The 10 most amazing submissions of the Zuffa era

With UFC 200 just around the corner and Zuffa, LLC reportedly on the verge of selling the world's foremost MMA organization, it's time to look back at the history made during the Zuffa era*.

*includes UFC events dating back to Feb. 23, 2001 (UFC 30)

Best of the Zuffa era

• The 10 most stunning knockouts
• The 10 most amazing submissions
• The most memorable moments
• The 10 most furious fights
• The 20 greatest fighters (20-11)
• The 20 greatest fighters (10-1)

In part 2 of this series, we look at 10 submissions that would make the Gracie family proud of the sport that they pioneered.

10. Yancy Medeiros def. Damon Jackson via reverse bulldog choke (UFC 177, Aug. 30, 2014)

Yancy Medeiros left Damon Jackson twitching on the canvas with a move that looks less like a high-level submission hold and more like what you'd use to set up your little cousin for a noogie.

9. Matt Riddle def. Chris Clements via arm-triangle choke (UFC 149, July 21, 2012)

It's a shame that this submission win by Matt Riddle was wiped from the record books when Riddle was busted for marijuana.

Facing heavy-handed Canadian slugger Chris Clements, Riddle tackled him against the fence and muscled him down with an arm-triangle hold. He cinched up on the choke until Clements' chances of escape went up in smoke.

8. C.B. Dollaway def. Jesse Taylor via Peruvian necktie (UFC Fight Night 14, July 19, 2008)

When C.B. Dollaway demonstrated the "Peruvian necktie" on his "Ultimate Fighter" coach Quinton Jackson, it was thought to be a cute scene and nothing more. How could he possibly use such an unorthodox hold in an actual fight?

We found out in his second UFC appearance when he met up with "TUF" housemate Jesse Taylor. A powerful wrestler, Taylor went right in on Dollaway, not realizing that he was setting up his own doom.

Dollaway maneuvered to Taylor's side before trapping him in a web of arms and legs, leading to the first-ever successful Peruvian necktie in the UFC.

7. Ronda Rousey def. Cat Zingano via arm bar (UFC 184, Feb. 28, 2015)

Even with three first-round finishes under her belt in the UFC, few were predicting that Ronda Rousey would handle Cat Zingano as easily as her other foes.

Zingano was completely fearless. She charged in on the Olympic judoka and ended up caught in a fierce scramble. Rousey's superb grappling instincts took over and soon, Zingano found herself tapping to one of Rousey's signature arm bars just 14 seconds into their title bout.

6. Demian Maia def. Rick Story via neck crank (UFC 153, Oct. 13, 2012)

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia prides himself on being able to end fights without a single drop of blood spilled.

That was not the case when he fought Rick Story.

Story is as tough as they come, so when Maia took his back, he tucked his chin in and refused to give up the choke. That prompted Maia to switch to a neck crank, and he squeezed Story's head until plasma was pouring from his nostrils like a ketchup dispenser.

Gross.

5. Chan Sung Jung def. Leonard Garcia via twister (UFC Fight Night 24, Mar. 26, 2011)

The first time Chan Sung Jung and Leonard Garcia fought, Garcia walked away with a contentious split decision win.

When they fought again, the only thing at risk of being split was Garcia's head from his shoulders.

"The Korean Zombie" trapped Garcia's leg, and rather than go for a choke or transition into another position, he executed a never-before-seen "twister" submission hold.

4. Nate Diaz def. Kurt Pellegrino via triangle choke (UFC Fight Night 13, Apr. 2, 2008)

Nate Diaz has plenty of submissions to brag about, but none were more fun than this one.

With opponent Kurt Pellegrino caught dead-to-rights in a triangle choke, Diaz decided it would be a good time to throw the double birds up to the sky and flex for the fans watching at home.

3. Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via calf slicer (UFC on FOX 2, Jan. 28, 2012)

This move doesn't have the context surrounding it that the next entries do, but objectively speaking, this might be the nastiest submission ever performed in the Octagon.

Once Charles Oliveira got a hold of Eric Wisely's leg, he refused to let go. Wisely rolled and defended as well as he could, avoiding an ankle lock and a knee bar.

There was absolutely nothing he could do when Oliveira switched to a calf slicer that Wisely recognized in time to quit before any serious damage could be done.

2. Anderson Silva def. Chael Sonnen via triangle arm bar (UFC 117, Aug. 7, 2010)

Chael Sonnen was two minutes away from toppling the invincible Anderson Silva.

Up four rounds to none, all Sonnen had to do was hang on after grounding and pounding "The Spider" for the duration of their bout.

In round 5, Sonnen settled into Silva's guard as he had so many times before. Then, through some combination of Sonnen's fatigue and Silva's sheer will, Silva managed to throw his legs up for a desperation triangle choke attempt.

It paid off. Sonnen tapped. And Silva earned the most hard-fought win of his legendary career.

1. Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via kimura (UFC 140, Dec. 10, 2011)

The stage was set for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to get his revenge.

In their first meeting, Frank Mir became the first man to knock Nogueira out. It was a bitter defeat and Nogueira was determined to even the score.

Three years later, it looked like he just might do it. He had Mir badly hurt with some powerful punches, but rather than pound him out, he made the decision to go for a guillotine choke.

Somehow, Mir defended himself and he used that time to regain his senses. A brilliant sweep followed, putting Mir in control as he locked up Nogueira's arm.

"Big Nog" refused to tap, but it didn't matter. Mir wrenched on the kimura hold until Nogueira's arm visibly popped, giving Mir a technical submission win.

Now Mir could claim to be the first fighter to submit Nogueira as well.