It seems the worst thing any future opponents of British submission specialist John Maguire can do when rolling with him inside the Octagon is attempt a kimura submission... Just ask DaMarques Johnson.

According to Maguire, the founder of ‘gypsy jiu-jitsu’, he deliberately allowed Johnson to lock in his kimura in Stockholm, Sweden, in the UFC on Fuel encounter, as it’s Maguire’s favorite way to launch a submission attempt of his own.

“Once he tightened up his kimura, I knew I had the finish,” says Maguire, “it sounds crazy but you put me in a kimura and I’ll tap you out.”

Until the finish arrived, 4:40 into the second round, the fight was largely played out on the floor with both fighters transitioning into numerous submission attempts. And their efforts were justly rewarded by the knowledgeable Swedish crowd, who celebrated every transition as they would a teeth-chattering head kick.

Eventually, however, Maguire lured Johnson into his trap and, within a flash, it was The Ultimate Fighter veteran who was tapping out.

Maguire, then on a seven-fight win streak – said afterwards: “I wanted to have a look at what he had in the opening round and, to be honest, he was a lot more rounded than I expected him to be. I knew he had good stand-up, but his ground game was much better than I anticipated, he had good hips and he kept attacking.”

As for the finish, he recalls: “I remember passing half guard and he went for the kimura, which is my favorite finish, so I was very comfortable in there. I moved to give him the opportunity to tighten it up, but also open the door for me to find my own submission. I have hundreds of finishes when locked into a kimura, as I drill it so often. 

“Once I felt him tighten it up I knew the armbar was on, so I swung my legs over. In fact, I think he realized it was in deep even before I did because at first I was shocked he tapped so quickly. But then, in a split second, I understood because it was right in there.

“If he’d have managed to defend the armbar, then I was ready to transition straight into the omoplata. But the finish all came from me being locked into his kimura attempt. That really presented me with the opportunity to finish the fight.”

Gypsy jiu-jitsu 101 right there… The best form of attack is, sometimes, defense.