Mar 6, 2020

Top 5 Submission Artists In ONE History

The ONE Championship matchmakers have an eye for elite grapplers and have brought a host of them to the global stage for some spectacular results.

There have been almost 300 submissions since The Home Of Martial Arts hosted its first event in 2011, but only a select few athletes have managed to make a habit of forcing their opponents to tap.

As this list of men and women with the most stoppage victories on the mat shows, if a competitor can choke, torque, and wrench their way to multiple wins in the Circle, the chances are they operate at the World Title level.

Adriano Moraes – 6 Submissions

ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes reached the top of his division thanks to his knack for sinking chokes to claim most of his wins on the global stage.

Whether it was the arm-triangle that dispatched Kosuke Suzuki, the guillotine on Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio that first won him the gold, or the rear-naked that finished Danny “The King” Kingad inside a round, the man who began his martial arts journey at Constrictor Team in Brasilia, Brazil, has lived up to that gym’s name.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the reason Moraes found his passion for martial arts, and though he is now a well-rounded competitor, it is the biggest reason for his success in mixed martial arts, too.

Alex Silva – 7 Submissions

Alex “Little Rock” Silva lived up to his reputation as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion almost as soon as he got his career in The Home Of Martial Arts underway.

Five consecutive tapouts – including three with his signature armbar – took him to a ONE Strawweight World Title shot, and though he could not continue his submission streak against Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito, he did claim the belt.

The Singapore-based Brazilian added to his tally last year with a pair of finishes, which confirmed there are few better teammates than Silva for strikers like Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and wrestlers like Ritu Phogat to learn from at Evolve.

Marat Gafurov – 7 Submissions

Marat “Cobra” Gafurov became one of the most feared mixed martial artists in the world when he put an incredible run together that saw him score six consecutive victories via rear-naked choke.

The Russian’s rivals knew what was coming, but they could not stop it. The likes of Ev “E.T.” Ting, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, and Narantungalag “Tungaa” Jadambaa (twice) all waved the white flag as Gafurov rose through the featherweight division, captured the World Championship, and defended his crown.

Shinya Aoki – 7 Submissions

It is rare to see anyone who has been caught in Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki’s grappling web escape without first surrendering with a tap.

The Japanese icon was renowned as one of the premier finishers on the ground before he arrived in The Home Of Martial Arts, and he showed why in the Circle by trapping his rivals’ arms and necks in bout-ending holds.

Both times Aoki won the ONE Lightweight World Title, he claimed the belt with a first-round submission, and he got the job done again on the biggest stage of all, ONE: CENTURY, to prove he can still produce the goods when the pressure is on.

Angela Lee – 7 Submissions

No athlete has exploded onto the scene in ONE like “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, who established the most dominant grappling game in the women’s ranks with five consecutive finishes – including a rarely-seen twister – inside her first year as a professional.

Her incredible success launched her into the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title bout, which was the first time she went the distance, but Lee’s step up to her division’s summit did not blunt her predilection for stoppages too much.

As World Champion, “Unstoppable” claimed the greatest victories of her career, including an anaconda choke of Istela Nunes while suffering a case of pneumonia and a last-gasp comeback against great rival “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan that cemented her grip on her belt and her status as the woman most likely to make you quit.