The best tapouts in UFC history: Part 2: Arm submissions

#4 Keylock – Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort – UFC 152 – 09/22/2012

Jon Jones used a nasty keylock to submit Vitor Belfort

The keylock – otherwise known as the Americana or paintbrush hold – is another variation of arm submission which attacks the shoulder and elbow joint by causing hyperflexion to both. Usually applied from the side mount position, the hold is set up by the attacker pinning his opponent’s arm to the ground at the wrist with his own opposite arm. From there he threads his opposite hand under the opponent’s bicep, reaching through to grab his own wrist.

From there the attacker forces the opponent’s wrist towards their lower body while elevating the elbow and forearm, creating massive torque on the shoulder and elbow and either forcing a tapout, or severely damaging the arm. Like the kimura, it’s a hold that requires a mix of skill and brute strength to carry out.

The best example of a keylock in UFC action came at UFC 152 in September 2012, as Jon Jones defended his UFC Light-Heavyweight title against challenger Vitor Belfort. A natural Middleweight, Belfort had surprisingly managed to catch Jones in an armbar in the opening round, and almost took the title from him with the hold before Jones managed to slip free.

From that point onwards though, the fight was all ‘Bones’ as he beat Belfort down mercilessly with a series of strikes, in particular, elbows on the ground. By the 4th round though, it was clear that Belfort would be difficult to put away with strikes. And so Jones decided to switch his attack to a submission.

Taking side mount around 30 seconds in, Jones first trapped Belfort’s left arm to deliver some unanswered elbows to the head. With the right arm then isolated, he reached across and instantly yanked it into a keylock, torquing the elbow at a horrible angle and forcing Vitor to tap out almost immediately.

This wasn’t a submission achieved through finesse; it was a culmination of Belfort being utterly beaten down and Jones simply being able to outpower him in every possible way, but it still belongs on the list due to the sheer sudden violence of it. The keylock is a relatively rare finish in the UFC, but Jones proved its effectiveness here.