In case you either don’t know or forgot, those initial UFC tournaments had hardly any rules (we’re talking no biting or eye gouging and not much else). Further, there were no rounds, time limits, decisions, or weight limits.

Yet still, Gracie went on to show the world what submissions and Brazilian or Gracie Jiu Jitsu could do.

Even in this much more well rounded era of mixed martial arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills are a must have for any MMA fighter. Without a clue regarding submissions, a fighter doesn’t stand a chance. Still, as with anything else in life there are people that just do it better than others. Submissions are of course no different.

Thus, Submit To MMA has decided to try and countdown some of these fighters. The best of the best, if you will, when it comes to submissions. No, we’re not going to rank them; that wouldn’t do them justice.

But we will name the guys in the running.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira : One of the top submission fighters ever

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, often referred to by his nicknames of Minotauro or Big Nog, is tough; the scar on the right side of his back from a truck accident he suffered as a youth serves to reinforce this. He’s also an excellent boxer and a nice guy. But this article isn’t about all of that.

It’s about the way outstanding fighters seem to continually line up and get submitted by him.

Nogueira is as good as they come off of his back. His hips are outstanding, he has unusual flexibility for a heavyweight, and he’s about as intelligent at setting up submissions as they come.

Further, you’re never safe from that fight ending submission when in a ring or cage with Nogueira. Reinforcing this, when Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic entered the PRIDE ring on 11/9/03 he proceeded to beat Nogueira around the ring unmercifully on their feet for the majority of two rounds. Only Minotauro’s legendary toughness kept him alive in the bout.

But nearing the end of the second round, Cro Cop made a mistake and ended up on the ground. Moments later, it was all over via armbar.

Not surprising if you’ve seen Nogueira fight.

In his most recent fight against Tim Sylvia at UFC 81, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira once again had difficulty on his feet initially. In fact, he got dropped and beaten around quite badly for the majority of the first round. But in the third round, Nogueira was able to pull Sylvia into his own guard. Soon after, he turned him over with those patented jiu jitsu moves of his.

Then when he felt the moment was right, Nogueira allowed Sylvia to turn him over. Of course, by that time he had the guillotine choke sunk in that would end things.

Afterwards, Sylvia summarized what it was like fighting Nogueira rather adeptly.

“Every fight he’s in he gets his ass kicked for the first ten minutes. You start getting comfortable fighting him (and) the next thing you know he catches you. The guy’s a legend in this sport.”

By the way, Sylvia and Cro Cop are hardly the only big names to fall to Nogueira via submission. The other names on the list include Heath Herring, Dan Henderson, Semmy Schilt, Enson Inoue, Bob Sapp, Mark Coleman, Gary Goodridge, and Valentijn Overeem (twice). Beyond that, Nogueira was involved in two outstanding bouts against another great submission fighter, Josh Barnett. One of these he lost via decision; the other fight, he won.

Nogueira has even been innovative. Though he may not have actually invented the Anaconda Choke, Nogueira was really the guy that showed the masses what it could do in MMA with victories over Hirotaka Yokoi and Heath Herring coming by way of it.

In the end, there simply may not be a man in MMA today that sets his submissions up more thoughtfully and carefully then Nogueira. Thus, he’s a shoo-in for any greatest submission fighters list.

Which is why there was no chance he wouldn’t make this one.

Fighter Biographies

Dan Henderson Biography and Fighting Information

Chuck Liddell Biography and Fighting Information

Lyoto Machida Biography and Fighting Information