Last updated: April 14, 2026
Quick Definition
A submission in MMA is a method of victory where one fighter forces their opponent to concede defeat through a joint lock or chokehold. The losing fighter signals surrender by tapping out, ending the fight immediately.
What is a submission?
In mixed martial arts, a submission happens when a fighter applies a grappling technique that puts their opponent in a position where continuing to resist would cause serious injury or unconsciousness. The opponent then concedes by “tapping out,” and the referee stops the fight on the spot.
Submissions are one of three main ways an MMA fight can end, alongside knockouts (where a fighter is rendered unable to continue by strikes) and judges’ decisions (where the fight goes the full scheduled distance). According to a 2025 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness analyzing UFC events from 1993 to 2023, roughly 20% of all UFC bouts end by submission. The study also found that chokes account for the majority of those finishes, with the head and neck being the most targeted area.
What makes submissions distinct from other finishes is the element of choice. The losing fighter recognizes they are caught and decides to concede rather than risk a broken limb or loss of consciousness. That decision point is what separates a submission from a knockout, where the losing fighter has no say in the outcome.
A common principle in grappling is “position before submission.” Fighters rarely land submissions from neutral or disadvantaged positions. Instead, they work to establish control, typically from the back, mount, or side control, and then attack. Data from a UFC performance analysis found that 44.6% of all submission finishes come from back control, reinforcing why taking the back is considered the most dominant position in grappling.
How submissions work
To finish a submission, a fighter needs two things: a controlling position and a technique that threatens the opponent’s joints or blood/air supply. Once locked in, the opponent faces a binary choice: tap out or absorb the consequences.
Tapping out is the universal signal of surrender. A fighter can tap by striking the opponent’s body or the mat with their hand, tapping the mat with their foot if their arms are trapped, or verbally telling the referee they want to stop. The fight ends the instant the tap or verbal submission is recognized.
If a fighter refuses to tap, the consequences depend on the type of submission. A joint lock can hyperextend or break the targeted joint. A choke can cause unconsciousness within seconds. In either scenario, if the fighter cannot or does not tap, the referee will step in to stop the fight. That outcome is recorded differently and is covered in the “submission vs technical submission” section below.
Types of submissions
All submissions fall into two broad categories: joint locks and chokes.
Joint locks
A joint lock targets a specific joint and forces it beyond its natural range of motion. The pain and threat of structural damage compel the opponent to tap. The most common joint locks in MMA include the armbar (which hyperextends the elbow), the kimura (a shoulder lock that applies rotational pressure), the heel hook (which torques the ankle and knee simultaneously), and the kneebar (which hyperextends the knee).
Joint locks carry a high injury risk if the fighter caught in one does not submit quickly. Broken arms from armbars and torn knee ligaments from heel hooks are well-documented outcomes in professional MMA.
Chokes
Chokes restrict either blood flow to the brain or airflow to the lungs. Blood chokes, which compress the carotid arteries, cause unconsciousness in roughly 5 to 10 seconds when applied correctly. Air chokes, which target the trachea, take longer and are generally more uncomfortable.
The rear-naked choke is the single most common submission in professional MMA, accounting for 43.8% of all UFC submission finishes in 2017 according to Statista data. Guillotine chokes and triangle chokes follow behind it. Charles Oliveira holds the all-time UFC record for submission wins with 17, using a wide variety of chokes and joint locks across his career.
| Category | Mechanism | Common examples | Primary target |
| Joint lock | Forces a joint beyond its range of motion | Armbar, kimura, heel hook, kneebar | Elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle |
| Choke (blood) | Compresses carotid arteries, restricts blood flow to brain | Rear-naked choke, triangle choke, D’Arce choke | Neck (arteries) |
| Choke (air) | Compresses trachea, restricts airflow | Guillotine choke (some variations) | Neck (windpipe) |
Submission vs technical submission
A standard submission occurs when the losing fighter actively taps out or verbally submits. A technical submission is recorded when the referee stops the fight because a fighter trapped in a submission hold has lost consciousness or suffered a serious injury (such as a broken bone) and cannot tap. In both cases, the winning fighter receives a submission victory on their record.
The distinction matters mainly for how the fight ends, not for the record book. A fighter who is choked unconscious by a rear-naked choke and a fighter who taps to the same choke both lose by submission. The technical submission label simply reflects that the referee intervened because the losing fighter could not concede on their own.
Submission vs knockout
Submissions and knockouts are the two categories of stoppage finishes in MMA, but they work through different mechanisms.
A knockout ends a fight through strikes. The losing fighter is rendered unconscious or unable to defend themselves, and the referee stops the contest. A submission ends a fight through grappling. The losing fighter is caught in a hold and must decide to concede or face injury.
| Submission | Knockout (KO/TKO) | |
| Method | Joint lock or choke | Strikes |
| Requires opponent to concede? | Yes (tap or verbal) | No |
| How fight ends | Fighter taps or referee intervenes | Fighter is unconscious or unable to defend |
| Frequency in UFC | ~20% of fights | ~30% of fights |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common submission in MMA?
The rear-naked choke. It consistently accounts for the largest share of submission finishes in the UFC.
Can a fighter submit an opponent from the bottom?
Yes. The triangle choke and armbar are both commonly applied from the bottom position, particularly from guard.
What happens if a fighter refuses to tap?
The submission either breaks the joint or renders the fighter unconscious. The referee then stops the fight, which is recorded as a technical submission.
Is tapping out the same as losing?
Yes. A tap out is an immediate loss by submission.
Sources
- Fares, M.Y. et al. “Exploring submission finishes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship: a comprehensive analysis.” Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 65(8), 2025.
- Statista / MMA 121. “Distribution of submission finishes in UFC fights in 2017, by type.” January 2018.
- UFC.com Stat Leaders / Record Book. Accessed April 2026.
- “A Cross-Sectional Performance Analysis and Projection of the UFC Athlete.” Referenced via combatpit.com.
- Wikipedia. “Submission (combat sports).” Accessed April 2026.
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