The 10 Most Creative Submission Victories In ONE Championship
ONE Championship proudly hosts some of the greatest submission artists on the planet, and they are as creative as they are effective.
The promotion’s elite grapplers often employ potent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, judo, sambo, and wrestling techniques to defeat their rivals, but they also showcase the unique weapons in their arsenal whenever they get the chance.
From rarely-seen cranks and chokes to innovative trademark moves, ONE’s ground specialists are never more than a moment away from a spectacular finish.
Here are 10 of the most creative submissions ever seen in The Home Of Martial Arts.
#1 Sexton Strikes With His Signature Attack
At ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER in July 2018, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Ariel “Tarzan” Sexton moved forward with strikes against Kota Shimoishi. When the Japanese athlete tried to grab his leg, the Costa Rican forced his way to top position.
Sexton landed hard ground and pound, and then stepped around to his opponent’s back, where he locked on a reverse triangle. Shimoishi resisted, but “Tarzan” cranked the left arm for a double-pronged attack. He got the tap for his second reverse triangle americana win in ONE.
#2 Pacio Introduces The World To The “Passion Lock”
Joshua “The Passion” Pacio debuted his stunning “Passion Lock” against Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit at ONE: REIGN OF KINGS in July 2018.
He was on the Thai’s back with the position secured. Mitsatit fended off the grips to disarm any choke threat, but the Team Lakay product instead wrenched his opponent’s arm behind his back and up toward his head for a destructive shoulder lock.
#3 Saadulaev’s Memorable “Maestro Choke”
Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev put his world-class grappling skills on display against Australia’s Jordan Lucas at ONE: STATE OF WARRIORS in October 2016, as he masterfully hopped over his rival’s body to take the back and set up an attack.
Rather than putting his hooks in and searching for a more common choke attack, the Russian clasped his hands together underneath Lucas’ neck and moved behind his opponent to drive his weight forward into the punishing modified rear-naked choke.
#4 Lee Drops The “Terminator Guillotine”
Kazunori Yokota managed to fend off Christian “The Warrior” Lee’s back attacks to scramble to his feet at ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY in March 2018, but he walked right into another choke.
The Singaporean punched his left arm underneath the Japanese athlete’s left armpit, connected it to his right hand, and dropped to his side to complete an extremely tight choke he dubbed the “Terminator Guillotine.”
#5 Lumban Gaol Snatches A Sneaky Armlock
Indonesia’s Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol took Krisna Limbaga to the canvas in the first round of their battle at ONE: QUEST FOR GOLD in February 2018 and managed to secure her opponent’s left arm.
“Thathie” forced the limb in-between her legs, and she used a combination of a leg pinch and hip pressure to attack with a straight armlock. The Filipina had no choice but to tap out.
#6 Lee Puts Gonzales Hills In A Twist
ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and she has put those skills on display in the Circle many times.
Her twister submission over Natalie Gonzales Hills at ONE: PRIDE OF LIONS in November 2015 showed how diverse her range of attacks on the ground is, as she locked up the painful neck and spine manipulation technique called the “Twister” to earn a swift tap.
#7 Tonon Brings His Signature Style To Mixed Martial Arts
Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon entered The Home Of Martial Arts as one of the most successful submission grapplers in the world, and he displayed his prowess against Yoshiki Nakahara at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON in May.
Tonon entered for a single-leg takedown, but then opted to fall back to an ashi-garami leg entanglement position where he earned the tap with an outside heel hook.
#8 Huang Scoops A Rarely-Seen Gogoplata
Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang was working from the guard position against April Osenio at ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION in December 2016, and she proved that being on your back can be extremely dangerous if you have the right skill set.
As Osenio tried to land strikes on Huang, the Taiwanese athlete pulled her right leg over the Team Lakay representative’s shoulder and under her chin. Then she used the shin to put pressure on the windpipe, forcing the Filipina to tap with a rare gogoplata.
#9 “The Master Of Leg Locks” Strikes Again
Masakazu “Ashikan Judan” Imanari’s nickname translates into “The Master Of Leg Locks,” and he has submitted a slew of elite-level opponents with his lower limb attacks.
In February at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS, he rolled to collect “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il’s leg with his patented “Imanari roll” and then quickly torqued the leg to secure a heel hook finish.
#10 Miura Brings Her Favorite Technique Into ONE Debut
Ayaka Miura’s promotional debut at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS was impressive, but not unexpected. The black belt judoka quickly threw Laura “La Gladiadora” Balin to the canvas and then landed in a tight scarf hold position.
From there, the Japanese strawweight forced Balin’s left arm between her legs and then pushed forward with her hips to secure a tap from the scarf hold armlock — the third of her career.
