• UFC Fight Night 22

Five of the best UFC submission exponents

Rousimar Palhares' submissions have sparked controversy in recent months © UFC

Enlarge

Related Links

• Profile: Randy Couture | Cain Velasquez

To guarantee your front-row seat for UFC Fight Night 22 on September 15, subscription details can be found here.

The UFC makes a return trip to Austin, Texas for UFC Fight Night 22 on September 15, and the main card of the evening will showcase a number of fights that could have serious implications on their respective weight divisions.

Top of the pile is Nate Marquardt v Rousimar Palhares, with Marquardt looking to climb back into middleweight title contention, while grappling master Palhares bids to catapult himself into the title picture for the first time in his career. A deadly submissions specialist, Palhares will have more than the casual observer waiting to see if he holds on to another heel hook for a dangerous amount of time, after he injured Tomasz Drwal at UFC 111.

The Brazilian won't be the only man looking to grab hold of a limb come September 15, with several more up-and-coming jiu-jitsu specialists looking to make a splash in Austin. TUF 5 alum - and jiu-jitsu brown-belt - Cole Miller will be out to make a statement when he takes on British lightweight Ross Pearson, while Brazilian sensation Charles Oliviera will make his second UFC appearance against Efrain Escudero having exploded into the UFC with a 40-second destruction of Darren Elkins in August.

Certainly there should be some good competition for the Submission of the Night honour in a week's time, so it seems appropriate to take a closer look at some of the more accomplished submission experts in the UFC today.

Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira - Heavyweight
Minotauro Nogueira is quite simply a world class jiu-jitsu practitioner who himself has handed out black belts to the likes of Anderson Silva. Nogueira made his UFC debut back in 2007 when he took on old foe Heath Herring, whom he beat to set up an interim title showdown with Tim Sylvia. As reigning champion Randy Couture was absent from the UFC - due to a contract dispute - Nogueira seized his golden opportunity and submitted former champ Sylvia in the third round to become the first man to hold the Pride and UFC world titles.

Nogueira had compiled an impressive MMA record on his way to the title, with notable submission victories over the likes of Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman and Dan Henderson. His ability to absorb punishment and then turn a losing situation into a winning one will be the quality by which Minotauro is defined when he finally hangs up his gloves.

Since winning the interim belt and agreeing to coach on the The Ultimate Fighter, Nogueira has taken on Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez, but injuries have kept him out of the Octagon in recent months and it is a very real possibility that Nogueira's best days are now behind him.

B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn - Lightweight
The man known as "The Prodigy" joined the UFC in 2000 after company president Dana White convinced the Hawaiian to try his hand at MMA. White had been alerted to Penn's abilities when he won the black belt division of the 2000 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Rio de Janeiro. After a mere three years of training Penn had not only managed to become a black belt, he had gone on to win the world championship and subsequently became the first non-Brazilian competitor to do so.

Penn has had a glittering UFC career, and became only the second man (the other being Randy Couture) to hold UFC titles in two separate divisions by attaining the strap at both 155lbs and 170lbs. The jiu-jitsu pedigree of Penn has made him a very difficult opponent to face. His guard is arguably the best in the business and his flexibility makes him extremely difficult to gain any control over. With notable submission victories over the likes of Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver and Kenny Florian, Penn is without question worthy of one day taking his place in the UFC Hall Of Fame.

BJ Penn's rear naked choke has become a trademark of the Hawaiian © Getty Images

Enlarge

The speed at which he adapted to life in the Octagon was staggering, having stopped his first three opponents, all in the very first round. This included one of the most devastating finishes in UFC history against Caol Uno. Penn then went on to fight for the title in only the fourth bout of his MMA career. While he is currently suffering a slump in fortunes having lost back-to-back title fights with Frankie Edgar, his legacy as the greatest lightweight of all time is still intact.

Renzo Gracie - Welterweight
The only member of the legendary Gracie family on the UFC roster today, Renzo is up there with the best jiu-jitsu coaches in the world. After a three-year absence from action Gracie joined the UFC and took on Hall Of Fame inductee Matt Hughes at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Renzo came looking to avenge a loss that his cousin Royce had suffered to Hughes at UFC 60. During fight week he proved to be one of the most respectful fighters in UFC history as he and Hughes clearly held one another in extremely high regard.

There was very little wrestling or jiu-jitsu on display in the fight itself as both men clearly respected what the other was capable of when in their element, and so a slow-paced stand-up battle was produced with Hughes the victor.

As a 6th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Renzo has helped shape the careers of top UFC stars such as Matt Serra, Rodrigo Nogueira and Ricardo Almeida. Gracie has also played an influential part in the career of current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest grappling coaches of all time.

Frank Mir - Heavyweight
Frank Mir proved himself to be one of the most talented up-and-coming fighters in the UFC back in 2004, winning five out of six UFC bouts en route to a title showdown with heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. In one of the shortest title fights in UFC history, Mir impressively locked in an armbar on Sylvia, and as the champion tried to escape there was a clearly visible break in Sylvia's arm, forcing the referee to intervene less than one minute into the fight.

While Sylvia bizarrely wanted to continue the fight, the break was clear for all to see and Mir was awarded his jiu-jitsu black belt there and then. There was also the small matter of the undisputed UFC championship belt, which Mir wrapped around his waist, signalling what was expected to be a new era in heavyweight MMA. However, Mir was soon involved in a career-threatening motorcycle accident, which eventually saw him stripped of the title. Upon his return after almost 18 months on the sidelines, Mir was stopped by Marcio Cruz and Brandon Vera.

Mir was looking a shadow of his old self, and many critics began to believe that he would never return to the level he was once performing at, making his next fight a make-or-break bout for his career. After another nine months on the sidelines, Mir returned to take on Anthoni Hardonk at UFC 74. Looking in far better shape than his last three bouts Mir locked in a devastating kimura which left Hardonk repeatedly tapping just over one minute into the fight. The former champ mouthed to the cameras "I'm back," and as the screen passed to his emotional wife it was clear that Mir had finally rediscovered the form, the fitness and the passion for MMA that once saw him crowned the division's best.

Since that victory he has won and lost against Brock Lesnar, he has beaten Nogueira and Cheick Kongo and lost to Shane Carwin, but never is there a doubt over his submissions quality. As one of the best jiu-jitsu fighters in heavyweight history, Mir today finds himself with another mountain to climb. Having lost two of his last three, he finds himself being written off again, and this time Mirko Crop Cop will play the role of Anthoni Hardonk at UFC 119.

Demian Maia - Middleweight
Widely regarded as the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in all of MMA, Maia's UFC record is an extremely impressive one. Making his UFC debut at UFC 77, Maia submitted Ryan Jenson via rear naked choke, triggering three consecutive "Submission Of The Night" victories as he also took out Ed Herman and Jason Macdonald. Looking to set a new record, Maia submitted Ultimate Fighter veteran Nate Quarry at UFC 91, but he missed out on more "Submission Of The Night" honours due to Dustin Hazelett's armbar triumph over Tamden McCrory.

At UFC 95 in London, Maia submitted current No. 1 contender Chael Sonnen via triangle choke, displaying tremendous technique as he baited Sonnen into a choke that, in hindsight, appears to be Sonnen's Achilles heel. Victory took Maia's UFC record to 5-0, winning all five of those bouts by way of submission and claiming four "Submission Of The Night" awards in the process. The Brazilian has since incurred two losses - to Nate Marquardt and a decision loss to middleweight champion Anderson Silva - but at UFC 118 he delivered an absolute clinic of Brazilian jiu-jitsu to Mario Miranda. Maia did not rest for any one of the 15 scheduled minutes and walked away with a very impressive unanimous decision victory to remind people of his black belt credentials.

Chris Park is mmatorch.com's UK specialist. To visit mmatorch.com, click here.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.