Missed Fists: Rarely seen D’Arce choke variation leads list of one-of-a-kind submissions

Welcome to the latest edition of Missed Fists where we shine a light on fights from across the globe that may have been overlooked in these hectic times where it seems like there’s an MMA show every other day.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in MMA, some joker comes along and finds a new way to contort or clobber their opponents. This week, we lead off with the former, as we have a handful of rare submissions that beggar belief and defy description. You’re free to give these your best guess though or just come up with whatever name you want for them.

(Big thanks as always to @Barrelelapierna for their weekly lists of the best KOs and submissions, and to @Grabaka_Hitman for uploading many of the clips you see here. Give them a follow and chip in on Patreon if you can.)

Buck Mitchell vs. James Douglas
Mauricio Almeida vs. Rodrigo de Moura
Samvel Sargasyan vs. Bahadour Shahbazi

AL: You know when you have to tap out with your foot that you’re in a bad way.

From B2 Fighting Series 147 in Springfield, Mo., that’s Buck “Spartan” Mitchell putting the clamps on James “Busta” Douglas (I swear, these are real people with real names). As near as we can tell, it’s kind of a D’Arce grip combined with Mitchell planting his knee on the other side of Douglas’ neck.

Either way, Douglas sensed danger and wisely tapped to get the hell out of there.

JM: Not sure I’ve ever seen someone place their knee down like that while the guy was holding a front headlock, but well done. Especially when you consider that Mitchell hadn’t fought since 2013. Not sure why inspired him to come back after nearly a decade off, but his return to MMA at least went better than when Chuck Liddell did the same thing.

AL: Low bar.

Not to be outdone, Mauricio Almeida scored one of the year’s weirdest submissions at Jungle Fight 105 in Amazonas, Brazil with this 30-second choke out of Rodrigo de Moura.

What was that???

JM: Again, jamming a blunt object into the carotid artery is super effective at rendering someone unconscious. Mitchell did it with his knee, Almeida with his head. Potato-Potato.

AL: According to Tapology, de Moura is just 19 years old and has been fighting professionally since 2018. This is also the fifth time he’s lost by submission (3) or knockout (2). I’m not sure what to make of all that information, but it feels like the poor kid is the kind of fighter that this sort of finish was bound to happen to.

JM: I know what to make of that information: de Moura’s teammates and/or friends need to start looking out for their boy. He’s not a fighter.

AL: Straight-up intervention time.

Over at Armenian Fighting Championship’s Fight Fest 4 event (free replay available on YouTube), Samvel Sargasyan gave us a submission that we see all the time, but with a nasty twist at the end.

And I do mean nasty twist. That’s the sort of thing that could seriously injure someone. Do better next time, Sargasyan.

JM: Holy sh… crap. I’m not even joking, I thought Sargasyan killed him. He’s lucky that dude’s corner didn’t jump him. That was entirely unnecessary and terrifying. Just drop the unconscious man instead of slinging him by the neck. Jay Zeus.

Odie Delaney vs. Thomas Narmo
Danial Williams vs. Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke

AL: One more submission to highlight here as we check out ONE Championship’s “Bad Blood” event in Singapore.

JM: Just once I’d like to see an event labeled “Good Blood.”

AL: Everybody getting along, we got that good blood.

Heavyweight Odie Delaney was making his promotional debut and he definitely impressed, putting Thomas Narmo away in just over a minute with a sweet hammerlock submission.

JM: That one took me a while to realize what was happening in the clip, I think in part because my brain never comprehended that a man’s arm would go that far back in the first place. I’m a little surprised Delaney was even able to get the submission because if I were him I’d have stopped torquing it long before he did, assuming that Narmo was actually Gumby in a clever disguise.

AL: If you want to learn more about Delaney, check out Damon Martin’s outstanding feature about the first responder-turned-fighter and how he’s working on his mental health.

And if you just want to see more people getting hurt, well you can check out this body shot knockout from Danial Williams.

I can’t tell you exactly what Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke was thinking at that moment, but I imagine it’s something like, “I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine ow ow ow call an ambulance please.”

JM: That’s the truest of all body shot KOs right there, the delayed reaction implosion. One of the reasons I’m so in love with the body shot is the charm of watching someone be totally fine and then be instantly not a moment later. The delayed reaction really is beautiful to watch.

Jose Johnson vs. Dulani Perry
John Yannis vs. Gabriel Echavarry

AL: On to more knockouts, we have previous Missed Fists standout Jose Johnson (remember this all-time great standing hammerfist?) once again making his mark, this time with a 12-second finish of Dulani Perry at Fury FC 57 (available on UFC Fight Pass) in Humble, Texas.

JM: I have to assume that given his 14-7 record, and some of the losses I see on it, that this kid isn’t really a great fighter, but damn if he isn’t a great action fighter. When he’s putting on a show, he is putting on a show. Perhaps if he went by his given name, Zhakwarius Ya’myl Jose Johnson, the big show would be calling, because that name is awesome.

AL: I don’t know if Johnson is ever going to put together the kind of run that gets him to the big show (he did the Contender Series in 2020 and was thrown in front of the Ronnie Lawrence train), but my goodness he’s fun to watch wherever he ends up.

Our Humpty Dumpty Fall of the Week comes courtesy of John Yannis, who made Gabriel Echavarry pay for leaving his chin way out there.

That’s a dip worthy of the Drag Race runway.

JM: How are you gonna name your child John Yannis? Jan Yannis was right there! Instead of alliterative fun you go for tongue-twisting complexity? Tsk Tsk. I bet that’s why he hit Echavarry so hard, he was jealous of the name.

AL: And we know that Jan Yannis is a champion’s name if there ever was one.

Esteban Ribovics vs. Franco Aranda

AL: Our Humpty Dumpty runner-up took place at Samurai Fight House 3 in Buenos Aires as undefeated Argentinian Esteban Ribovics spun Franco Aranda around with a left hand bomb.

JM: Oooh, I don’t know. This one might take the Humpty Dumpty for me. I give bonus points for fights that happen in the middle of what looks like an abandoned shopping mall. Also, anytime I think about Buenos Aires, I’m reminded of Earth’s greatest hero, Johnny Rico.

AL: “Come on, you apes, you want to live forever?”

Ribovics is only 25 and now 10-0 as a pro. He’s coming along nicely too as his past three opponents had a combined record of 44-17-1.

Ramon Cardozo vs. Fernando Saavedra

From Lux Fight League 20 (available on UFC Fight Pass) in Cancun, Mexico, here’s a good one from Ramon Cardozo.

Y’all know about step-in elbows, but have you ever tried stepping into an elbow? Well, don’t!

JM: Honestly, I’m incredibly impressed that Saavedra wasn’t immediately unconscious. He took a full-on hellbow right to the chin and somehow his synapses didn’t immediately combust.

Otari Tanzilovi vs. Rafael Ribeiro Suares

At a Georgian Fighting Championship event (free replay on YouTube), Otari Tanzilovi scored what could end up being the best head kick knockout of the year as he landed this gorgeous walk-off switch kick on Rafael Ribeiro Suares.

JM: I think I have previously argued that wheel kicks are the coolest KOs because of the spin but I’m starting to reconsider that view, namely because of how childish switch kicks look. Seriously, if a grown man didn’t immediately get flattened because of it, Tanzilovi (great name) would look like a first-grader mimicking some Jet Li nonsense. Patently ridiculous how effective it can be.

Piotr Olszynka vs. Kamil Korzeniowski

AL: Not quite as elegant was Piotr Olszynka’s upkick KO of Kamil Korzeniowski.

And yet, just as potent.

JM: As is often the case in MMA, I’m struck by the wise words of the villainous Count Adhemar: “No style whatsoever – neither has an anvil.”

Renato Gomes vs. Alexey Shurkevich
Roman Arakelyan vs. Vitaliy Chesnokov

AL: I would hope these last two finishes weren’t missed since MMA Fighting covered one of them earlier this week, but I C Y M I…

That’s Renato Gomes hitting a disgusting spinning backfist off of a low kick, the perfect homage to Alexander Shlemenko in the main event of Shlemenko FC 3 in Omsk, Russia.

JM: DAMN. That was nasty. That’s the KO of the Week for me, even over the switch kick.

AL: And because it’s Shlemenko FC, Gomes wasn’t the only one spinning and winning.

Check out this spectacular effort from Roman Arakelyan.

JM: Man, you’ve got to respect that fighters at Shlemenko FC really know how to live up to the brand.

AL: If you want to catch more dizzying action, a full replay of Shlemenko FC 3 is available on YouTube.

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If you know of a recent fight or event that you think may have been overlooked, or a promotion that could use some attention, please let us know on Twitter – @JedKMeshew and @AlexanderKLee – using the hashtag #MissedFists.