ONE’s Top 3 MMA Submissions From July To September 2021
ONE Championship’s elite mixed martial artists delivered fantastic finishes in the third quarter of 2021.
While some striking sensations put their opponents to sleep with knockouts, the promotion’s grappling wizards provided fans with highlight-reel submissions, too.
Those athletes used their top-drawer ground games to overcome tough foes and force taps. As we move into October, here are three slick submissions that stood out from the past three months.
#3 Raju Fights Back For Signature Choke
Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju’s extensive grappling knowledge allowed him to battle back against Mongolia’s Otgonbaatar Nergui at ONE: BATTLEGROUND II on 13 August.
It wasn’t a straightforward path to victory, as Nergui brilliantly defended most of the Indian’s takedown attempts and dominated the striking battle.
However, everything changed toward the end of the second stanza. “The Kerala Krusher” checked a leg kick that sent his opponent toward the Circle Wall. From there, he landed a takedown and slowly worked his way to Nergui’s back.
The Mongolian attempted to break free, but while he was on all fours, the Indian saw the perfect opening and sunk in his signature rear-naked choke. Nergui tried to hold on, but he ultimately tapped out at the 3:54 mark of round two.
It was Raju’s third rear-naked choke win in ONE Championship.
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#2 ‘The Prodigy’s’ Armbar Finishes Wang
Victoria “The Prodigy” Lee capped off her high-octane performance against “Little Sprouts” Wang Luping at ONE: BATTLEGROUND on 30 July with a submission of equal quality.
The 17-year-old phenom sprinted toward her opponent’s corner as soon as the opening bell rang. “Little Sprouts” effectively countered the Evolve MMA representative’s onslaught with a timely takedown, but that brief spell of dominance did not last long.
Instead, Lee gained a body lock, effortlessly slammed the Chinese athlete onto the canvas, and clung to her foe’s back in search of a rear-naked choke.
Wang tried to escape from that position, but “The Prodigy” saw the small window of opportunity and took it. She locked in a triangle, dropped hard elbows on Wang’s head, and snatched her opponent’s arm to secure the armbar.
“Little Sprouts” had no choice but to tap at 3:22 of the first round.
#1 ‘Buchecha’s’ Choke Seals The Deal In MMA Debut
In his professional mixed martial arts debut, 17-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida used his bread and butter to dismantle veteran striker Anderson “Braddock” Silva at ONE: REVOLUTION on 24 September.
The BJJ icon faked with a heavy right before shooting for the takedown almost immediately. Once “Buchecha” moved into full mount, there was nothing Silva could do but hang on for dear life.
The heavyweight grappling wizard continued to unleash elbows and fists into “Braddock”s head as the latter was scrambling for a way out from the bottom.
In search of the finish, “Buchecha” moved to side control, crawled his way to a north-south position, and then uncorked stinging knees to the top of the skull and shoulder – all while getting a grip on his opponent’s neck. Almeida further tightened his choke from that position.
Despite Silva’s best attempt to hang on, he was forced to save himself at 2:55 of the opening stanza, with “Buchecha” earning a rare north-south choke submission win.
Read more: Meet The 2021 ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World GP Contenders
