The Ground and Pound 7.18.08: The Top 10 MMA Submission Fighters of All Time

Posted by John Curry on 07.18.2008

This week the Ground and Pound takes a look at who it considers the top ten MMA submission fighters of all time, in its humble opinion.



While many of the fans of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts love to see a great knockout, I consider myself more of a traditionalist who enjoys seeing the tactical aspects of submissions. To try to determine who would comprise the list of top ten greatest submission fighters in the sport of MMA took a lot of personal self reflection and compromise. I understand going in to this list that the floodgates of hatred will be unleashed upon me for the order or the inclusion or lack of certain fighters, the fact is that this is MY personal list of the top ten submission fighters. If you don't like it, there is a reason we have a comment section. Go ahead and complain but don't forget to put your top ten. Without your top ten you are just whining.

Now, onto the list.

10. Urijah Faber 21-1-0 with 10 Submissions



I hate to use this video with Curran ranked above him but it was the only one I could find.

Before anyone complains, I understand that Faber is relatively new to the sport, at least compared to the others on this list, but the submissions that Faber has pulled off are some of the most spectacular and crisply done moves I have seen in a long time. If Faber continues to condition himself and train the way he has, his position on this list will only increase. There is no reason to believe that his dominance cannot continue especially on the mat.

9. Jeff Curran 30-10-1 1 with 19 Submissions



Curran vs. Krazy Horse

Jeff Curran is one of the innovators of submission fighting in MMA. The guy has some of the most efficient and dominant groundwork you have seen. If you are not familiar with Jeff Curran's work then I suggest you do a little research to see why he is on this list. There is a reason the guy is one of the highest sought after coaches and trainers in the MMA world and is opening a 24,000 square foot gym in Crystal Lakes, Illinois on August 9th.

8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 34-4-1-1 with 19 Submissions



Minotauro vs. Cro Cop

Minotauro is one of the greatest BJJ masters in the world. There is no reason anyone can say that he does not deserve to be on this list. When you make your picks for any of his fights the odds are that you will say by submission. It is my opinion that no one is safe from his submissions.

7. Jeremy Horn 80-18-5 with 49 Submissions


Horn vs. Loiseau

Jeremy Horn is one of the most difficult fighters to really analyze and predict. The guy has taken Anderson Silva and Randy Couture the distance just to name a few. A lot of people look at his record and say that he fought a bunch of back of the bar nobodies but the fact is that regardless of how he assembled his record in over 100 fights he has lost 18 times. While he may not be the same fighter he was years ago, it is still hard to say with 100% certainty that he will lose any fight. The guy simply has one of the best ground games out there.

6. Dan Severn 86-15-7 with 53 Submissions



Severn vs. Macias

First of all, I am talking about the Severn of old. The reality is Dan Severn was a force to be reckoned with and one of the original fighters who helped change the landscape of Mixed Martial Arts from straight brawling to a tactical submission fights. There is no doubt that Severn deserves to be on this list. Unfortunately, most of today's new MMA fans have never seen Severn at his best and many people simply remember him from his stint in the then WWF (currently WWE). Those hardcore MMA fans know him as one of the original UFC fighters.

5. Pat Miletich 28-7-2 with 18 Submissions



MFS History

Miletich is one of the, if not the best , coaches in the sport of MMA. How did he make it to the level where just being trained at MFS makes you a favorite, by being one of the greatest submission fighters of all time. There is no fighter in my opinion who has transitioned from fighting to coaching with as much success as Miletich has had.

4. Ken Shamrock 26-13-2 with 23 Submissions



Watch how quickly Shamrock puts the Kneebar on Bas Rutten

Ken Shamrock's fighting carreer is over. I hate to say that but we have seen his past 4 losses come in horrible fashion. With that said though, there are very few people who have fought in the UFC who can lay claim to laying the foundation for the success of the current UFC and essentially the rising popularity of MMA. In Shamrocks heyday there were very few people who could outfight him and even fewer people he couldn't submit. Those days are gone now but Shamrock will always be remembered in the MMA world for his feud with Tito Ortiz and for being one of the greatest submission fighters of all time.

3. Kazushi Sakuraba 24-11-1-2 with 21 Submissions



Submitting Rampage Jackson

Many American MMA fans are not very familiar with Sakuraba but he is one of the greatest submission fighters and arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. He has beaten the who's who of MMA fighters and earned his nickname "The Gracie Hunter". If you don't believe how great of a submission fighter Sakuraba is check out his fight with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

2.Fedor Emelianenko 27-1-0 with 14 Submissions



Fedor vs. Hong Man Choi

The biggest thing about Fedor that makes me consider him the second greatest submission fighter is his size. The guy is over six foot and moves like a featherweight. His defense is spectacular and almost as good as his submission offense. As he proved against Choi, the size of his opponent doesn't matter and he can apply his submissions at any time.

1.Royce Gracie 14-3-3 with 12 Submissions



Royce vs. Shamrock

The innovator of BJJ in MMA. There is no other fighter who deserves to be labeled as the greatest submission MMA fighter than Gracie. The thing that always amazed me about Gracie was how easy he made it look to submit someone regardless of who his opponent was. If you watch the earlier fights of Gracie's most of the time it will look as if he is doing nothing at all and next thing you know someone is tapping. I fell in love with MMA's technical side due to watching Gracie fight.

Until next week don't forget to leave your top ten list with your comments and head over and join my Ground and Pound Army at John Curry's Myspace. NO ONE IS DENIED!!