Neck Crank

Last updated: April 20, 2026

What is a neck crank?

A neck crank is a spinal lock applied to the cervical spine. According to Wikipedia’s entry on spinal locks, it is technically known as a cervical lock and works by pulling or twisting the head beyond its normal range of rotation, causing hyperextension, hyperflexion, lateral hyperflexion, or hyperrotation.

Unlike a strangle, a neck crank does not rely on cutting off blood or air. It forces a tap by threatening the cervical joints themselves. When a fighter cannot tuck their chin or escape the position, continuing to resist can tear ligaments or damage the vertebrae.

Readers usually encounter the term during fight commentary. When Khabib Nurmagomedov finished Conor McGregor in the fourth round of UFC 229, the official result was listed as submission by neck crank at 3:03 of round four (Fighters Only, 2018). The broadcast team pointed out the difference between a standard rear-naked choke and a crank applied over the chin. In MMA, a neck crank is a legitimate submission method alongside the rear-naked choke and the guillotine, and any tap earned through one counts as an official finish.

How a neck crank works

The core principle is straightforward. A fighter controls the opponent’s torso so the spine below the neck cannot move, then forces the head in a direction the cervical spine does not naturally travel. Without the torso as an anchor, the opponent can just roll with the pressure and escape.

Most neck cranks in MMA appear from back mount or side control, often as an adaptation when an opponent defends a rear-naked choke by tucking the chin. The attacker shifts the forearm across the jaw and cranks from there.

The pressure is rarely gradual, and tapping early is the accepted response. The Fighters Only anatomy breakdown lists potential outcomes ranging from muscle strain at the mild end to disc rupture or vertebral fracture at the severe end if an opponent refuses to submit.

Neck crank vs. choke

The two attacks look similar from the outside, and many submissions blur the line between them. A choke, whether a blood choke like the rear-naked choke or an air choke, compresses the neck to restrict blood flow or oxygen to the brain. A neck crank puts force on the cervical spine itself.

That distinction matters in practice because chokes and cranks call for different defences, and because some rule sets treat them differently. The rear-naked choke, for example, shifts into crank territory when the forearm is across the jaw instead of under the chin. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s finish of McGregor at UFC 229 is the most widely cited modern example.

Attribute	Neck crank	Choke
Target	Cervical spine joints and ligaments	Carotid arteries or airway
Mechanism	Pain and joint threat	Restricted blood or oxygen flow
Finish signal	Tap from pain or fear of injury	Tap or unconsciousness
Legal in professional MMA	Yes	Yes
Legal in IBJJF competition	No	Yes

Types of neck cranks in MMA

Several named techniques fall under the neck crank umbrella. Each applies pressure to the cervical spine through a different vector.

Can opener

The simplest crank to apply. The attacker cups the opponent’s head from inside the guard or mount and pulls the chin toward the chest. Mark Coleman popularised it during the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, and Georges St-Pierre used it in the UFC to pry open closed guards for ground and pound.

Crucifix neck crank

A submission from the crucifix position, where both of the opponent’s arms are trapped: one by the legs, one by the arms. Cranking the body upward while holding the arms forces the head toward the chest.

Cattle catch

Also called the reverse crucifix. It works like the crucifix crank but from a different angle, with the attacker side-mounted above the head rather than on top of the torso.

Twister

Made famous by Eddie Bravo and the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system. The attacker controls the opponent’s legs with a lockdown and forces the head toward the shoulder, creating lateral hyperflexion of the cervical spine. Only three fighters have finished a UFC bout with a twister: Chan Sung Jung over Leonard Garcia in 2011, Bryce Mitchell over Matt Sayles in 2019, and Da’Mon Blackshear over Jose Johnson at UFC Vegas 78 in 2023 (Wikipedia, Spinal lock).

Fulcrum variation

The name commentators used for Khabib’s over-the-chin finish of McGregor at UFC 229. The forearm goes across the jaw rather than under the throat, with the elbow acting as a fulcrum. Dean Lister broke the technique down publicly after the fight.

Is a neck crank legal in MMA?

Professional MMA under the Unified Rules allows neck cranks as legal submissions. The ABC’s Unified Rules document, adopted by every state athletic commission in the United States that regulates MMA, does not list the neck crank among its fouls.

Amateur MMA is stricter. The ABC’s Amateur MMA Unified Rules state that any hold placing the fighter’s neck in jeopardy from a crank is illegal, naming the can opener and bulldog as examples of illegal neck attacks, with a narrow exception when a contestant is pulling the head down from inside their own guard.

The same technique is illegal in most Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions. IBJJF rules prohibit spinal locks and cervical locks at all belt levels in gi competition, and most no-gi rule sets maintain the same restriction. ADCC permits them, but they rarely appear at the elite level. The gap in rule sets is why a submission that is legal at UFC 229 would disqualify a grappler at a BJJ world championship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a neck crank the same as a choke?

No, though the two can overlap in practice. A choke compresses the neck to cut off blood or air flow, while a crank applies leverage to the cervical spine itself.

Why do some chokes get called neck cranks?

When a choke grip slips off the throat and onto the chin or jaw, the pressure moves from the arteries to the spine. The submission still works, but the mechanism has changed.

How common are neck crank finishes in the UFC?

Rare. Pure neck cranks without a choke element account for only a handful of finishes in UFC history, with Khabib’s win over McGregor the most cited recent example.

Can a neck crank cause permanent injury?

Yes. Fighters Only lists outcomes ranging from ligament sprain to vertebral fracture if the athlete refuses to tap.

Why are neck cranks banned in BJJ but legal in MMA?

BJJ rule sets prioritise safer training and competition. Because a crank relies on pain and threatened injury rather than unconsciousness, it carries a higher training risk and is restricted at most BJJ events.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “Spinal lock.” Accessed April 2026.
2. ESPN. “MMA and UFC glossary.” Accessed April 2026.
3. Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports. “Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.” Accessed April 2026.
4. Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports. “Amateur MMA Unified Rules.” Accessed April 2026.
5. Fighters Only. “Anatomy of a submission: neck cranks.” Accessed April 2026.
6. Fighters Only. “UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor full results, recap and highlights.” Accessed April 2026.
7. Grappling Insider. “Watch Every Neck Crank Finish In UFC History.” Accessed April 2026.

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