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The UFC turns 30 years old in 2023. Ever since its inception in 1993, the promotion has helped to popularize the art of grappling, namely the use of submission holds.
The period between 2003 and 2012 saw the fighters of the UFC increase their overall skills massively. That included their abilities on the ground, particularly with submissions.
With that, some of the tap-outs we were treated to during this period were both dramatic and sometimes unique, too.
Here are the best submissions from every year of the UFC’s existence, with this list covering the period from 2003 to 2012.
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For part one of this list, click here.
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#1. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg – UFC 45 (2003)
Most UFC fans fondly recall Matt Hughes’ second victory over Frank Trigg in their dramatic 2005 bout. However, the truth is that Hughes scored the better finish of ‘Twinkle Toes’ in their first meeting in 2003.
At the time, Hughes had held the welterweight title for two years, but was still better known as a bruising wrestler than a submission artist. Given Trigg’s own wrestling credentials, he had high hopes of dethroning the champion.
However, Hughes showed off his grappling chops by completely outworking Trigg on the ground. Eventually, he secured back control midway through the first round, and when Trigg made the error of standing, Hughes simply slapped on a rear-naked choke that closely resembled a pro-wrestling sleeper hold.
‘Twinkle Toes’ tried to resist, but there was no way out. He was forced to tap out just as he collapsed to the ground.
Sure, this was a simple choke in many ways, but for the cool visual it provided, it stands out as the best submission of 2003.
#2. Frank Mir vs. Tim Sylvia – UFC 48 (2004)
When Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir squared off for the vacant UFC heavyweight title in 2004, Sylvia came in as a major favorite.
It was hardly surprising, given ‘The Maine-iac’ had never lost a fight and had been beating the likes of Ricco Rodriguez and Gan McGee with his brutal strikes. Mir, though, was confident. He stated that if the fight hit the ground once, he’d take Sylvia out easily.
Incredibly, that’s exactly what happened. After pulling guard, Mir literally locked an armbar up in an instant. When Sylvia tried to pull free, his arm snapped like a twig.
Thankfully for ‘The Maine-iac’, referee Herb Dean quickly called the fight off, although Sylvia somehow tried to continue to fight.
Remarkably, this was the second time Mir had broken an opponent’s bone in the octagon – but it wouldn’t be his last. It remains, though, one of the sickest visuals in UFC history.
#3. Drew Fickett vs. Josh Neer – UFC Fight Night 1 (2005)
While the rear-naked choke is both the most common and most simple submission hold used in the UFC, when done correctly, it can still produce a truly sick visual. That was definitely the case in 2005, when Drew Fickett faced off against Josh Neer in a bout that’s largely been forgotten since.
Both men were known for their grappling, but it was Fickett who came out on top. After a scramble, he secured back control on ‘The Dentist’ and worked a rear-naked choke variant that almost resembled a neck crank of sorts.
Neer initially hung tough, but the blood was quickly being squeezed from his head. Moments later, he went unconscious.
What happened next was scary, though. ‘The Dentist’ was left out cold on the ground with his limbs extended. It looked for all intents and purposes like Fickett had squeezed the life out of him.
That wasn’t the case, of course, and Neer quickly came around. However, the brutality of this submission showed that a slick piece of grappling could easily rival the best knockout.
#4. Stephan Bonnar vs. James Irvin – UFC Fight Night 3 (2006)
Stephan Bonnar, who sadly passed away in December, was widely beloved for his crazy brawling style during his UFC career. However, ‘The American Psycho’ was also a fantastic grappler.
Bonnar showed off those grappling skills in his 2006 victory over James Irvin, a bout that was expected to produce some explosive action on the feet.
Instead, Bonnar tripped ‘The Sandman’ down early in the first round and went to work. After securing a kimura on the left arm, ‘The American Psycho’ managed to step over Irvin’s head, and then locked up a body triangle for good measure.
Irvin bravely tried to hold on, but it was obvious that his shoulder was being torn to shreds. Eventually, he verbally submitted.
Bonnar’s most famous fight in the octagon was definitely his clash with Forrest Griffin. But it’s arguable that this one, the best submission of 2006, was his most impressive showing.
#5. Joe Stevenson vs. Melvin Guillard – UFC Fight Night 9 (2007)
When the UFC re-introduced their lightweight division in 2006, the 155-pound fighters on the roster quickly made sure that the fans recognized them as some of the most exciting athletes in MMA.
Two of the most outstanding lightweights at that time were Joe Stevenson and Melvin Guillard. When they were matched against each other in the first 155-pound headliner for five years, it sounded like fireworks.
The bout did indeed turn out to be exciting, but it didn’t last half as long as many expected. After dropping Guillard with a jab, ‘Joe Daddy’ snared him in a tight guillotine choke and forced him to tap after just 25 seconds.
The finish was incredibly slick, even by Stevenson’s high standards. It stood as a stark reminder that a submission could come just as quickly as a knockout in the octagon.
#6. Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino – UFC Fight Night 14 (2008)
Even before his crazy rivalry with Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz was one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster. Given his combative attitude, it was hardly surprising that fans loved him.
The Stockton-based fighter was never shy of taunting his opponents inside the octagon. Perhaps the most memorable of these moments came in his 2008 bout with Kurt Pellegrino.
The back-and-forth fight saw Pellegrino slam Diaz to the ground in the second round, only for the TUF 5 winner to catch him in a tight triangle choke.
With the knowledge that the hold was sunk in perfectly, it became showtime for Diaz, who flipped Pellegrino the double bird before flexing as he tapped out.
It was a moment that encompassed Diaz’s style perfectly, and it stands as one of the most memorable submission finishes in UFC history, period.
#7. Jon Jones vs. Jake O’Brien – UFC 100 (2009)
2009 was the year that saw Jon Jones develop rapidly from a hot prospect into a genuine UFC light heavyweight title contender. Sandwiched midway through his run that year was a slick submission of Jake O’Brien, which stands as the year’s best tap-out.
O’Brien was supposed to provide a tricky test for ‘Bones’, as he’d performed well at heavyweight and had no shortage of wrestling skills. However, he was thoroughly dominated by the future champion, who proved to be ruthless in his approach.
After stunning ‘Irish Jake’ with a spinning backfist, Jones closed in and pounced, grabbing his foe into a guillotine choke. From there, he switched to a brabo choke and forced O’Brien to tap.
It was painfully clear from this submission win that Jones was for real. It was no surprise, then, when plenty of other top 205lbers suffered the same fate as O’Brien shortly after.
#8. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen – UFC 117 (2010)
Anderson Silva not only scored the best submission of 2010 when he defeated Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, but he also pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history too.
Nobody expected Sonnen to be able to back up the trash he’d talked leading into his middleweight title bout with ‘The Spider. To the surprise of everyone, that’s exactly what he did.
‘The American Gangster’ pummelled Silva with his strikes, largely on the ground, from the opening moments of the bout right into the final moments of the fifth round.
Silva didn’t appear to have an answer, and for all intents and purposes, a new champion seemed destined to be crowned.
However, Silva had other ideas.
When Sonnen left a slight gap in his defence, the Brazilian locked up a triangle choke/armbar combination. Moments later, a stunned ‘American Gangster’ had to tap out.
The finish was nothing short of miraculous and only added to the ever-growing legend of Silva and his record-setting middleweight title reign. 13 years on, this finish remains just as stirring as ever.
#9. Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia – UFC Fight Night 24 (2011)
Over the years, we’ve seen numerous flashy submissions in the UFC’s octagon, from the flying triangle to the omaplata. However, the flashiest might be the twister, which was debuted by Chan Sung Jung in 2011.
‘The Korean Zombie’ used the hold, which attacks the spine in a devastating fashion, to submit opponent Leonard Garcia, making UFC history in the process.
The fact that he was – and still is – known more for his brawling style than his grappling only made this unique victory sweeter, particularly as only a grappler of major skill could ever pull such a hold off.
Proving the point, 11 years on, only one other fighter – Bryce Mitchell – has won in the octagon with a twister. That makes this submission not only the best of 2011, but one of the greatest of all time.
#10. Charles Oliveira vs. Eric Wisely – UFC on Fox 2 (2012)
While arguments could be made on the merits of Royce Gracie and Demian Maia, it’s probably safe to label Charles Oliveira as the greatest submission artist in UFC history at this stage. The former lightweight champion has a record 16 tap-out wins to his name, after all.
One of Oliveira’s best came back in 2012, and it stands as the best submission finish of that year. It was the first example of the calf slicer being used to tap a fighter out inside the octagon, something that remains rare to this day.
The unfortunate victim in this case was Eric Wisely. He was making his octagon debut, while Oliveira was making his first outing as a featherweight, having dropped from 155 pounds after a winless run of three bouts.
It didn’t take long for ‘Do Bronx’ to right the ship here, though. In just under two minutes, he took Wisely's back and then transitioned into the calf slicer, a hold that left Wisely screaming in sheer agony as he submitted.
Oliveira has pulled off plenty of submissions over opponents of a higher standard than this in the years that have followed. However, this one might remain his most visually striking tap-out, even a decade on.
