5 best submission wins in the UFC's lightweight division

#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.