Standing Guillotine

Last updated: June 20, 2026

What is a standing guillotine?

The standing guillotine is one variation of the guillotine choke, a submission named after the French execution device because the choking arm comes down across the neck from the front. The word “standing” points to where the choke gets finished. Instead of dropping to the mat and pulling the opponent into guard, the attacker keeps both feet under them and squeezes from a vertical base.

It shows up most often as a punishment for a bad takedown. When a wrestler shoots in with the head dropped and the chin exposed, that lowered head slides straight into the choking arm. The attacker catches it, clamps the forearm across the windpipe, and leans their weight down. Depending on where the forearm sits, the squeeze cuts blood flow through the carotid arteries or compresses the airway, and either one ends the fight.

For an MMA fighter, the appeal is position. Pulling guard to finish a choke means lying on your back inside a cage, which is a poor place to be if the choke slips. Finishing on the feet lets a fighter threaten the submission and stay in a strong spot if it fails.

How a standing guillotine works

Recognizing one is easier than it sounds. Watch for the moment a fighter’s head drops below their opponent’s chest, usually off a takedown attempt or a hard snap of the head toward the mat. The other fighter loops an arm over the back of the exposed neck, settles the forearm bone across the throat, and grips that hand with the free hand.

The finish comes from body weight. The attacker hangs their whole frame on the trapped neck and arches back, keeping both feet planted and staying upright through the entire squeeze. Some pin the opponent against the fence to take away their base.

Forearm position decides what kind of submission it becomes. Across the throat, it works as a blood or air choke. Higher up under the jaw, it turns into a neck crank that hurts without reliably putting anyone to sleep. The clean version targets the throat.

A clear example: Jon Jones rendered Lyoto Machida unconscious with a standing guillotine at UFC 140 in 2011, holding him upright by the neck before letting him fall.

Standing guillotine vs guard guillotine

Most people searching this term are trying to sort out two versions of the same choke. The grip and the target are identical. The difference is what the attacker does with their legs and where the fight ends up.

A standing guillotine stays vertical. Both fighters remain on their feet, and the attacker finishes without surrendering position. A guard guillotine, often set up by “pulling guard,” has the attacker sit to the mat and wrap their legs around the opponent’s waist, finishing from the bottom. The closed legs stop the opponent from posturing up and escaping.

In sport BJJ, pulling guard costs nothing, so the guard finish is common. In MMA, the math changes because going to your back invites ground-and-pound and lost rounds on the scorecards. That is why the standing version appears more often inside the cage.

	Standing guillotine	Guard guillotine
Where it finishes	On the feet	On the ground
Leg use	None; stays upright	Legs locked around the waist
Position risk	Low; keeps a strong base	High in MMA; attacker is on their back
Most common in	MMA	Sport BJJ

Arm-in and no-arm standing guillotines

Two grips cover most of what gets thrown on the feet. The no-arm version wraps the neck alone, leaving the forearm clean against the throat. The arm-in version traps one of the opponent’s arms inside the choke along with the neck, which happens naturally when a wrestler shoots with a lead arm extended.

The arm-in is harder to finish standing, since the trapped arm props open space unless the choking elbow points high. For that reason, fighters tend to favor the direct, no-arm grip when they catch a head on the feet.

Variation	What it traps	Standing notes
No-arm	The neck only	Cleaner throat contact; preferred on the feet
Arm-in	The neck and one arm	Common off a wrestling shot; needs a high elbow to finish

Why the standing guillotine is risky

The choke has a reputation as a highlight-reel finisher, which hides how often it fails. Coaches have a name for that gap. Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture calls the jumping guillotine “fool’s gold,” advice Dustin Poirier has heard from his own corner for years.

The numbers back up the caution. According to analysis by fight-data consultant Reed Kuhn, cited by Yahoo Sports, guillotine attempts in the UFC succeeded only about 13 percent of the time in 2024, and fighters attempted them at roughly a third of the rate seen in the late 2000s.

Two problems drive that low rate. A failed attempt often dumps the attacker onto their back with the opponent on top. And squeezing at full effort burns out the arms within seconds, which leaves a fighter gassed if the choke does not land. Standing guillotines in particular are tough to finish against professionals who know to tuck the chin and pop the head free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the standing guillotine legal in MMA?

Yes. The guillotine is legal in the UFC and nearly every MMA and BJJ ruleset, as long as it chokes the neck rather than twisting or cranking the spine sideways.

Does a standing guillotine knock you out or just hurt?

It depends on the forearm. Across the throat, it is a choke that can force a tap or a knockout. Higher under the jaw, it becomes a painful neck crank.

What is the most famous standing guillotine in MMA?

Jon Jones catching Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in 2011 is the most cited example. Jones held Machida upright by the neck until he went limp.

Is the standing guillotine hard to finish?

Against trained fighters, yes. UFC data put the guillotine’s success rate around 13 percent in 2024, and many coaches warn against committing to it.

Where does a standing guillotine usually start?

It most often begins when a wrestler shoots a takedown with the head low. The dropped, exposed neck slides into the choking arm.

---

Sources

1. FightScience. “The Complete Guide to the Guillotine Choke (Standing and Ground).” Accessed June 2026.
   https://fightscience.com/guides/guillotine-choke-guide
2. Fowlkes, Ben. “Why Dustin Poirier loves the guillotine choke, but others caution against it.” Yahoo Sports. Accessed June 2026.
   https://sports.yahoo.com/fools-gold-or-signature-move-why-dustin-poirier-loves-the-guillotine-choke-but-others-caution-against-it-184639079.html
3. ESPN. “Jones submits Machida in Round 2.” Accessed June 2026. |
   https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/7339506/jon-jones-rides-rough-moments-submits-lyoto-machida
4. Wikipedia. “Guillotine choke.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillotine_choke
5. MMASucka. “Guillotine Choke: How It Works, Variations and Famous UFC Finishes.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://mmasucka.com/guides/guillotine-choke-the-complete-guide/
6. Evolve MMA. “BJJ 101: The Guillotine Choke.” Accessed June 2026.
   https://evolve-mma.com/blog/bjj-101-the-guillotine-choke/

Related MMA Terms