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#2. Claudio Puelles vs. Clay Guida – UFC Fight Night 205
While we’ve seen excellent examples of them in the UFC over the years, it’s probably fair to argue that leglocks have become rarer in the octagon in recent times. However, it looks like one fighter, lightweight prospect Claudio Puelles, is trying to change that.
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The native of Peru came into 2022 on the back of a four-fight win streak, with two of those victories coming via kneebar, including a nasty finish of Chris Gruetzemacher in December 2021.
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When he was matched with wily veteran Clay Guida in April, though, few people would’ve expected him to be able to repeat the feat. After all, ‘The Carpenter’ had not been submitted since being caught in a choke by the hugely experienced Jim Miller in 2019.
However, after taking Puelles down in the early going of their bout, it quickly became clear that Guida had bitten off more than he could chew. Seemingly channeling lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira, the Peruvian fighter began to fire off rapid submission attempts, and it took all of Guida’s veteran wiles to avoid them.
He could only last for so long, though. When Puelles spun through and locked in his trademark kneebar literally from nowhere, Guida had no choice, and was forced to tap out.
Whether ‘The Prince of Peru’ can reach the top of the lightweight division still remains to be seen. But with such a dangerous submission arsenal in his locker, it’ll definitely be fun to see him try, particularly if he can continue to pull off tapouts as good as this one.
#1. Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje – UFC 274
While it only came via a pretty common hold – the always-reliable rear-naked choke – it’s probably safe to say that the year’s best submission to date came from the best submission artist in the UFC right now, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
To really appreciate Oliveira’s finish of Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, the context must be understood. Not only was ‘Do Bronx’ up against perhaps the most dangerous striker in the entire division, but he was also coming into the fight in the knowledge that he’d already lost his title after failing to make the 155-pound lightweight limit.
Despite this, the Brazilian still pulled off one of the very best performances of his entire career, and after surviving a hellacious knockdown in the early going, he was able to turn the tables on ‘The Highlight’.
Oliveira put Gaethje on the ground with a right hand of his own, but rather than look to seal the deal with more strikes, he decided to capitalise by quickly taking his back instead. Gaethje simply couldn’t defend the speed and slickness of the move, and while he did defend against an armbar, once ‘Do Bronx’ sunk in a choke, the fight was over.
Given that this was only the second time Gaethje had ever been submitted in his MMA career – his first tapout defeat coming at the hands of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov – this was a huge victory for Oliveira, and it’s hard not to consider it the best submission of 2022 to date.
