UFC Submissions 2026: Most Common and Fastest Finishes

Quick answer

As of October 22, 2026, AgentMMA counted 81 submission finishes across 454 UFC bouts held through October 17. That is 17.8% of the year's fights. The rear-naked choke led by a wide margin, producing 35 wins. Paddy Pimblett recorded the fastest listed submission, finishing Benoit Saint Denis with a D'Arce choke in 0:52.

Data snapshot: AgentMMA analysis of 454 UFC bouts in 2026 through 2026-10-17; the underlying database spans 1994-03-11 to 2026-10-17 (computed 2026-10-22).

UFC submissions 2026: which techniques were most common?

Most common UFC submissions in 2026

The rear-naked choke supplied 35 of the 81 submission wins, or 43.2%. Guillotines came next with 12, while arm triangles produced eight. The gap matters more than the label: one back-control finish accounted for more wins than the next three techniques combined.

What were the fastest UFC submissions of 2026?

Fastest UFC submissions of 2026

Pimblett owns the quickest time in this snapshot at 0:52. Luis Hernandez is the only other fighter below one minute, at 0:57. The top ten cover six technique labels, so speed did not belong to one narrow type of attack.

Who had the most UFC submission wins in 2026?

Most UFC submission wins in 2026

There was no sole leader at the cutoff. Five fighters shared first place with two UFC submissions each. Women's bantamweight supplied two names, while lightweight, flyweight and middleweight supplied one apiece.

How this list is counted

AgentMMA starts with every UFC bout dated in 2026 and recorded by October 17. A win enters this study only when the stored UFC Stats result calls the method a submission. Knockouts, decisions, disqualifications and no-contests stay outside the 81.

Technique names come from the UFC Stats bout detail. AgentMMA removes position words so the same finish can group under one technique. For example, positional wording doesn't split rear-naked chokes into separate rows.

Each completed bout can add one submission to the technique table. The fastest table sorts qualifying finishes by the official elapsed time shown for the finish. It then displays the first ten. There is no career minimum for that table.

The fighter table answers a different question. It counts UFC submission wins during this calendar year, not each fighter's full professional record. Two wins is the leading total at this cutoff, rather than an imposed entry threshold.

Another list may use a later event, different technique grouping or a different no-contest rule. The UFC's online Record Book also covers UFC 28 onward and mostly shows career leaderboards. It gives Bia Mesquita three career submission wins, while this page shows her two wins from 2026. AgentMMA uses a calendar-year slice from its broader UFC Stats-derived database, which begins on 1994-03-11.

“Best” needs a separate judgment. This page ranks what can be measured: frequency, finish time and wins in 2026. A spectacular submission can be memorable without being fast, common or part of a multi-win year.

Notable names on the list

Paddy Pimblett

Paddy Pimblett sets the pace with his 52-second D'Arce choke over Benoit Saint Denis. UFC's result video confirms the 0:52 finish on July 11. It leads the speed table, but that fact alone doesn't settle any “best submission” debate.

Murtazali Magomedov

Murtazali Magomedov is fourth at 1:17 with a twister against Melsik Baghdasaryan. The technique appeared only twice in AgentMMA's 2026 count. MMA Fighting picked this finish as its midyear submission winner, which shows how an editorial ranking can differ from a clock-based list.

Michael Chiesa

Michael Chiesa submitted Niko Price in 1:03, the third-fastest time here. It was also his final UFC appearance. UFC covered the bout as Chiesa's retirement fight, so his place on this page is a closed 2026 total.

Bia Mesquita

Bia Mesquita appears in both individual tables. She shares the yearly lead with two submissions and also owns the tenth-fastest time, 2:07. UFC's June coverage described her as a ranked bantamweight before her next 2026 appearance.

Rei Tsuruya and Quillan Salkilld

Rei Tsuruya and Quillan Salkilld each reached two submissions. UFC records Tsuruya's two first-round rear-naked chokes in May and August. Its coverage also records Salkilld's rear-naked-choke wins over Jamie Mullarkey and Mateusz Gamrot during 2026.

Related AgentMMA pages

• Most common UFC submissions (all time)
• Most submissions in UFC history
• Fastest submissions
• Most finishes
• Highest finish rate

How solid is this data?

The study covers 454 UFC bouts held in 2026 through October 17. AgentMMA computed it on October 22 from UFC Stats-derived results and round-by-round data. The full stored date range runs from 1994-03-11 through 2026-10-17.

Only UFC bouts count. A fight from another promotion may change a fighter's professional record, but it never changes these UFC figures. Results follow UFC Stats as stored in AgentMMA's database. If a result is overturned, AgentMMA counts it as a no-contest.

The year is not finished. The 81 submissions, 35 rear-naked chokes and every leaderboard can change after another UFC event. AgentMMA refreshes this maintained record page when newly stored results alter the list.

FAQ

How many UFC fights ended by submission in 2026?

AgentMMA counted 81 submission finishes in 454 UFC bouts through October 17, 2026. That equals 17.8% of the fights in the study.

What was the most common UFC submission in 2026?

The rear-naked choke was first with 35 wins. It accounted for 43.2% of all UFC submission finishes in AgentMMA's 2026 snapshot.

What was the fastest UFC submission of 2026?

Paddy Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint Denis with a D'Arce choke in 0:52 on July 11. It is the fastest finish in this October 22 snapshot.

What were the best UFC submissions of 2026?

“Best” is subjective. AgentMMA's measurable standouts are Pimblett's fastest finish and Magomedov's rare twister. MMA Fighting chose Magomedov's twister as its midyear winner.

Who had the most UFC submission wins in 2026?

Bia Mesquita, Chelsea Chandler, Quillan Salkilld, Rei Tsuruya and Robert Valentin shared the lead. Each had two UFC submission wins by October 17.

Does this list include submissions outside the UFC?

No. Other promotions can affect a fighter's professional record, but this study counts UFC bouts only.