Top 10 Rarest Techniques in Modern MMA — With Documented Finishes
The Twister submission has been used to finish exactly one fight in UFC or WEC history: Chan Sung Jung's spinal-crank finish over Leonard Garcia at WEC 48 in January 2011. The Von Flue Choke, the Gogoplata, the flying triangle, and the other techniques on this list count their documented major-promotion finishes in the single digits across twenty-plus years of globally broadcast MMA. This article identifies the ten rarest finishing techniques in modern MMA, explains the mechanics that make each effective, and documents the fights where they appeared.
Why Rare Techniques Exist in MMA
Modern MMA has converged on a short list of high-percentage finishers: rear naked choke, guillotine, arm triangle, armbar, and cross-hook combinations account for the large majority of all finishes in major promotions. This convergence is rational — coaches teach what finishes fights at the highest rate. Rare techniques persist for three reasons:
- Specialist practitioners bring technique sets from niche systems (10th Planet BJJ, catch wrestling, Shooto leg-lock culture) that opponents haven't drilled specific defenses against.
- Opportunistic positioning creates conditions that cannot be engineered reliably but cannot be defended when they suddenly appear.
- Risk-reward miscalibration — several techniques require exposing the user to danger during setup, making them irrational as primary weapons even when effective in principle.
Understanding rare techniques closes defensive blind spots. An opponent who has never drilled the Von Flue Choke defense will not recognize it until the submission is locked. For a baseline on which submissions finish fights most often, contrast this list with the top-10 highest-percentage submissions by success rate. The overlap between the two lists is near zero.
A parallel exists in weapons history: the most effective battlefield tools were standardized, not exotic. The polearms catalog demonstrates this — the spear and halberd dominated while ornate weapons remained specialist items. MMA's finishing economy runs on the same logic.
History: Where Rare MMA Techniques Come From
Rare techniques in MMA trace through three channels.
Submission grappling's laboratory. ADCC, EBI, and Polaris give competitors time to execute complex submissions that MMA's pacing and striking threat make impractical. The Twister, Gogoplata, and Omoplata each demonstrated viability in submission-only formats before migrating (rarely) to MMA.
Cross-art imports. Catch wrestling contributed the conceptual ancestor of the Von Flue Choke. Shooto's leg-lock culture in Japan produced Imanari's rolling heel hook entries in the late 1990s — techniques so unusual that early UFC and WEC competitors had no systematic defense.
Opportunism. Jason Von Flue described recognizing the Von Flue Choke opportunity in real time — not as a pre-planned attack but as a reaction to the opponent's guillotine attempt. Several techniques on this list share that character: not trained as primary attacks, but recognized and applied by experienced practitioners in specific moments.
Many of these techniques also have regulatory history — earlier eras of the sport restricted certain positions before rules were refined. For context on how bans shaped which techniques survived, see the most banned techniques in combat sports history.
The 10 Rarest Techniques
1. The Twister (Spinal Rotation Lock)
A spinal crank applied from the truck position: the attacker hooks both opponent's legs with one leg, extends the top leg across the opponent's upper back, and rotates the lumbar spine laterally while pulling the head in the opposite direction.
Mechanics: Human lumbar vertebrae permit approximately 5–7 degrees of axial rotation per segment under normal conditions. The Twister applies simultaneous rotation across multiple segments, producing compressive and shear loading that exceeds tolerable limits.
Documented MMA finish: Chan Sung Jung ("Korean Zombie") vs. Leonard Garcia, WEC 48, January 11, 2011 — the only documented Twister finish in WEC or UFC history through 2024.
Why rare: Reaching and maintaining the truck position in a live MMA fight is sufficiently difficult that practitioners who achieve it almost always switch to a rear naked choke or body triangle, both of which finish at higher rates.
See: /techniques/submission/crank-and-twist-lock
2. Von Flue Choke
An opportunistic carotid choke applied when the opponent, on the bottom, reaches for a guillotine. The top practitioner passes the guard, drives their shoulder blade into the exposed side of the opponent's neck, and posts an arm to the mat, using bodyweight to compress the carotid artery against the opponent's own arm.
Mechanics: The opponent's guillotine grip inadvertently pins their own neck in place. The top practitioner's shoulder applies one-sided carotid pressure combined with structural cranking from the arm position.
Documented MMA finishes: Jason Von Flue vs. Alex Karalexis, UFC 58, March 4, 2006 (the technique's eponymous fight). Josh Neer used it against Mac Danzig at UFC 97 (2009). Several subsequent documented uses in UFC and regional promotions; worldwide, still counted in dozens.
Why rare: Requires the opponent to (a) pull a guillotine from a poor position and (b) fail to finish it while the top player passes. Both conditions must coincide.
See: /techniques/submission/choke-and-strangle-lock
3. Gogoplata
A submission applied from guard by placing the shin across the opponent's throat and pulling the head down with both arms behind the neck. Uses the shin bone as a choking bar against the larynx and carotid arteries simultaneously.
Mechanics: Requires sufficient hip flexibility to elevate the shin past the opponent's shoulder from the bottom position. The finishing mechanism — shin ridge on throat — differs structurally from all arm-based chokes.
Documented MMA finish: Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi, Pride Shockwave 2007, December 31, 2007. Diaz locked the Gogoplata from full guard and Gomi tapped (the result was altered by post-fight drug testing, but the technical submission was recorded). Shinya Aoki used Gogoplata variations in Shooto. UFC Gogoplata finishes remain among the rarest submission categories on record.
Why rare: Extreme hip flexibility required. Opponents posture up the moment they recognize shin placement near the face, breaking contact before the lock closes.
4. Flying Triangle (Jumping Sankaku-Jime)
A triangle choke set up by jumping from a standing position and locking both legs around the opponent's neck and one arm in mid-air, typically as a counter to an off-balance opponent in the clinch.
Mechanics: Identical finishing mechanism to the ground triangle — one carotid compressed by leg, the other by the opponent's own shoulder — but the entry removes all ground-based setup options.
Documented MMA finish: Reza Madadi vs. Michael Johnson, UFC on Fuel TV 9, April 6, 2013. Jon Jones attempted a jump-knee-to-triangle variation against Vitor Belfort at UFC 152 (September 22, 2012).
Why rare: A telegraphed jump allows the opponent to sprawl, step back, or execute a slam counter. The technique appears almost exclusively as a reactive counter, not a pre-planned attack.
5. Imanari Roll (Rolling Heel Hook Entry)
A ground-entry technique where the practitioner drops to the mat and rolls directly into a heel hook or calf slicer against a standing opponent. Named after Masakazu Imanari, who developed the entry in Japanese Shooto and Pancrase competition in the early 2000s.
Mechanics: The roll creates direct access to the outside heel or 50/50 position faster than a standing opponent can sprawl. The attacker falls to the side while trapping the lead leg, then completes the heel hook.
Documented use: Masakazu Imanari used this entry across dozens of Shooto/Pancrase bouts. Garry Tonon brought it to ONE Championship, finishing Shinya Aoki in 2019 via leg lock chain that included this entry. UFC Imanari Roll finishes remain uncommon even as leg lock culture has advanced since 2019.
Why rare: The roll exposes the attacker's back and legs; a wrestler who recognizes it can step over and apply a mounted guillotine counter. Elite finishing ability from the entangled position is prerequisite.
See: /techniques/takedown/rolling-entry
6. Peruvian Necktie
A front-headlock crank-choke hybrid: from the front headlock position, the attacker hooks one leg over the opponent's back, then rotates and pulls the head across the body while extending. Combines cervical cranking with partial carotid compression.
Documented MMA use: Chad Mendes, UFC Fight Night 3 (2006). Tony Ferguson has used variations. Ryan Bader and B.J. Penn have attempted versions. Finishes remain uncommon relative to the frequency of front-headlock positions in MMA.
Why rare: The leg hook setup requires time the opponent will not allow from a standard front headlock. Most fighters pass immediately to a standard guillotine or abandon the position.
7. Omoplata (as Finish)
A shoulder lock from guard: the bottom player swings one leg over the opponent's arm, locks it against the thigh with the knee crook, and rotates the hips to apply torque to the rotator cuff and glenohumeral joint. Extremely common as a BJJ competition submission; almost never finishes in MMA.
Why rare as a finish: The roll-through escape is biomechanically available and fast — rolling removes the shoulder stress before tapping becomes necessary. In MMA, the opponent can also slam the bottom player to break the position. The armbar, applied from the same guard position, finishes at dramatically higher rates. For a full breakdown of how the armbar works and why it converts where the Omoplata does not, see what is the armbar and why it works.
8. Crucifix Choke
From the crucifix position — attacker trapping both opponent's arms, one with the legs and one with the near arm — a rear naked choke or arm-in choke is applied to a completely defenseless neck. The submission's power comes from the opponent's inability to hand-fight the choke entry.
Documented MMA finishes: Nate Marquardt vs. Ivan Salaverry, UFC Fight Night 6, August 17, 2006. Aaron Rosa and Dan Lauzon have also finished opponents from the crucifix in UFC events.
Why rare: Trapping both arms simultaneously requires the opponent to be turtled with arms occupied defending another threat. Experienced fighters escape individual arm traps before both are locked.
9. Suloev Stretch
A lumbar hyperextension lock: from double underhooks behind the opponent, the attacker links hands at the opponent's lower abdomen, drives their hips into the opponent's lower back, and lifts-and-pulls the hips forward, producing lumbar spine hyperextension.
Documented MMA use: Amar Suloev used variations in Pride FC in the early 2000s. Ryan Hall has attempted related standing spinal lock variations. Palhares used hip-control setups approximating this mechanic. Pure, isolated Suloev Stretch finishes at top-level MMA are among the rarest categories in the database.
Why rare: Practitioners who achieve double underhooks from behind almost universally transition to a back take and rear naked choke — a faster, higher-probability finish than engineering the Suloev Stretch extension.
10. Flying Armbar
A jumping armbar entry from standing: the attacker leaps, wraps both legs around the opponent's arm mid-air, and falls into the standard armbar position. Finishing mechanics are identical to the ground armbar — elbow hyperextension — but the entry removes the guard-based setup chain.
Documented MMA use: Flying armbar finishes appear in regional promotions (Shooto, smaller promotions in Japan and South America). Anderson Silva and Rousimar Palhares have attempted variations in UFC settings. Verified standing flying armbar finishes in the UFC remain among the rarest categories in the promotion's public records.
Why rare: The jump is visually telegraphed; any competent grappler who sees it commits to a slam counter or a step-back that breaks the leg lock before it is set.
See: /techniques/submission/joint-lock/arm-lock
Rarity and Mechanics Summary
| Technique | Mechanism | Approx. UFC/Major Promo Finishes | Primary Counter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twister | Spinal rotation lock | 1 (WEC) | Pass to RNC before truck is secured |
| Von Flue Choke | Opportunistic carotid | < 10 | Don't pull guillotine from a bad bottom position |
| Gogoplata | Shin-on-throat | < 5 | Posture up when shin approaches face |
| Flying Triangle | Jump triangle | < 5 | Sprawl or slam on recognition |
| Imanari Roll | Rolling heel hook entry | Growing; < 10 | Mounted guillotine step-over |
| Peruvian Necktie | Crank-choke hybrid | < 10 | Prevent leg hook setup |
| Omoplata finish | Shoulder rotation | < 5 | Roll through |
| Crucifix Choke | Both-arms-trapped choke | < 10 | Escape one arm before both are locked |
| Suloev Stretch | Lumbar hyperextension | Extremely rare | Spin out of double underhooks |
| Flying Armbar | Standing jump armbar | Extremely rare | Slam or step back on recognition |
Common Misconceptions
- "Rare means ineffective." The Von Flue Choke is rare because the setup is uncommon, not because it fails to produce taps. It finishes quickly when the setup appears.
- "These are YouTube techniques that don't work in fights." Every technique on this list has documented, on-record competition finishes against trained opponents.
- "Drilling rare techniques makes beginners more dangerous." The opposite. A beginner who drills flying armbars instead of armbar defense and hip escapes is handicapping themselves for years.
- "MMA rules banned most of these." Not accurate. The Twister, Von Flue, and Gogoplata are legal under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Some historically restricted techniques are catalogued at most banned techniques in combat sports history.
- "The Imanari Roll is just a desperation move." Masakazu Imanari built a professional career around this entry over 25+ years of competition. Garry Tonon and Ryan Hall have used it at the highest levels of submission grappling. It is a deliberate positional technique with a systematic setup chain.
FAQ
Why doesn't the UFC see these techniques more if they work? The setup cost of a Twister or Gogoplata exceeds the benefit. The same finishing outcome — unconscious or tapping opponent — is achievable faster and with less exposure via a rear naked choke or standard armbar. Coaches optimize for expected value per second of positional risk. Rare techniques don't outperform standard techniques in expected value; they only match them while costing more setup time.
Can I learn these without a solid grappling base? No. Each technique requires prerequisite positional knowledge that takes months to years: back control (Twister, Crucifix), guard (Gogoplata, flying triangle, Omoplata), front headlock (Von Flue, Peruvian Necktie), leg entanglement sensitivity (Imanari Roll). Attempting rare techniques without that base produces failed entries that leave the practitioner in compromised positions.
Which technique is closest to entering mainstream MMA use? The Imanari Roll. Leg lock culture in MMA has advanced substantially since 2019, driven by Garry Tonon, Ryan Hall, and the Danaher Death Squad's systematic heel hook curriculum. The rolling entry is now trained in gyms following the modern leg lock curriculum. It remains rare relative to fundamental heel hooks but is growing faster than any other technique on this list.
Are all these techniques legal in MMA? Yes, under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The UFC's rules prohibit heel strikes to the back of the head, fish-hooking, and biting — not submission types. The Twister, Von Flue, Gogoplata, and all others listed here are permitted.
How is the Omoplata different from an armbar in terms of finish probability? The armbar — two-on-one arm control from guard with legs locked across the chest — removes the opponent's roll-through option via the leg lock. The Omoplata applies shoulder stress from one side with the legs, leaving the opponent's free arm available to post on the mat and initiate the roll. The roll-through is fast and instinctive. The armbar finish requires the opponent to actively resist the arm extension while the Omoplata finish requires the opponent to resist both the shoulder stress and the decision to roll. At the speed of live MMA, rolling is faster than tapping.
References
- UFCStats.com. Fight statistics database. Public finish records by technique. Accessed 2024.
- Bravo, E. (2006). Mastering the Rubber Guard: Jiu-Jitsu for Mixed Martial Arts Competition. Victory Belt Publishing. ISBN 978-0977731220. Twister and Gogoplata setup documentation.
- Association of Boxing Commissions. (2009). Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Publicly available via abcboxing.com. Technique legality reference.
- Danaher, J. (2019). Enter the System: Leg Locks (instructional video series). BJJ Fanatics. Modern Imanari Roll and heel hook systematization.
- Svinth, J.R. (2002). "A Chronological History of the Martial Arts and Combative Sports." EJMAS: Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences. Historical technique evolution documentation.
- Poliakoff, M.B. (1987). Combat Sports in the Ancient World. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-06312-7. Historical cross-discipline competition context.
- Tapology.com and Sherdog Fight Finder. Career records and fight results (Imanari, Madadi, Von Flue, Jung). Public databases accessed 2024.
Fight Encyclopedia documents over 15,000 techniques across nine fighting classes. Browse /techniques/submission for the full submission taxonomy, including every choke, joint lock, crank, and compression lock in the database.