The year 2023 is drawing to a close, and it's time to choose the top highlights of the MMA season. After learning about the five best knockouts of the year, it's time to move on to grappling and determine the best and most memorable submissions.
To arrive at the final result, each member of SUPER LUTAS created their own top 5, where first place was worth 5 points, second place 4 points, third place 3 points, and so on. At the end of the voting, the scores were added up to form the team's definitive top 5 submissions. Let's go to the list.
Honorable mentions
Let's start with the submissions that were mentioned by one or more members of the SUPER LUTAS team , but didn't score high enough to secure a spot in the top 5.
They were: Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett , Bobby Green vs. Tony Ferguson , Mayra Sheetara vs. Holly Holm , in the UFC, and Abdoul Abdouraguimov vs. Rafal Haratyk, in Ares FC.
5- Alexa Grasso x Valentina Shevchenko – UFC 285
Opening our top 5, with four points, is the protagonist of one of the biggest upsets of 2023. At UFC 285 in March, Alexa Grasso took advantage of a rare technical error by Valentina Shevchenko and quickly took the then-champion's back, locked in a rear-naked choke, and secured the Ultimate's flyweight (up to 56,7 kg) title.
4- Jon Jones x Ciryl Gane – UFC 285
In the main event of the same event, Jon Jones returned from a three-year hiatus, made short work of former interim champion Ciryl Gane , and demonstrated remarkable ease in submitting the Frenchman in just over two minutes, becoming the new champion of the category and securing the fourth position on our list, with eight points.
3- Davey Grant x Raphael Assunção – UFC Las Vegas
Opening our podium, in third position with 14 points, Davey Grant retired the veteran Brazilian Raphael Assunção with an inverted triangle choke 'pulled out of a hat', deserving the bronze medal in the SUPER LUTAS submission ranking.
2- Shavkat Rakhmonov x Geoff Neal – UFC 285
UFC 285 was truly special in terms of submissions. The event, which hosted victories for Alexa Grasso and Jon Jones (already mentioned in our ranking), also featured Shavkat Rakhmonov 's incredible triumph over Geoff Neal . After a 'war', the Kazakh fighter secured a standing rear-naked choke on the American to guarantee second place in the submission ranking, with 20 points.
1- Da'Mon Blackshear x Jose Johnson – UFC Las Vegas 78
With 21 points, just one point ahead of second place, the gold medal in our submission ranking went to bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg) Da'Mon Blackshear, who pulled off a very rare twister submission against fellow countryman Jose Johnson.
Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.
