Top 5 UFC submissions of 2021 so far

#2. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza vs. Andre Muniz - UFC 262

Jacare Souza suffered one of the most horrific injuries of 2021 when he got his arm snapped by rising middleweight prospect Andre Muniz at UFC 262. The snap was the result of Souza refusing to tap to an armbar submission. The Brazilian veteran showed his toughness by barely even flinching when his arm was broken.

Finishing the UFC veteran with an armbar was no small feat for the up-and-comer Muniz as Jacare holds a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The fight marked the first time Souza had lost an MMA bout via submission.

You’re problem not surprised to hear that is the first submission loss of Jacare’s career.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 16, 2021

Muniz later described the unfortunate incident in his post-fight interview.

“I heard it snap and I let go not only out of respect, but I knew it could hurt him even more,” said Andre Muniz during his post-fight interview.

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#1. Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 2 - UFC 263

This submission victory has secured the number one spot because from all the fights on the list, the stakes were the highest. Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo had their first encounter at UFC 256. The two flyweights delivered one of the best fights of 2020. The bout ended in a majority draw and talks of a second meeting in the cage between the pair immediately started.

Coming into the rematch, not many were giving Moreno a chance, but the Mexican fighter rose to the occasion and delivered a career-defining performance against 'Deus Da Guerra' at UFC 263.

The second contest did not turn out to be as competitive. 'The Assassin Baby' ended the fight by submitting the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt via a rear-naked choke in the third round. The performance also earned Moreno the 'Performance of the Night' bonus.

With the win, the 27-year-old made UFC history as he became the first Mexican-born fighter to become a UFC champion.

The new flyweight champ wants to fight in November and knows he has options 🏆(via @marc_raimondi) pic.twitter.com/uIhSb3cvDY

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 20, 2021

Moreno has expressed interest in returning to the octagon in November and is open to fighting 'Deus Da Guerra' or Cody Garbrandt for his first title defense.