Most Common UFC Submissions: What 3,123 Fights Show

Quick answer

The rear-naked choke is the most common UFC submission. A peer-reviewed study of 3,123 fights on 293 UFC pay-per-view events found 618 submission finishes. The rear-naked choke made up 32.7% of them, while chokes as a group accounted for 65.5%. Non-choking holds accounted for 34.5%. In that PPV sample, 19.8% of fights ended by submission, a historical average rather than a next-card forecast. The sample runs from UFC 1 through UFC 294, and submission rates fell across that period.

Data snapshot: The main sample covers 3,123 fights and 618 submissions on UFC 1-294 PPVs from 1993-2023. A second study covers 5,834 bouts and 904 chokes through 2020. Career records were updated July 26, 2026.

What did the 3,123-fight UFC submission study count?

Mohamad Fares and colleagues screened every numbered UFC pay-per-view from UFC 1 through UFC 294. That produced 293 events and 3,123 professional fights between 1993 and 2023.

The scope needs attention: it covers numbered PPVs, not every Fight Night, television finale, or later UFC event. The researchers also included 272 fights held before the Unified Rules arrived, when UFC tournaments operated in a different sports environment.

Within that sample, 618 fights ended by submission, equal to 19.8%, or about one fight in five. The researchers also tested how the rate changed over time, as the table below shows.

The rear-naked choke is the clear answer to the primary question, representing almost one-third of all submission finishes in this PPV dataset.

Does another UFC study find the same pattern?

Yes, although its percentages differ because its scope differs.

Scott Stellpflug and colleagues reviewed 5,834 UFC fights through 2020, then used fight reports and video to identify every fight-ending choke. The study found 904 choke finishes, equal to 15.5% of all bouts and 76.2% of grappling submissions.

The rear-naked choke supplied 49.1% of those finishes, while nineteen other choke types shared the remaining 50.9%. Most ended with a voluntary tap, while 11% ended in unconsciousness.

Those figures don't conflict with the PPV study. One paper divides all submissions by technique on numbered PPVs, while the other centers on chokes across a wider UFC bout set. Their dates and classification rules also differ.

Both land in the same place: chokes lead, and the rear-naked choke leads the chokes.

Why is the rear-naked choke so common in the UFC?

The data identifies the pattern but doesn't prove one cause.

Position offers the best practical explanation because a rear-naked choke usually starts after a fighter takes the opponent's back. The attacker can control the hips and upper body while staying away from many direct strikes. The defender must protect the neck, remove hooks, and find an escape at once.

Modern MMA also pushes grapplers toward top position. In a 2026 MMA Fighting report, veteran coach Fabio Prado said few true guard players remain. He described arm-triangles and guillotines as stronger options because fighters can attack them from positions that work well without a gi.

The route is repeatable because takedowns, scrambles, knockdowns, and failed stand-ups can all expose the back.

Striking changes the grappling problem too: a defender who turns away from ground strikes may protect the face but give up the back. That's a plausible mechanism, not a measured conclusion from either study.

Are chokes more common than armbars and leg locks?

Yes. In the PPV sample, chokes produced 65.5% of submission finishes, against 34.5% for non-choking attacks.

That second group combines several families, including attacks on arms, shoulders, knees, ankles, and other joints. The study abstract doesn't publish a complete technique-by-technique table, so it can't support a precise ranking for every armbar or leg lock.

This distinction prevents a common data error: a finish share isn't a success rate. If armbars appear less often than rear-naked chokes, that doesn't tell you how many of each were attempted. UFC Stats records submission attempts, but it doesn't label every attempt by technique.

You also can't infer safety from frequency because these studies count fight outcomes, not medical risk.

Are UFC submissions becoming less common?

Across the 1993-2023 PPV sample, yes. Fares and colleagues found a downward trend from the first numbered event, with P<0.001. That's evidence of a real time pattern inside their data.

It doesn't identify one reason. The trend can't separate roster changes, rule changes, defensive grappling, schedule growth, matchmaking, or weight-class exposure.

A recent count shows why you should keep the date attached. MMA Fighting recorded 83 submission finishes among 495 UFC fights in 2025. That's about 16.8%, and only two of those finishes were triangle chokes.

Don't treat 16.8% and the study's 19.8% as a clean before-and-after test. The older figure covers numbered PPVs, while the 2025 count covers a full UFC year. One is peer-reviewed research; the other is a reported event audit, so the comparison offers context rather than proof of a precise decline.

Why have triangle chokes become rare?

The 2025 count is stark: two triangles among 83 UFC submission finishes. Nate Diaz's triangle against Kurt Pellegrino remains a famous example, but it now looks less like the usual modern route.

Fighters and coaches interviewed by MMA Fighting pointed to positional risk, since a traditional triangle often begins from bottom guard. The attacker must control posture while remaining open to strikes, passes, and lost position if the hold fails.

The modern response is often to stand, wrestle up, or seek a top-position attack. Prado said he recommends wrestling earlier for young students who plan to pursue MMA.

These are informed explanations, not a controlled experiment. The two-triangle count covers one year, so a few extra finishes would change it sharply.

Who has the most submission wins in UFC history?

Charles Oliveira holds the official UFC record with 17 submission wins as of July 26, 2026. Nate Diaz ranks fifth with 10.

Oliveira is the right example of skill breadth. MMA Fighting lists eight techniques behind his UFC submission wins: rear-naked choke, arm-triangle, guillotine, anaconda, triangle, calf slicer, armbar, and face crank.

That variety doesn't weaken the rear-naked-choke result because it separates a population pattern from one exceptional fighter. Oliveira can finish from many positions, yet the field still converges on one leading technique across thousands of fights.

Nate Diaz makes the same point from another angle: his 10 UFC submission wins place him fifth in the official record book. His well-known triangle finish also sits inside a technique family that became scarce in the 2025 audit.

Do men and women have different UFC submission rates?

The PPV study found no statistically significant difference between male and female submission rates, with a reported P value of 0.853.

That result doesn't prove the rates are identical everywhere. Women's UFC divisions arrived much later, so their sample covers fewer years and a different set of weight classes. A non-significant test can also reflect limited power.

The researchers reported more male submission finishes in intermediate divisions than at the lighter and heavier ends. Raw counts aren't rates because divisions with more fights get more chances to produce every finish type.

For a fair division comparison, you need submissions divided by total bouts in each division, but the abstract doesn't provide that full adjusted table.

What do these numbers mean for fight analysis?

Start with the route, not the label, because a fighter's past submission wins show only proven finishing paths. They don't become the chance of a submission in the next bout. Opponent defense, position entries, fatigue, stance, size, and round length all change the matchup.

For prediction work, technique families are more useful than one career total because back takes, front headlocks, and mount create different paths.

AgentMMA's model explainer warns you to use only information available before the fight. Counting the winning submission would leak the answer into the model and make a weak model look accurate.

Small samples matter most at fighter level. Even Oliveira's record is 17 UFC submissions, not hundreds, while two or three finishes can't establish a stable technique rate.

The population prior still helps: if you need a neutral starting point, chokes deserve more weight than joint attacks. The rear-naked choke deserves the largest single share, then the matchup should move you away from that baseline.

How solid is this data?

The main study is broad and peer-reviewed, covering 3,123 fights, 293 PPVs, and 30 years.

Its biggest limit is selection because numbered PPVs aren't the whole UFC. The sample mixes early tournaments, pre-Unified Rules fights, modern divisions, and changing roster quality, then ends at UFC 294 in 2023.

The choke study reviews 5,834 bout outcomes through 2020, using fight reports and video to classify the 904 choke finishes. Its 76.2% choke share uses a different scope from the PPV study's 65.5%, so you shouldn't blend them into one estimate.

The 2025 triangle audit is current but not peer-reviewed. The UFC Record Book is the best source for current career leaders, yet records can change after each event.

None of these sources counts every failed attempt by named technique. They can rank successful finishes, but can't show that the rear-naked choke has the best attempt-to-finish rate.

FAQ

What is the most common submission in UFC history?

The rear-naked choke is the most common UFC submission. It accounted for 32.7% of 618 submission finishes in a 3,123-fight study of numbered UFC PPVs from 1993 through 2023.

What percentage of UFC fights end by submission?

In the 3,123-fight PPV study, 19.8% ended by submission. That figure applies to UFC 1-294 numbered events, not every UFC card or a guaranteed rate for future fights.

Are chokes more common than joint locks in the UFC?

Yes. Chokes made up 65.5% of submission finishes in the PPV study, compared with 34.5% for non-choking submissions. The study measured successful finishes, not all attempts.

Who has the most UFC submission wins?

Charles Oliveira holds the official UFC record with 17 submission wins as of July 26, 2026. Nate Diaz ranks fifth with 10.

Why are triangle chokes rare in modern UFC fights?

Traditional triangles often require bottom position, where failed attempts can expose a fighter to strikes or a pass. MMA Fighting counted only two triangles among 83 UFC submissions in 2025.