Ben Duffy/Sherdog.com illustration
What makes a “Submission of the Year?” If previous Sherdog Year-End Awards are any indication, it comes down to a series of one-word questions—namely, who, when, where and how? The most memorable submissions tend to have two elements in common: impressive technique and enough competitive or historic stakes to make it matter. For example, last year’s winner saw Alexa Grasso capitalize on a missed spinning attack to tap out Valentina Shevchenko. A lightning-quick transition to the back and a slick rear-naked choke turned face crank were elevated from “Submission of the Night” material to “Submission of the Year” thanks to the setting—a UFC title fight in which a heavily favored champ, arguably the top pound-for-pound woman in the sport at the time, was dethroned in a few fateful seconds.