The MMA Plus team select their end of year awards for 2016. In this edition, the staff members select their submission of the year picks. But will the team agree on a majority winner?
The categories for the MMA Plus awards are: Fighter of the year, Coach of the year, Fight of the year, Event of the year, Upset of the year, Knockout of the year, Submission of the year, Breakout star of 2016.
MMA Plus 2016 Submission of the Year picks
Seán Ryan: Ben Rothwell (Gogo chole, vs. Josh Barnett) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader
Ben Rothwell’s gogo choke over Josh Barnett. Nobody submits Barnett, but “Big Ben: did and made it look easy. It was a great night for the rather terrifying Heavyweight who capped off a four-fight win streak, all by finish and all over top ranked Heavyweights.
Stuart Rodger: Mackenzie Dern (Imanari, vs. Montana Stewart) Legacy 61
Rising MMA start and BJJ phenom Mackenzie Dern blew up the internet in October with a 2-in-1 first round submission victory in only her second pro MMA fight. Dern utilised a tight rubber guard to tie up an arm, contorted Stewart’s body and sunk in a perfectly-timed imanari choke. That’s two first-round submission finishes in one!
Roberto Reid: Nate Diaz (Rear-naked-choke, vs. Conor McGregor) UFC 196
With all the trash talk in the build-up; and even in the fight while it lasted, the epic finish from Nate Diaz to submit Conor McGregor at UFC 196 and hand him his first UFC defeat gets my nod for sub of the year.
Andreas Georgiou: Mackenzie Dern (Imanari, vs. Montana Stewart) Legacy 61
It’s hard to look past Dern when considering the 2016 submission of the year. The high-level BJJ expert initially attempted an omoplata on Montana Stewart, but following a slight struggle, she adjusted the submission to sink in an imanari choke, a rare finishing move in the world of MMA. I’d say we can expect more elite submission finishes from Dern in 2017.
Stephen Flynn: Miesha Tate (Rear-naked-choke, vs. Holly Holm) UFC 196
Due to sheer determination and what stakes were up for grabs Miesha Tate’s last-gasp submission victory over Holly Holm for the women’s bantamweight title is what gets my pick for submission of the year. Although it wasn’t the most advanced submission, Tate who was about to be on the receiving end of a heavy points loss took only a moment to sink in the RNC to be crowned women’s champion.
Majority Decision: Mackenzie Dern gets two votes and takes the majority vote for MMA Plus’ 2016 submission of the year.
