5 best submission wins in the UFC's lightweight division

The UFC truly brings us the best fighting the best every week. The company tries to outdo itself every year, from the competitors themselves to the team that helps these events run smoothly. The UFC's eclectic talent pool sees fighters from a wide variety of backgrounds and martial arts brought together.

One of the most highly-touted and dangerous divisions is lightweight. 155lbs has produced some incredible fights, contenders, and stars throughout its history. Two of the UFC's biggest names participated in this division - Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.

With great talent comes tough fights. The world's best athletes competing against each other often make for rather intense and close battles. The weight of these bouts amplifies the highlight-reel finishes that fans love. Drama, stars, and great fighters are key components in what has brought so much attention to the 155lb division.

Current champion Charles Oliviera took the throne following the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov. While the Brazilian is very well-rounded, his submission skills got him to where he needed to be. The lightweight title has been maintained or won many times, and a lot of these changes were caused by a submission stoppage. Beyond the title, this division has proliferated many tap-out finishes that'll be played in the company's highlight reel for quite some time.

Here's our take on the five best submission wins in the UFC's lightweight division:

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#5. Beneil Dariush's reverse triangle armbar

UFC 262: Tony Ferguson v Beneil Dariush

Beneil Dariush has made it very known that although things may not go his way, he's never out of a fight until it's over. When the Kings MMA product took on a heavy-handed Drew Dober, things didn't look too great in the opening round of the fight for him.

Dober is very well-rounded and powerful. His power made its way to Dariush's chin multiple times in the first round, rendering him wobbled and in some hot water. Ever the adaptable fighter, the 32-year-old made the requisite adjustments and turned this fight into a grappling match come the second stanza.

In a masterful display of his jiu-jitsu skills, Dariush utilized a kimura trap to draw out a reaction from his opponent. Once Dober attempted to advance position, he was caught in a reverse triangle and armbar combination. Dober was forced to tap out even though the round was less than a minute away from closing.

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#4. Charles Oliveira defends his title

Charles Oliveira after defending his lightweight title [Image via @charlesdobronxs on Instagram]

After capturing the vacant lightweight title following the unforeseen retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Brazilian submission specialist Charles Oliveira faced former title challenger Dustin Poirer for his first defense.

Having lost his bid to win the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, 'The Diamond' worked his way back to the No.1 contender's spot and made his claim for a second chance at the belt. 'do Bronx' and the Louisiana native agreed to scrap and headlined UFC 269.

While 'The Diamond' began to find success in this fight, the Brazilian was happy to show off his newfound grit and weathered the storm that was Poirier's boxing chops. Oliveira took Poirier down in round two and controlled him there for the majority of the five-minute duration. Oliveira had found his rhythm by round three and went to his niche. With 20 of 32 wins coming by way of submission, it's no secret that 'do Bronx' has the grappling skills to take out most at lightweight.

Within seconds, Oliveira was able to take his opponent's back from a standing position. Albeit not ideal, he took what Poirier would give him. After repeated attempts, the champion eventually thwarted his opponent’s defense as he sunk in a rear naked choke that forced the tap.

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#3. Khabib Nurmagomedov finishes Conor McGregor

UFC 229: Khabib v McGregor

Undeniably the most vitriol-fueled rivalry in UFC history, UFC 229 remains the company's highest-selling pay-per-view to date. Conor McGregor returned from a hiatus after putting on a career-best performance that saw him dismantle Eddie Alvares for the lightweight title. Inactivity stripped the Irishman of both his titles, and that's when Nurmagomedov's lightweight championship reign began.

The trash talk went pretty deep in the build-up to UFC 229. Family, religion, teammates - nothing seemed off-limits leading up to this fight. It all began when Nurmagomedov slapped McGregor's teammate, Artem Lobov, for disrespecting him in the media. This slap snowballed into 'Notorious' throwing a dolly through a bus window in an attempt to frighten his Russian adversary.

When words were rendered useless, and the octagon cage was closed, 'The Eagle' let his skills do the talking. Although McGregor did better than most have against the mauling attack of Nurmagomedov, it wasn't enough to hand the Russian his first loss. Following the first and only round in UFC history that Nurmagomedov lost, he went back to his father's game plan and secured a neck-crank submission victory in the fourth round.

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#2. Anthony Pettis captures UFC gold

UFC 181 - Pettis v Melendez

The final highlight of the WEC was birthed from Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson's first meeting. This five-round war remains a must-see fight. As the bout was nearing its end, 'Showtime' lived up to the name and landed his signature 'showtime kick' - a roundhouse kick setup by jumping off the cage. This moment has become one of the most-watched MMA highlights in history.

Although his UFC debut didn't go as planned, Petis worked his way into title contention after winning his next 3, finishing 2 of those bouts via KO. Not only was this rematch highly anticipated, but it was for the UFC's lightweight title. Henderson had won the belt after defeating Frankie Edgar.

As the rematch took place, 'Smooth' took a grappling-heavy approach to stifle the kicking game of 'Showtime'. Whenever the Roufusport fighter could create distance, he'd land kicks to the body that had Henderson desperate to take the fight down. After catching Pettis in an attempt to land a flashy kick, Henderson wound up in his guard. At first, this seemed safe, but Pettis attacked with an armbar off his back, and Henderson eventually tapped out, surrendering his belt.

Watch the finish below:

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#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov retires on top

Khabib Nurmagomedov with his father, Abdulmanap(Photo via @khabib_nurmagomedov on Instagram)

Khabib Nurmagomedov carried so much into his UFC 254 bout against Justin Gaethje. As if the pressure of being champion wasn't enough, he was fighting against one of the heaviest hitters in lightweight history and was slated to do so in front of an Abu Dhabi crowd that thought 'The Eagle' to be untouchable.

Furthermore, this was his first and only fight without his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, being a part of his camp, for he passed away months earlier. This was a lot for the lightweight great to overcome, but Nurmagomedov carried on with utmost professionalism.

This was no easy fight for the Russian. 'The Highlight' landed heavy hooks and bludgeoned the champ with leg kicks. Nonetheless, Nurmagomedov weathered the storm and pressured Gaethje like nobody else has been able to do. Nurmagomedov attempted a bicep slicer to cap off the first round and found himself in a similar position early in the second. Rather than trying to trap the arm again, Nurmagomedov transitioned into a triangle choke because he reportedly didn't want to hurt Gaethje with his parents in attendance.

This choke put the challenger to sleep, and instead of an immediate celebration with his team, Nurmagomedov utilized this time to let out the emotions weighing on him since the passing of his father. Nobody predicted that the 29-0 fighter would retire, but he hung up the gloves after this performance. Not only did this fight solidify Nurmagomedov as the most dominant lightweight champion in UFC history, but it ranked him No.1 on the UFC's pound-for-pound list.