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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 16: Alice Ardelean of Romania reacts after a victory against Polyana Viana of Brazil in a strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on May 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
Welcome to MMAmania’s 2025 Mid-Year Awards! Can you believe 2026 is already half done?
With six months of jaw-dropping action behind us, it is time to celebrate the fighters, fights and moments that have lit up the mixed martial arts (MMA) world so far this year. From stunning upsets and bone-crunching knockouts to rising stars and masterful submissions, 2026 has already delivered plenty of unforgettable highlights.
Let’s dive into the best submission of the year so far. (Note: For knockouts and submissions, I’m all about style over substance.
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Submission of the year: Alice Ardelean vs. Polyana Viana
UFC Vegas 117 – May 16, 2026
I’m not even sure a psychic could have predicted Alice Ardelean would be the owner of the best “Submission of the Year” halfway through 2026, but here we are.
The 34-year-old TikTok star-turned UFC Strawweight scored the first-ever capsule lock in UFC history against Polyana Viana, which essentially functions as a modified calf slicer or knee separator.
Ardelean trapped Viana’s crossed legs and crushed Viana’s calf into the back of her own knee, forcing the tap in one of the strangest and most unique finishes you will ever see inside the Octagon.
It was weird. It was nasty. And most importantly, it was something UFC fans had never seen before.
Sure, there were cleaner submissions, higher-stakes submissions and other rare finishes that deserve love on this list. But when you pull off the first submission of its kind in UFC history, that gets the nod.
Here are a few honorable mentions:
Magomedov vs. Baghdasaryan
In his UFC debut, Murtazali Magomedov made an immediate statement by submitting Melsik Baghdasaryanwith the fourth twister in UFC history at UFC Vegas 119.
Granted, it was more of a Scottish Twister than the usual version fans have seen before, but that almost made it cooler.
Either way, it was an incredible debut for Magomedov and one of the slickest submission finishes of the year.
Almabayev vs. Johnson
Asu Almabayev had already been a solid Flyweight during his UFC run, but his performance against Charles Johnson at UFC Baku made the entire division — and the fanbase — pay attention.
The 32-year-old Kazakh dominated Johnson before locking up just the fourth Suloev stretch in UFC history. Even better, Almabayev became the first fighter to submit Johnson in professional MMA.
Ruziboev vs. Pulyaev
Before UFC Baku, Nursulton Ruziboev had only knocked opponents out inside the Octagon, despite owning far more submission wins across his career.
That finally changed in Azerbaijan.
Ruziboev strangled Andrey Pulyaev unconscious, and while the choke itself was nasty, the aftermath made it even more memorable. Pulyaev was put completely to sleep, creating one of the more brutal submission visuals of the year.
Ruziboev reminded everyone that he is not just a knockout artist.
He can snatch necks, too.
Rousey vs. Carano
We all knew it was coming.
Still, did anyone really expect Ronda Rousey to submit Gina Carano in just 17 seconds?
Both women were competing after extreme layoffs, so maybe there was a chance ring rust would make the fight last a little longer.
Nope.
Rousey charged across the cage, tackled Carano and tapped her almost immediately. It was vintage Rousey, even after all that time away.
The fight did not last long enough to become dramatic, but as far as quick nostalgia-fueled submissions go, it absolutely deserves a mention.
Are any of these submissions the best of the year? Let us know below!
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