Most Combined Submission Attempts in a UFC Fight
The most submission attempts ever recorded in a single UFC fight — relentless hunting for the finish, whether or not the tap came.
50 record performances
1
TJ Waldburger vs David Mitchell
13
Sub Attempts
2
Cole Miller vs Leonard Garcia
10
Sub Attempts
3
Ivan Salaverry vs Andrei Semenov
9
Sub Attempts
4
Martin Kampmann vs Carlos Condit
9
Sub Attempts
5
Hermes Franca vs Richard Crunkilton
9
Sub Attempts
6
Louis Smolka vs Ben Nguyen
8
Sub Attempts
7
Kendall Grove vs Ed Herman
8
Sub Attempts
8
John Hathaway vs Rick Story
8
Sub Attempts
9
Tamdan McCrory vs Luke Cummo
8
Sub Attempts
10
Neil Seery vs Louis Smolka
8
Sub Attempts
11
Rafaello Oliveira vs John Gunderson
8
Sub Attempts
12
Jim Miller vs Benson Henderson
8
Sub Attempts
13
James Wilks vs DaMarques Johnson
8
Sub Attempts
14
John Albert vs Yaotzin Meza
7
Sub Attempts
15
Ryan Hall vs Darrick Minner
7
Sub Attempts
16
Yves Jabouin vs Dustin Pague
7
Sub Attempts
17
Kalindra Faria vs Jessica Eye
7
Sub Attempts
18
Sean Sherk vs Evan Dunham
7
Sub Attempts
19
Sean Soriano vs Chas Skelly
7
Sub Attempts
20
Erik Koch vs Dustin Poirier
7
Sub Attempts
21
Dennis Bermudez vs Steven Siler
7
Sub Attempts
22
Demian Maia vs Jason MacDonald
7
Sub Attempts
23
Tim Credeur vs Nick Catone
7
Sub Attempts
24
Mirsad Bektic vs Damon Jackson
7
Sub Attempts
25
Alex Caceres vs Edwin Figueroa
7
Sub Attempts
26
Matt Grice vs Jason Black
7
Sub Attempts
27
Lyoto Machida vs Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
7
Sub Attempts
28
Stefan Struve vs Denis Stojnic
7
Sub Attempts
29
Steven Siler vs Darren Elkins
7
Sub Attempts
30
Jim Miller vs David Baron
6
Sub Attempts
31
Matt Brown vs James Wilks
6
Sub Attempts
32
Jeff Hougland vs Donny Walker
6
Sub Attempts
33
Russell Doane vs Jerrod Sanders
6
Sub Attempts
34
TJ Dillashaw vs Walel Watson
6
Sub Attempts
35
Joe Lauzon vs Brandon Melendez
6
Sub Attempts
36
Josh Sampo vs Ryan Benoit
6
Sub Attempts
37
Youssef Zalal vs Ilia Topuria
6
Sub Attempts
38
Beneil Dariush vs Thiago Moises
6
Sub Attempts
39
Jacob Volkmann vs Efrain Escudero
6
Sub Attempts
40
Georges St-Pierre vs Dan Hardy
6
Sub Attempts
41
Hu Yaozong vs Andre Petroski
6
Sub Attempts
42
Loopy Godinez vs Elise Reed
6
Sub Attempts
43
Matt Hughes vs Chris Lytle
6
Sub Attempts
44
Thales Leites vs Pete Sell
6
Sub Attempts
45
Rob Broughton vs Vinicius Queiroz
6
Sub Attempts
46
Jon Fitch vs Paulo Thiago
6
Sub Attempts
47
Marion Reneau vs Talita Bernardo
6
Sub Attempts
48
Alex Chambers vs Nadia Kassem
6
Sub Attempts
49
Kevin Holland vs Gerald Meerschaert
6
Sub Attempts
50
Luigi Fioravanti vs Brodie Farber
6
Sub Attempts
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 most submission attempts in a single UFC fight?
The single-fight submission-attempts record reaches ten attempts, set by Cole Miller in a 2007 grappling clinic — an incredible rate of finish-hunting, threatening the tap over and over across the bout without ever letting his opponent settle.
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 most submission attempts usually win the fight?
Constant submission threats typically sway the judges and often lead to the finish, but a determined defender can survive to a decision. Each row shows the result so you can see when the finish-hunting paid off and when the opponent escaped.