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MMA Junkie’s ‘Submission of the Month’ for March: Another last-minute choke
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from March 2019: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for March.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
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The Nominees
Beneil Dariush def. Drew Dober at UFC on ESPN+ 4
Beneil Dariush (16-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) got ahold of Drew Dober’s (20-9 MMA, 6-5 UFC) arm and wasn’t going home without it until he forced the second-round submission victory in the lightweight bout.
Dariush threatened Dober with multiple submission attempts until he finally isolated the right arm. It seemed like Dober was going to slip away, but Dariush found the perfect angle to torque and forced Dober to give up toward the end of the second frame.
Randa Markos def. Angela Hill at UFC on ESPN+ 6
Randa Markos (9-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) turned in one of the most impressive performances of her career, pushing forward aggressively and submitting Angela Hill (8-6 MMA, 3-6 UFC) in the opening round of their strawweight matchup.
After some exchanges, Markos got her opponent down and trapped Hill on the canvas. Markos slipped to the back and then stepped over for the armbar in a beautiful transition. It was a battle to get the arm extended, but Markos would not be denied, pushing over and over before breaking Hill’s grip and earning the tap.
Paul Craig def. Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC on ESPN 2
Come-from-behind submission wins are becoming something of a calling card for Paul Craig (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), who rallied to tap out UFC newcomer Kennedy Nzechukwu (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with just one minute remaining in their light heavyweight fight.
Craig had to battle through multiple fouls from a bigger, stronger opponent, but his veteran savvy eventually kicked in. Craig waited for the perfect moment to throw the legs up and lock in a triangle choke that caused Nzechukwu to panic and eventually give up for his first career loss.
Jack Hermansson def. David Branch at UFC on ESPN 2
Chalk up another first-round blowout for Swedish middleweight Jack Hermansson (19-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who tapped ex-dual WSOF champ David Branch (22-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) with a shocking level of ease.
Merely 49 seconds after their co-headlining fight got started, Hermansson had secured a submission. He showed a frightening level of grip when he locked Branch in an arm-in guillotine choke that left him with nowhere to go and no choice but to tap out for the first time since 2011.
Demetrious Johnson def. Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE Championship 92
Demetrious Johnson (28-3-1) didn’t have a cakewalk in his debut with ONE Championship, but his brutal submission skills and choke ability got him through against Yuya Wakamatsu (10-4).
After being traded from the UFC to ONE Championship in late 2018, former longtime UFC flyweight champ Johnson got his hand raised in the new promotion. He didn’t have an easy go of it for more than a round, but eventually he found a moment to trap Wakamatsu in a guillotine choke from an angle that he couldn’t get out of, advancing ‘Mighty Mouse” to the second round of the grand prix tournament.
@onechampionship* * * *
The Winner: Paul Craig
Yet again, Craig proved he’s a submission threat until the very end.
All Craig had to endure was a few cage grabs and eye pokes to catch newcomer Nzechukwu napping with a triangle at the 4:20 mark of the third round.
The two tested out each other’s best kicks in the opening exchange before Craig closed for a takedown. He wound up taking lateral elbows that cut him wide open, but a quick shoulder lock and armbar appeared to contort Nzechukwu’s shoulder and hyperextend his elbow. Somehow, the UFC newcomer managed to pull free, and the Craig’s next guard pull wasn’t as successful. So he attacked the leg after a takedown attempt failed. Nzechukwu wouldn’t fall for that either, and a head kick sent Craig to the mat – not by choice.
With one minute to rest, Craig resumed his efforts to take Nzechukwu to the canvas. A blatant fence grab briefly helped Nzechukwu stay on his feet, and a slip off the back put Craig in the danger zone on his back. Nzechukwu fired down a few heavy shots for good measure, but he had no desire to grapple. Instead, he wound up in foul territory as Craig charged into his outstretched fingers, drawing another warning from referee Keith Peterson. Nzechukwu went on the chase for kicks, again drawing a referee warning for outstretched fingers. Craig managed to avoid the worst of it. But by then, the audience had lost its patience with the plodding action.
Craig decided to try his luck in striking as the final round got underway. When that didn’t net any significant advantage, he dropped again for an ankle and popped Nzechukwu with a kick from his back. Nzechukwu wanted him up, and once again, his outstretched fingers caught Craig’s eye. This time, Craig hit the canvas, obiously hurt. Referee Peterson finally deducted a point after a doctor’s check cleared Craig. With half the round left to work, Nzechukwu defended Craig’s takedowns, and after stuffing a shot, he landed strikes from on top. Craig tried once for the triangle before his second attempt rolled Nzechukwu for the finish.
“Don’t get me wrong – I always try to finish as quickly as I possibly can,” Craig said. “But the fans want to see a show. I hope I gave them one. I was cracking him in the standup, took some damage, but I still managed to dig deep and get the win. There are many times where the mind says quit, but the heart won’t let it.
“By the end of this year, I want to be in the top 10. That’s my whole game plan. I’m looking to fight again before the year’s out. I’m fresh. Once the UFC decides who is next, I’ll take it. I never back down from a fight. Every unbeaten opponent they’ve offered me I’ve taken without hesitation.”
Craig pulls off his second third-round UFC submission and is back in the win column after a loss to Jim Crute in his previous outing. Kennedy suffers his first loss as a professional in his octagon debut.
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