine choke, and secured a submission for his first title defense. As Higo tried to get up against the cage after a big takedown, Caldwell wrapped the neck and clamped down. Higo appeared to tap twice, once as the severity of his situation became apparent and again as it became clear there was no escape.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgHAeWwl7Fu
Tomasz Narkun def. Mamed Khalidov at KSW 42
In a champion-vs.-champion headliner, light-heavyweight champ Tomasz Narkun (15-2) met middleweight titleholder Mamed Khalidov (34-5-2) in a non-title 205-pound bout. Early on, things weren’t going well for Narkun, who suffered two knockdowns in the opening frame.
However, as Khalidov began to fade after an action-packed first round, Narkun took advantage and fired back. Khalidov briefly returned fire, but once Narkun forced the fight to the ground in the third frame, he got his opening for a fight-ending triangle choke.
Paul Craig def. Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Fight Night 127
Paul Craig (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) made UFC history with one of the most improbable comebacks in recent memory against Magomed Ankalaev (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC). To make things even sweeter, the win scored him a new contract with the UFC.
Ankalaev, who came into the light heavyweight bout with an unbeaten record, got the better of Craig for almost the entirety of the fight. In the final seconds, however, Craig threw up a triangle choke. Ankalaev shockingly tapped out at the 4:59 mark of Round 3, marking the latest submission ever in a three-round UFC fight.
Danny Henry def. Hakeem Dawodu at UFC Fight Night 127
While Hakeem Dawodu (7-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is known as a dangerous striker, it was Danny Henry (12-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) who landed a big right hand and then sealed the deal with a brutal choke for a quick tapout victory.
As the two felt each other out, Henry scored a crisp right hand, wobbling his foe and sending him to the floor. Henry then latched onto the neck with a guillotine and began to squeeze. Dawodu did everything in his power to work free, getting back to his feet but never successfully pulling away. Henry was relentless with his grip and was able to score the tap just 39 seconds after the contest began.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgempwoAaiK
Darren O’Gorman def. Salih Kulucan at Cage Warriors 92
Salih Kulucan (5-6-1) had nowhere to go in the final seconds of his bantamweight bout with Darren O'Gorman(6-3), so he did the only thing he could. He tapped out with his feet.
Working from a dominant top position, O’Gorman vigorously tried for a reverse triangle-choke and finally locked in the incredibly uncomfortable-looking move, leaving Kulucan no choice but to pound his heels on the mat in submission. Remarkably, the finish came at the 4:59 mark of the first round.
* * * *
The Winner: Paul Craig
Craig was one second away from his third-straight UFC loss before pulling off an incredible submission of UFC newcomer Ankalaev.
After starting at range, Craig opened with a kick to the body, though Ankalaev quickly answered with the same. Another Ankalaev kick to the body seemed to stun his opponent, and he rushed forward to clinch. Once there, Craig landed a knee to the groin, leading to a brief break in the action.
On the restart, Ankalaev pressed forward again, landing a nice left hand after just avoiding a big high kick from his foe. Craig rushed forward for a takedown, but Ankalaev defended well, until an adjusted effort from his opponent brought the action to the floor. Ankalaev quickly worked to a seated position and was able to take the top after pulling free from a missed guillotine attempt. Ankalaev postured for a bit and then pushed to mount, where he punched away until the bell.
Ankalaev was the aggressor in the second, missing on a big overhand right but landing with a sharp left hand just after. Craig leaned heavily on kicks for his attacks before changing levels and looking for a takedown. Ankalaev again defended well and landed a few powerful hooks as he pulled free from the clinch.
Shortly after, Craig did get a clean takedown, though Ankalaev reversed the position shortly after. Working quickly to side control, Ankalaev grinded away from top position, remaining there until the bell.
Craig came out swinging in the third, but it backfired, with Ankalaev landing a high kick that rocked his opponent. Craig desperately wanted a takedown, but Ankalaev remained out of reach and forced his opponent back to the feet. Ankalaev was patient in his attack, picking his shots as they resumed in the standup department. The left hand found a home repeatedly, and Craig was hesitant to engage. Craig came up short on another takedown, and Ankalaev continued to punish him.
A wobbly Craig missed a spinning strike and toppled to the canvas, where Ankalaev quickly followed and landed a few knees to the body before settling into his opponent’s guard. Craig did well to slow things down underneath, and then the unthinkable happened – with the final ticks winding off the clock, he locked up a triangle choke and earned a miraculous submission win, scoring a tap in the bout’s final second.
“Did you hear those fans? It didn’t go my way in Glasgow last time, so to be able to get that finish for the Scottish fans tonight was something special,” Craig said. “Listen, people say the Irish fans are the best, but the Scottish fans are so loud and so supportive. To come back after two losses and get that finish, it just means so much. My coach jumped into the octagon and said I had finished it with only seconds to spare. Now I’m going to take my kids to Disneyland and give them something special to make up for all the time I spend training and preparing.”
