The most iconic finishes by limb hyperextension.
1) Comeback king
‘Minotauro’ Nogueira
Getting smashed in the face for 10 minutes by left hands and a patented Mirko Cro Cop head kick couldn’t stop ‘Minotauro’. The Brazilian submission deity defied belief with his comeback at Pride Final Conflict 2003. Even better than his post-piledriver, back-from- the-dead victory over Bob Sapp.
2) The guarantee
Ronda Rousey
‘Rowdy’s first 11 fights – pro and amateur – all ended the same way. The first 10 armbars were in the first round, too. She was unstoppable. The pick of the bunch has to be her joint-breaking, Strikeforce title- winning effort against Miesha Tate.
3) The meme
Rickson Gracie
Even though he only won two fights this way, few people are more synonymous with this technique. Two wins over Nobuhiko Takada in Pride 1 and 4 resulted in every fight prediction in MMA forums carrying the same smart-ass line by at least one person: ‘Rickson by armbar’.
4) Bone breaker
Frank Mir
You can’t really get much more dangerous with a submission than when yours snaps a bone... Before your opponent realizes it's broken. Step forward Frank Mir, who won the UFC heavyweight crown by cracked Tim Sylvia’s forearm in four places.
5) Balletic
Fedor Emelianenko
Out of nowhere, ‘The Last Emperor’ could switch from guard and snatch a submission in an instant. Mark Coleman was caught twice.
6) David vs. Goliath
Royce Gracie
MMA’s most famous family strikes again. The Hall of Famer beat a 75lb weight disadvantage to catch Kimo Leopoldo at UFC 3.
7) Buzzer beater
Demetrious Johnson
At 4:59 of round five, ‘Mighty Mouse’ earned the latest finish in MMA history with a last-second submission of Kyoji Horiguchi.