Mixed martial arts is an extremely interesting combat sport, in the sense that almost anything goes. Boxers have to worry about keeping their hands tight and striking their opponents with lightning quick jabs that make their presence felt. While this is certainly a challenge, UFC fighters have to be prepared much more.
A lot of UFC athletes like to attack their opponent at the base of their stance, with relentless contact to the high and knee areas. Although it can be harder to accomplish, certain fighters also like to get their opponent in a precarious submission hold, which can be hard to wrestle out of. Such wide variety of fighting styles can make determining UFC betting odds intriguing, when pondering whether to wager on a -175 favorite like Charles Jourdain or a +145 underdog like Kron Gracie.
We’ll take a look at a few fighters who are awfully difficult to beat once they establish a firm grasp on their opposition.
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Ken Shamrock
In the world of combat sports, Ken Shamrock is a bit of a living legend when it comes to demoralizing submission holds. He was a popular figure in the World Wrestling Entertainment space back in the 1990’s, and was best known for his ankle lock that made his foes tap out. It has often been said that Kurt Angle copied Shamrock’s move and brought the ankle lock’s popularity to new heights.
Even though it wasn’t as well know as it is now, Shamrock was one of the early stars of UFC, which also dated back to the 1990’s. He wasn’t the type of fighter who would try to slowly wear his opponent down with smaller jabs that would take its toll. Shamrock’s main objective was to use his other moves to get to his leg lock submission, which pretty much spelled the end of the fight.
In his WWE days, Shamrock had some very high-profile matches, with some coming against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Ronda Rousey
One of the great things about UFC in the last 10-15 years is that it has allowed women to get a prime stage to showcase their combat skills, and there have been many who have etched their names in MMA history. Ronda Rousey is one of the most esteemed figures in UFC history, and she dominated her opponents over the course of many years. She’s also well regarded for her submission game, as her armbar was nothing short of devastating.
Rousey unleashed one of her most effective weapons right from the get-go, as she posted wins in her first eight UFC appearances using the armbar. The amount of sheer force she applies to her opponent’s visage with the armbar is staggering, and left her competitors with little choice but to capitulate to her signature move. Similar to the legacy Shamrock has left, Rousey took her talents to the WWE to share her unique brand of combat with a different audience.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
It’s hard to argue with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s career UFC record, which sits at 34-10-1. It’s pretty remarkable to look at his historical results dating back to 2001, and observe that Nogueira had a wide array of submission moves that tortured his foes. Usually, a fighter can have one submission tactic that they master and look to deploy, but Nogueira’s versatility in this area truly sets him apart as a submission superstar.
He’s used the Triangle choke, armbar, Anaconda choke and Guillotine choke to flummox his opposite number in the 2000’s. There really isn’t much someone can do to guard against all of those options, which led Nogueira to have his way. The last time the “Minotauro” fought competitively in UFC was in 2015.
Royce Gracie
It also makes sense to give Royce Gracie his due in this niche submission conversation as well. He posted a respectable 15-2-3 standing in UFC fights, and left the sport with a win against Kazushi Sakuraba in June 2007. It makes sense that Gracie would have a distinguished fighting career considering that he came from a family that developed many capable mixed martial arts competitors.
Gracie was well schooled in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which allowed him to cultivate strategies for holds that would be productive in the UFC circuit. One such valuable move was the rear naked choke, which he successfully deployed on the way to three victories in UFC competition. It’s truly interesting to see that Gracie and Shamrock crossed paths with one another in the 1990’s, both looking to deploy their signature submission moves on one another.
With the aims being so similar and the talent being comparable, early fans of UFC were treated to some wonderful memories. Gracie beat Shamrock in November 1993, but Shamrock returned the favor in April 1995 to break Gracie’s career unbeaten streak.
