Exploring submission finishes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship™: a comprehensive analysis.

Abstract

Background: Submission techniques are a major part of mixed martial arts (MMA) and can result in a wide range of injuries to different parts of the body. Knowledge of the patterns of these submissions is lacking in literature. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the submissions performed during MMA bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Methods: All UFC pay-per-view (PPV) events from UFC 1-294 were screened via the official UFC website. Results of match scorecards, event characteristics, year, number of submission finishes, number of male and female fights per event, UFC fighter characteristics, gender, weight division, anatomical location of submission, type and round of submission, were recorded. Submission rates were assessed between different subgroups. An independent t-test, ANOVA test and Joinpoint regression analysis were used to explore relationships between different variables, with P value less than 0.05 deemed significant.

Results: A total of 293 PPV events were included from 1993 to 2023, comprising a total of 3123 professional fights, 272 of which occurred prior to the implementation of the unified rules of MMA. Overall, 618 fights ended in submission, comprising an overall submission rate of 19.8%. No significant difference was found between submission rates of male and female fighters(P=0.853). Submission rates were found to significantly decrease across the years from the first PPV(P<0.001). The head was the most commonly targeted anatomical location of all submissions (74.3%, P<0.001). Choking submissions were significantly more common than non-choking submissions (65.5% vs. 34.5%, P<0.001), with the rear naked choke being the most utilized submission maneuver (32.7%). Among male fighters, a higher number of submission finishes occurred in intermediate weight divisions compared to lighter and heavier weight divisions.

Conclusions: The submission rate in the UFC is around 20%. While submission rates are decreasing, our study found that the head was most targeted, the majority were choking submissions, and intermediate weight divisions recorded a higher number of submission finishes. Future studies should work on addressing the sequelae of submission procedures on the health and safety of fighters.