Are you wondering who has the most submissions in UFC history?
In this article, we’ll list the 20 fighters with the most submissions in UFC history and the most submissions in UFC by weight class division.
Contents
Who Has the Most Submissions in UFC History?
Charlies Oliveira has the most submissions in UFC history with 16. He’s closely followed by Demian Maia (11), Jim Miller (11), and Nate Diaz (10). Charles Oliveira has 6 UFC submissions via rear-naked choke, 5 guillotines, 2 anaconda chokes, 1 armbar, 1 triangle choke, and 1 calf slicer.
Here’s a table showing the top 20 fighters with the most submissions in UFC history.
The stats start from UFC 28 as this was when the UFC first used the Unified Rules of MMA and started recording stats.
Therefore, the table doesn’t include the Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend, Royce Gracie, who secured his 10 UFC submissions in the first 4 UFC tournaments.
| Rank | Fighter | UFC Fights | UFC Wins | UFC Submissions | Active |
| 1 | Charles Oliveira | 32 | 22 | 16 | Yes |
| 2 | Demian Maia | 33 | 22 | 11 | No |
| 3 | Jim Miller | 42 | 25 | 11 | Yes |
| 4 | Nate Diaz | 27 | 16 | 10 | No |
| 5 | Gerald Meerschaert | 20 | 10 | 10 | Yes |
| 6 | Frank Mir | 27 | 16 | 8 | No |
| 7 | Gunnar Nelson | 15 | 10 | 8 | Yes |
| 8 | Kenny Florian | 17 | 12 | 7 | No |
| 9 | Cole Miller | 20 | 10 | 7 | No |
| 10 | Joe Lauzon | 27 | 15 | 7 | No |
| 11 | Rani Yahya | 20 | 13 | 7 | Yes |
| 12 | Glover Teixeira | 23 | 16 | 7 | No |
| 13 | Aleksei Oleinik | 17 | 9 | 7 | No |
| 14 | Gillian Robertson | 15 | 9 | 7 | Yes |
| 15 | Paul Craig | 15 | 8 | 6 | Yes |
| 16 | Urijah Faber | 18 | 11 | 6 | No |
| 17 | Donald Cerrone | 38 | 23 | 6 | No |
| 18 | Islam Makhachev | 14 | 13 | 6 | Yes |
| 19 | Rousimar Palhares | 12 | 8 | 6 | No |
| 20 | Chris Lytle | 18 | 10 | 6 | No |
Charles Oliveira has the most submission in UFC history with 16. It’s highly unlikely this record will ever be beaten, especially considering he’s only 33 and still very active.
Behind him are Jim Miller and Gerald Meerschaert, but Jim Miller is 42 years old and close to retiring, and Gerald Meerschaert isn’t consistently winning enough fights.
Who Has the Most Submissions in UFC History by Weight Class Division?
Here’s a table showing the fighters with the most submissions in UFC history by weight class division.
The stats start from UFC 28 as this was when the UFC first used the Unified Rules of MMA and started recording stats.
| Division | Fighter | UFC Submissions | Timeframe |
| Heavyweight | Frank Mir | 8 | 2001-2016 |
| Light heavyweight | Glover Texeira | 7 | 2012-2023 |
| Middleweight | Gerald Meerschaert | 10 | 2016-present |
| Welterweight | Gunnar Nelson | 7 | 2012-present |
| Lightweight | Charles Oliveria | 10 | 2010-present |
| Featherweight | Charles Oliveira | 6 | 2012-2016 |
| Bantamweight | Rani Yahya* | 6 | 2011-present |
| Flyweight | Demetrious Johnson | 5 | 2012-2018 |
| Women’s Featherweight | Amanda Nunes+ | 1 | 2018-present |
| Women’s Bantamweight | Ronda Rousey | 3 | 2013-2016 |
| Women’s Flyweight | Gillian Robertson | 6 | 2017-present |
| Women’s Strawweight | Mackenzie Dern | 4 | 2018-present |
* Urijah Faber also has 6 UFC submissions in the bantamweight division (2011-2019) but Rani Yahya was selected because he’s still active and able to beat the record.
+ Felicia Spencer (2019-present), Macy Chiasson (2018-present), Megan Anderson (2018-2021), and Raquel Pennington (2021-present) all also have 1 submission in the Women’s featherweight division.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Heavyweight Division?
Frank Mir has the most submissions in the UFC heavyweight division with 8.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division?
Glover Teixeira has the most submissions in the UFC light heavyweight division with 7.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Middleweight Division?
Gerald Meerschaert has the most submissions in the UFC middleweight division with 10.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Welterweight Division?
Gunnar Nelson has the most submissions in the UFC welterweight division with 8.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Lightweight Division?
Charles Oliveira has the most submissions in the UFC lightweight division with 10.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Featherweight Division?
Charles Oliveira has the most submissions in the UFC featherweight division with 6.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Bantamweight Division?
Rani Yahya and Urijah Faber have the most submissions in the UFC bantamweight division with 6 each.
Who Has the Most Submissions in the UFC Flyweight Division?
Demetrious Johnson has the most submissions in the UFC flyweight division with 5.
FAQ
How many submissions does Charles Oliveira have?
Charles Oliveira has 16 submissions in the UFC and 21 submissions in his MMA career.
The other 5 submissions were secured in Brazilian MMA promotions: Warriors Challenge (WC), Predador FC, Ring of Combat, First Class Fight, and Jungle Fight.
Who are the current best submission fighters in the UFC? (2023+)
The current best submission fighters in the UFC in 2023 and beyond are Charles Oliveira, Gerald Meerschaert, Gunnar Nelson, Gillian Robertson, Paul Craig, Islam Makhachev, Shavkat Rakhmanov, and Mackenzie Dern.
Who has the most submissions in Women’s UFC History?
Gillian Robertson has the most submissions in women’s UFC history with 7. This is split between 6 in the flyweight division (125 lbs) and 1 in the strawweight division (115 lbs)
What is the fastest submission in UFC history?
The fastest submission in UFC history is 14 seconds in the first round, secured by Ronda Rousey who submitted Cat Zingano at UFC 184 (2015) via straight armbar.
Overall
So, ‘who has the most submissions in UFC history?’
Charlies Oliveira has the most submissions in UFC history with 16. He’s closely followed by Demian Maia (11), Jim Miller (11), and Nate Diaz (10).
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