Top 15 Leg Lock Finishes in MMA

Excellent article from Kountermove about leg lock finishes in MMA.  Enjoy!

Leg and foot locks are the red-headed step child of submissions. However, this was not always the case. The technique was used by traditional Jiu Jitsu schools in medieval Japan, North American Catch Wrestling, as well as in pre-World War II Judo. Then it fell onto hard times; Judo banned the ankle lock, Catch Wrestling faded from prominence. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu never actually banned ankle locks completely, but using them was considered crass and low-class.

At Kountermove we feel differently; we think leg locks deserve their due. So we decided to rank the top 15 leg locks of all time.

15. Ken Shamrock vs. Patrick Smith : UFC 1, November 12, 1993 (http://bit.ly/amZAj7).

Foot locks are frustrating and nothing demonstrates it more than this fight. Ken Shamrock, the favorite entering into UFC 1, was matched up against Muay Thai specialist Pat Smith. Smith knew nothing about grappling and soon found himself in a foot lock. As the foot lock got worse, you could see a frustrated Smith try in vain to twist Shamrock’s big toe in hopes that somehow it would convince Shamrock to let go. However, Smith stubbornly gave in and tapped to the first foot lock in UFC history.

14. Din Thomas vs. Jens Pulver: WEF New Blood Conflict, August 26, 2000 (http://bit.ly/aE2lDV at 3:47).

Din Thomas was 12-1 when he entered the UFC, but the one win that got him iced by the UFC brass was his spectacular rolling heel hook submission over then unbeatable Jens Pulver. The heel hook hit so hard that Pulver could not walk after the fight. Thomas, like the gentleman he is, saw that Pulver was having trouble, so he graciously picked Pulver up like a baby and carried him out of the cage and into the locker room (at 4:36).

13. Rousimar Palhares vs. Tomasz Drwal: UFC 111, March 3, 2010 (http://bit.ly/cKWKPC).

The polar opposite of Din Thomas is Palhares. Early in the first round, Drwal threw a high kick and slipped. Palhares pounced on top of Drwal, faking a guard-pass and dropped into a perfect Heel Hook. Drwal tapped immediately but Palhares refused to stop cranking on Drwal’s knee. The ref literally had to pry Palhares off Drwal's knee. Palhares was subsequently suspended for 90 days following the fight for failing to release the submission after the stoppage.

12. Ken Shamrock vs. Leon Dijk: Pancrase Eyes Of Beast 1, January 26, 1995 (http://dai.ly/bCeYOF).

One of the nastiest submissions you will ever see was when UFC hall-of-famer Ken Shamrock breaks the Dutch newcomer Leon Dijk's leg with a scary fast heel hook. Shamrock was criticized at the time for not giving Dijk a chance to tap, but from the video we can see that Dijk failed to see what was coming and rolled the wrong way. The ankle was torqued 180 degrees, tearing the muscle and tendons from the bone and putting Dijk in rehabilitation for nine months. However, Dijk did come back to build a successful fighting career with wins over Evan Tanner and Kiuma Kunioku.

11. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Carlos ‘Rōnin’ Newton: Pride 3, June 24, 1998 (http://bit.ly/9aQQB5).

This is the fight that launched Sakuraba’s career; at the time Sakuraba wasn’t yet a household name, but Newton was. At Pride 3 there were no judges; if the match were to end without a knockout or submission, a draw would be declared. With time winding down Sakuraba secured a slick kneebar to beat Rōnin. Saku’s last second submission was the first of many in his long and brilliant career.

10. Rumina Sato vs. Rafael Cordeiro: Vale Tudo Japan 1999, December 1, 1999 (http://bit.ly/9OmI0U).

Before losing to Carl Uno, in what many called one of the best fights in the history of MMA, Sato was considered the best lightweight fighter in the world. During the mid-to-late nineties, Sato personified aggressive grappling, overwhelming his opponents with his non-stop submission attacks from every angle. His fight with Cordeiro personifies his aggressive approach; Sato ran over the Brazilian, finally slapping on a perfect knee-bar.

9. Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia: UFC 51, February 5, 2005 (http://mysp.ac/a9rGVW at 4:01).

Any leg lock that wins you the UFC heavyweight championship belt (albeit the interim championship at the time) deserves to be in the top ten. At UFC 51, Arlovski would get a top 15 foot lock against the man that would later come to define his career, Tim Sylvia. Arlovski stunned Sylvia with a hard right. When Sylvia fell, Arlovski took advantage and secured a perfect ankle lock and won the title.

8. Oleg Taktarov vs. Dave Beneteau: Ultimate Ultimate 1995, December 15, 1995 (http://bit.ly/9r7MNO).

Oleg Taktarov was one of the most compelling figures in the early days of the UFC. While serving in the Soviet military, Oleg became the self-defense instructor for an elite sector of the KGB, but after a near-death experience, Oleg decided a career in acting suited him better. So Oleg packed up and headed for Hollywood. However, Oleg found not speaking great English was a real impediment to finding work in Hollywood. Until his acting career took off, Oleg decided that he would give the UFC a try. Fortunately for us he did, because he gave us this little gem at Ultimate Ultimate 1995.

7. Masakazu ‘Ashikan Judan’ Imanari vs. Yoshiro Maeda: Deep 22 Impact, December 2, 2005 (http://bit.ly/dh9vMS).

‘Ashikan Judan’ translated means the ‘10th Dan of Leg Locks.’ With a nickname like that, you’re destined to make the top 15 leg locks of all time. At Deep 22, Imanari lived up to his nickname when he was given a title shot against a very tough Maeda. As the fight wound down, Imanari got Maeda in an omoplata which Maeda reversed and put Imanari in a triangle which Iminari reversed into a toe hold forcing Maeda to tap, making Imanari the new Deep Featherweight Champion.

6. Genki Sudo vs. Craig Oxley: Pancrase Trans 6, October 31, 2000 (http://bit.ly/9apOQQ).

Ganki Sudo is a lot of things: Pop Star, Author (eight books), and baseball player. But he is best known for being a Mixed Martial Artist with elaborate ring entrances and an unorthodox fighting style. On October 31, 2000 the genius of his fighting style was on full display with his whirling/flying foot lock.

5. Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar: UFC 81, February 2, 2008 (http://bit.ly/bvpwlr at 3:26).

A submission victory over the baddest man on the planet is great, but a kneebar on baddest man on the planet gets you in the top five leg locks of all time. Frank Mir was taking a beating from Brock Lesnar, but Mir patiently waited for an opening and capitalized against a technique-deficient Lesnar. However, when Lesnar escaped an armbar attempt, Mir quickly transitioned into a perfect kneebar, causing Lesnar to tap out.

4. Masakazu ‘Ashikan Judan’ Imanari vs. Jean Silva: Cage Rage 25, March 8, 2008 (http://bit.ly/cITteX).

Iminari has taken the one dimensional fighter to a new level--a man that specializes in foot locks only. It is beyond me why Silva would attempt a foot lock on the 10th Dan of Leg Locks. Predictably it did not work out for Silva as he found himself tapping to a foot lock soon after.

3. Ken Shamrock vs. Bas Rutten: Pancrase Eyes Of Beast 2, March 10, 1995 (http://bit.ly/cMhKzI).

Ken’s third and final leg lock to make the Top 15, from a 1995 Pancrase match, is truly a classic. The spin from half guard to Knee Bar is what makes this so special. Shamrock works it perfectly and Bas Rutten's wailing is the cherry on top.

2. Ryo Chonan vs. Anderson Silva: Pride Shockwave 2004, December 31, 2004 (http://bit.ly/cPKnT5).

One of the prettiest moves in the book, it was also one of the most unexpected. Anderson Silva was dominating the fight when Chonan out of nowhere does a flying scissor sweep to a heel hook combo snapped before the man who trains BJJ under Nogueira could make a move. The loss, in an ironic way, actually contributed to Silva’s legacy. The heel hook is the last time that Silva truly lost (save a DQ), and the fact that it required one of the rarest moves to beat him only adds to the mystique.

1. Masakazu Imanari vs. Mike Brown: Deep 22 Impact, December 2, 2005 (http://bit.ly/bVFHOR).

Mike Brown, the former WEC Featherweight Champion, proved to be no match for Iminari’s leg locks. Imanari proved that he is the 10th Dan of Leg Locks when he attempted what is considered one of the finest submissions ever. A submission that needs to be seen to be believed, Brown could only scream in pain as Imanari dislocated his leg from an unbelievable flying head kick to heal hook combination.