What makes a “Submission of the Year?” Every year across the globe, hundreds of fights end by submission: in dingy nightclubs as well as packed arenas, employing techniques that range from sublime elegance all the way to bone-snapping brutality, yet only a few stick in our minds. What sets those special finishes apart, if previous Sherdog Year-End Awards are any indication, is a mixture of two elements: impressive technique, and high stakes or historical relevance. For example, our 2017 “Submission of the Year” saw Demetrious Johnson launch Ray Borg into the air and somehow secure an armbar on the way down, a mind-blowing bit of aerial ballet that looked more like a professional wrestling finisher than a practical application of jiu-jitsu—in an Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight, no less.
Sherdog’s 2023 Submission of the Year
