Crazy video: MMA fighter rolls for heel hook, submits himself

Just as sports host some of the most incredible physical achievements in the realm of man, they’re also the arena of some of humanity’s greatest lowlights. For every circus catch, wall-climbing outfield grab, or tackle breaking touchdown run, there’s a botched snap, an unforced fumble on the goal line, or a catcher taking a foul tip right to the balls.

The same is true for MMA as well. Sure there’s Demetrious Johnson’s flying armbar, or Yair Rodriguez’s up-elbow KO, but we also have that time Jarred Brooks knocked himself out trying a highlight slam, or that time Ion Cutelaba got TKO’d by his own over-enthusiastic acting chops.

MMA fighter Luiz Claudio submits himself

Sure this one didn’t happen at the highest levels of the sport, but it’s just so weird and unexpected, it couldn’t be ignored. This past Sunday, October 29th at Fight Music Show: Fight Night 2 in Curitiba, Brazil, 4-2-1 pro MMA fighter Luiz Claudio faced off in a lightweight prelim against 9-1 Yabna N’Tchala.

Just over a minute into the fight, the Brazilian found himself on his back, rolling for a kneebar against N’Tchala. A leg entanglement ensued, with Claudio searching for a potential heel hook. Only, he had his feet so badly crossed up around his opponent’s leg that when he cranked for the submission, he was the one that ended up having to tap.

Honest to god, never seen anything like it before.

Swords though?

The centerpiece of the Fight Music Show card was a four-man one-night kickboxing tournament, won by 12-6 pro MMA fighter Dioginis ‘Overeem’ Souza. But the real highlight of the whole event has to be the medieval knight fights event in the middle of the card, between two swordsmen wielding real steel and some heavy padding.

I’m not sure exactly who won this ren-fest nonsense, but my personal scorecard goes to the dude in the black pants for landing four or five uncontested right hands in close.

To my memory, we haven’t yet seen a self submission in the UFC. But with the increasing numbers of raw talent getting picked up off the Contender Series lately, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before someone replicates this kind of comedy masterclass in the Octagon.

Zane Simon

Zane Simon is a senior editor, writer, and podcaster for Bloody Elbow. He has worked with the website since 2013, taking on a wide variety of roles. A lifelong combat sports fan, Zane has trained off & on in both boxing and Muay Thai. He currently hosts the long-running MMA Vivisection podcast, which he took over from Nate Wilcox & Dallas Winston in 2015, as well as the 6th Round podcast, started in 2014. Zane is also responsible for developing and maintaining the ‘List of current UFC fighters’ on Bloody Elbow, a resource he originally developed for Wikipedia in 2010.

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