Submission of the Year 2024: Khamzat Chimaev's gruesome finish of Robert Whittaker
The original fascination with MMA in the United States was intertwined with the submission ability of Royce Gracie.
The smallest competitor in the inaugural UFC tournament, Gracie’s ability to submit all comers was considered revolutionary and laid the groundwork for what would become a sport enjoyed by millions around the world.
Back in the UFC’s infancy, when fighters largely represented just one specific martial art, if you hit the mat with a jiu-jitsu player the bout was almost always fait accompli. The dominance of the gentle art in the fledgling years of MMA can be best summed up by an insight from legendary practitioner Jean-Jaques Machado: “I am a shark, the ground is my ocean, and most people don’t know how to swim.”
Nowadays, fighters struggle to break out of their regional scenes without a deep knowledge of fundamentals in both wrestling and jiu-jitsu. As the base level of understanding of the grappling arts has grown among athletes across the board, the number of submission victories has diminished, and the fan base has become far more aware of transitions, submission entries and further subtleties. At its best, a submission victory can be equally spectacular, and undeniably more intricate, that any one-hitter quitter.
Here are the submissions that left us scraping our jaws off the floor in 2024.
1. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker, UFC 308
In the same way that Lyoto Machida’s limp body collapsing to the mat in 2011 became one of the lasting images of Jon Jones’ supremacy, Robert Whittaker’s quick tap to a jaw-crushing crank of Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 will forever be a testimony to the brilliance of the mercurial Chechen.
We had seen Chimaev struggle to get over the finish line against opponents similar to Whittaker. At middleweight, Kamaru Usman forced “Borz” to the final bell before losing out by majority decision after stepping up at the eleventh hour. A year before, Gilbert Burns spotlighted the first frailties in Chimaev’s armor when he took him the distance at UFC 273.
And yet it took all of 15 seconds for us to realize that Whittaker had no elixir for the explosive shots of Chimaev. The fray was akin to a Discovery documentary about apex predators, as Whittaker frantically worked to free himself from Chimaev's entanglements, albeit it with little or no success.
The speed with which the legendary former champion tapped only made the scene more dramatic.
While the talk of Chimaev losing his momentum had been abundant for more than two years, it took just three minutes and 30 seconds to bring it to a halt. In Abu Dhabi, Chimaev’s title aspirations once again became undeniable and his inevitable challenge in 2025 is near the top of every list of must-see bouts.
2. Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier, UFC 302
What a scene it was that night in New Jersey.
From press row, staring through the metal mesh, you could see the animated reactions of comedians Joey Diaz and Theo Von, who contorted and gesticulated throughout the main event as if they were being exorcised. There was no priest at the Prudential Center, but witnessing the pure will of Dustin Poirier fighting against the immovability of Islam Makhachev felt like a religious experience.
Although only one judge had it that way, in the building it felt like an even contest heading into the fifth round. Poirier’s efforts had begun to tarnish the air of invincibility surrounding the Dagestan native, who who many believe to be the greatest active fighter on the UFC’s roster.
The mark of a champion is his ability to pull something out of the fire, and that’s exactly what Makhachev did at UFC 302.
After a final stuffed takedown, there was an inevitability in the air when Makhachev ended up in a front headlock position. His face leaking blood, the effort was apparent as he locked up a brabo choke and summoned every watt of energy his body could muster.
The tap eventually came, giving finality to a bout that would've caused much discussion had it lasted another three minutes. Poirier immediately accepting his fate, received deserved adoration for his efforts, while also confirming the dominance of the lightweight king.
3. Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya, UFC 305
There is a moment deep into every Dricus du Plessis fight when you can see the disbelief of his opponent as he continues to the bear down on them with the same intensity and desire he displayed in the opening minute of the contest.
That held true once again at UFC 305. After an inspired opening round, Israel Adesanya appeared to be back at his best. Even after du Plessis rallied in the second, “Stylebender” was stepping into the fray and throwing attacks with more freedom than we saw in the entirety of his Sean Strickland showing. He may have even enjoyed some of his his best moments in the fourth round … until it happened.
Out of nowhere, du Plessis found an extra gear and fed his foe a feast of flurries before dragging him to the canvas. In the blink of an eye, du Plessis was around Adesanya's neck and the former champ had no choice but to accept defeat.
Despite their bitter rivalry, both du Plessis and Adesanya embraced after the fight’s conclusion, a nod to the score that was settled over the four rounds they shared in Perth.
4. Paddy Pimblett vs. King Green, UFC 304
Paddy Pimblett entered Manchester’s Co-op Live at 4 a.m. like a bull in a china shop.
Moments before his arrival, you could count the sleeping spectators littered around the venue, but as soon as his music hit, there wasn’t a single backside occupying a chair. And it only took a few minutes for the world to understand why.
King Green was supposed to put the cocky Scouser back in his box, but Pimblett had other plans. An ill-fated takedown attempt thrust the American into immediate danger. Pimblett shifted from a guillotine to a triangle, and even though his counterpart already appeared to be unconscious when he did it, he added in an armbar attempt for good measure before the referee could pry him away.
However polarizing he can be, Pimblett proved his worth to the company at UFC 304, where his submission win over Green shifted his status from “Dana White privilege” to genuine contender.
5. Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez, UFC Mexico City
After three minutes of their main-event clash, none would be blamed for assuming Yair Rodriguez was about to seal the deal against Brian Ortega and force himself into a title showdown with Ilia Topuria — a fight that could stimulate the Spanish-speaking world in ways we could only fathom.
With the bout taking place in Mexico City, Rodriguez’s title hopes had dominated the build-up, and the vitriol attached to his dialogue with Topuria made it a fight everyone wanted to see.
But around that same three-minute mark, following his second knockdown of the perennial title contender, “El Pantera” decided to sit into Ortega’s guard with the nonchalance of a toddler trying to pet a great white shark. And suddenly a dangerous precedent was set. When the second round began, Ortega immediately took Rodriguez down. Ortega then went straight to the takedown again in the third round, this time landing in mount, where he suffocated the spectacular Mexican with an arm triangle.
In the aftermath of the bout, most of the talk focused on how Rodriguez wrestled defeat from the jaws of victory, but that narrative sold Ortega’s efforts short. Already busted up in the first minute, "T-City" bided his time for a further 10 minutes before reminding us why his is one of the most feared submission fighters in the history of the featherweight division.
Here is how Uncrowned's MMA team voted for 2024's Submission of the Year:
Honorable mentions:
Seika Izawa def. Si Yoon Park, Deep Jewels 44
Kayla Harrison def. Holly Holm, UFC 300
Jim Miller def. Gabriel Benitez, UFC Vegas 84
Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura, UFC 309
Gabriella Fernandes def. Wang Cong, UFC Macau
