Submission of the Year – LowKick MMA 2022 Awards
From all the awards hosted by LowKickMMA this annum, the accolade for Submission of the Year saw the most separate nominations – with a stunning eight separate fight-ending stoppages receiving votes.
However, its former UFC strawweight champion, Jessica Andrade who scoops the award for her most recent victory.
Submission of the Year – Jessica Andrade vs. Amanda Lemos – Standing arm-triangle (3 votes)
Headlining UFC Vegas 52 back in April against compatriot, Amanda Lemos in a return to her former strawweight stomping grounds, Jessica Andrade turned in her second straight victory, stopping her fellow Brazil native with an innovative finish.
Locking up at the Octagon fence in the opening frame, Andrade out-muscled and maneuvered Lemos at the fence, securing a standing arm-triangle submission win. With the victory, Andrade has positioned herself in the running for title challengers at both flyweight and strawweight in the near future.
Honorable Mentions
Stevie Ray vs. Anthony Pettis – Scottish Twister (1 vote)
Turning in both a contender for Submission of the Year as well as arguably the most high-profile win of his professional career, UFC alum, Stevie Ray secured a spectacular, and rare Twister submission win over former WEC and UFC champion, Anthony Pettis.
Twice defeating the Roufusport staple this alum under the banner of the PFL (Professional Fighters League), Ray notched his ninth career submission win with his Twister effort over Pettis in Atlanta.
Ilia Topuria vs. Bryce Mitchell – Arm-triangle (1 vote)
Handing featherweight grappler his first professional loss on the main card of UFC 282 earlier this month, German-born division contender, Ilia Topuria maintained his undefeated record, with a blistering arm-triangle submission win over the TUF alum. Following the brutal, one-sided defeat, Mitchell admitted he was weighing up his future in mixed martial arts entirely.
Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov – Triangle (2 votes)
Enjoyed a mixed bag of success throughout the year in his attempt to climb the light heavyweight rankings, Scottish grappler, Paul Craig submitted former FNG champion, Nikita Krylov with a first-round triangle win at UFC London in March. The victory landed Craig a post-fight Performance of the Night bonus.
Angela Lee vs. Stamp Fairtex – Rear-naked choke (1 vote)
Successfully defending her ONE Championship atomweight championship back in March before eventually dropping a strawweight title challenge loss to Xiong Jing Nan, Angela Lee handed a second-round rear-naked choke to kickboxing talent, Stamp Fairtex. A supreme grappler, Vancouver grappler, Lee matched with striking ace, Fairtex – successfully defending her throne with a rear-naked choke stoppage.
Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje – Rear-naked choke (1 vote)
Former UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira successfully prevented former interim titleholder, Justin Gaethje from obtaining gold in May of this year, however, was unable to exit Phoenix, Arizona with his title.
Missing weight for their UFC 274 title headliner in the ‘Copper State’, Oliveira survived a pair of knockdowns against the Arizonian, to rally and land a knockdown of his own, before securing a rear-naked choke victory.
Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka – Rear-naked choke (2 votes)
Sans hooks, Czech Republic native, Jiri Prochazka managed to land himself the undisputed light heavyweight title at UFC 275 back in June with a buzzer-beating fifth round rear-naked choke win over Glover Teixeira.
Prochazka, who was losing their Singapore fight on all three judges’ scorecards – attempting to win the fifth round and secure a potential draw on the night, managed to take Minas Gerais veteran, Teixeira’s back, and without hooks to boot, submitted the Brazilian to win light heavyweight gold.
Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makahchev – Arm-triangle (1 vote)
Seeing his division-best winning run halted back in October on ‘Fight Island’, Charles Oliveira failed in his bid to become a two-time lightweight titleholder, suffering a rather one-sided second round arm-triangle submission loss to American Kickboxing Academy staple, Islam Makhachev.
Suffering a knockdown in the second frame, Oliveira was jumped upon by Makhachev, who quickly assumed half guard and then stepped across, locking up an arm-triangle submission win.
Frank Bonada: Stevie Ray
Ross Markey: Charles Oliveira
Murdo Todd: Paul Craig
Patrick Post: Jiri Prochazka
Ian Shutts: Paul Craig
Brady Ordway Briggs: Islam Makhachev
Marc Ray: Jessica Andrade
Ollie Brockett: Jessica Andrade
Keelin McNamara: Ilia Topuria
Tim Wheaton: Angela Lee
Arshan Dhillon: Jiri Prochazka
Alex Lough: Jessica Andrade
