Submission of the Year – LowKick MMA 2023 Awards
Proving yet another competitive category for nominations this year — LowKick MMA’s staff were widely divided when it came to deciding this annum’s ‘Submission of the Year’.
Drawing a total of four separate nominations, from the likes of stunning championship rallying performances, star-making stoppages, and triumphant Octagon returns, it proved to be another award in the books for undisputed flyweight queen, Alexa Grasso this year — who stopped the dominant run of Valentina Shevchenko with a rallying face crank back in March at UFC 285.
Submission of the Year – Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Alexa Grasso – UFC 285 – Neck Crank – (3 votes)
Stopping the spectacularly dominant run of flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko back in March in a magnificent rallying performance, it proved practice makes perfect for Mexican star, Alexa Grasso at UFC 295 — who drilled a stunning back-take and subseqeunt face crank backstage, before translating the drill into a live-action stoppage.
Dealing with Shevchenko’s pressure and dominance throughout the course of their UFC 285 co-headliner, Grasso, who has since snatched the number one rank in the official pound-for-pound rankings, took the back of the former bantamweight title chaser in the fourth round, and immediately locked up a stunning face crank submission, forcing an eventual tap.
Honorable Mentions –
Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane – UFC 285 – Guillotine Choke – (2 votes)
Snapping his hiatus from the Octagon in his sole appearance this year back in March — atop the card in which Grasso struck gold, Jones minted himself as the new heavyweight champion, locking up a quickfire guillotine submission win over Ciryl Gane in the pair’s vacant title affair.
Yet to return to the Octagon in the time since, Jones, who made his long-anticipated heavyweight debut — turned in a spectacular stoppage win over former interim champion, Gane with just over a minute elapsed in the opening frame, handing the Frenchman his first-ever stoppage loss in mixed martial arts — courtesy of a nasty locking guillotine choke win.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal – UFC 285 – Standing Rear-Naked Choke (2 votes)
Ending the year with a monumental rear-naked choke win over fan-favorite, Stephen Thompson earlier this month, unbeaten Uzbekistan finisher, Shavkat Rakhmonov turned in a standing variation of the choke on the same card as Jones’ and Grasso’s win at UFC 285 — laying waste to Geoff Neal in a testy clash.
Davey Grant vs. Raphael Assuncao – UFC Las Vegas – Inverted Triangle Choke – (2 votes)
Rallying in tremendous fashion with one of the most dynamic submissions of the year, British contender, Davey Grant may have felt hard done by with his submission effort falling short on many list’s — with a technical stoppage of Brazilian veteran, Raphael Assuncao earning him an honorable mention and two votes from the LowKick MMA staff.
Full List Of The LowKick MMA 2023 Submission Of The Year Votes:
- Ross Markey: Jon Jones
- Ian Shutts: Alexa Grasso
- Murdo Todd: Jon Jones
- Craig Pekios: Alexa Grasso
- Makoa Goble: Davey Grant
- Tony King: Alexa Grasso
- Red Pill MMA: Shavkat Rakhmonov
- Michael Owens: Shavkat Rakhmonov
- Danny Podolsky: Davey Grant
