Most Combined Submission Attempts in a UFC Fight

Most submission attempts by both fighters combined in a single fight. UFC bouts with round-by-round data, 1994–present.

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50 record performances
1
TJ Waldburger
TJ Waldburger vs David Mitchell
15 Sep 2010
13
2
Cole Miller
Cole Miller vs Leonard Garcia
19 Sep 2007
10
3
Martin Kampmann
Martin Kampmann vs Carlos Condit
1 Apr 2009
9
3
Hermes Franca vs Richard Crunkilton
25 Apr 2003
9
3
Ivan Salaverry vs Andrei Semenov
10 May 2002
9
6
Jim Miller
Jim Miller vs Benson Henderson
14 Aug 2011
8
6
John Hathaway
John Hathaway vs Rick Story
13 Jun 2009
8
6
Neil Seery
Neil Seery vs Louis Smolka
11 Jul 2015
8
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6
Louis Smolka
Louis Smolka vs Ben Nguyen
13 Jul 2016
8
6
Kendall Grove
Kendall Grove vs Ed Herman
24 Jun 2006
8
6
James Wilks
James Wilks vs DaMarques Johnson
20 Jun 2009
8
6
Tamdan McCrory
Tamdan McCrory vs Luke Cummo
9 Aug 2008
8
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6
Rafaello Oliveira
Rafaello Oliveira vs John Gunderson
2 Jan 2010
8
14
Erik Koch
Erik Koch vs Dustin Poirier
31 Aug 2013
7
14
Demian Maia
Demian Maia vs Jason MacDonald
9 Aug 2008
7

The most submission attempts ever recorded in a single UFC fight — relentless hunting for the finish, whether or not the tap came.

The Most Submission Attempts in a Single UFC Fight

Some grapplers do not just control — they hunt. This record book ranks the most active submission performances in UFC history by total submission attempts in a single bout, by one fighter and by both combined.

A fight with eight or ten submission attempts is a relentless finishing chase, where a grappler threatens the tap from every position while an opponent scrambles to survive. Use the Single Fighter and Combined tabs and the division filter to explore the most dangerous grappling nights on record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the record for the most combined submission attempts in a UFC fight?
TJ Waldburger and David Mitchell, with 13 submission attempts between them. Set at UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs Palhares, September 2010. Second: Cole Miller vs Leonard Garcia (10). Measured over UFC bouts with round-by-round statistics recorded on MMA.SOCIAL. A bout with no per-round data cannot appear here.
What counts as a submission attempt?
A submission attempt is logged whenever a fighter actively applies or works for a submission hold — a choke, armbar, leglock, or similar — with real intent to finish. Fleeting grips are not counted; the stat reflects genuine finishing threats.
Why do some grappling fights have so many attempts without a finish?
Elite grapplers defend submissions as well as they attack them, so a top-tier scrambler can chain five, eight, or ten attempts against an opponent skilled enough to survive each one. Those fights become breathless back-and-forth chess matches that top this list.
Does the fighter with the most submission attempts usually win?
Usually, but not always: constant submission threats tend to sway the judges and often lead to the finish, yet a determined defender can survive to a decision. Every row links to the fight page, so you can see when the finish-hunting paid off and when the opponent escaped.
What is the difference between the single and combined records?
The single view counts one fighter's submission attempts in a bout; the combined view adds both fighters together, which surfaces the scrambles where both athletes were hunting a finish rather than one grappler working on a defender.
Most Submission Attempts in a UFC Fight - top 10 (MMA.SOCIAL): 1. Cole Miller vs Leonard Garcia (10), 2. Hermes Franca vs Richard Crunkilton (9), 3. Ivan Salaverry vs Andrei Semenov (8), 3. James Wilks vs DaMarques Johnson (8), 5. Stefan Struve vs Denis Stojnic (7), 5. Louis Smolka vs Ben Nguyen (7), 5. Chas Skelly vs Sean Soriano (7), 5. Evan Dunham vs Sean Sherk (7), 5. Ryan Hall vs Darrick Minner (7), 5. Tim Credeur vs Nick Catone (7)
Most Submission Attempts in a UFC Fight - top 10, updated Oct 26, 2026.
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Most Submission Attempts in a UFC Fight: top 10

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What is the record for the most combined submission attempts in a UFC fight?

TJ Waldburger and David Mitchell, with 13 submission attempts between them.

Set at UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs Palhares, September 2010. Second: Cole Miller vs Leonard Garcia (10).

Measured over UFC bouts with round-by-round statistics recorded on MMA.SOCIAL. A bout with no per-round data cannot appear here.