MMA Fighting’s 2026 Submission of the Midyear: Murtazali Magomedov’s mind-blowing Scottish twister

Halfway through 2026, MMA Fighting has crowned its midyear submission awards, highlighting three standout finishes that showcase the sport's technical depth. Though no major title bout has been decided by submission so far this year, the variety of submissions—from chokes to body locks to leg locks—has been impressive.

Murtazali Magomedov claimed the No. 1 spot with a stunning Scottish twister in his UFC debut against Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Vegas 119. The featherweight, who made his mark on Dana White's Contender Series with knockout power, demonstrated his dangerous grappling by trapping Baghdasaryan in a body lock and twisting him into the exotic submission that forced a tap.

Asu Almabayev earned the No. 2 award for his submission of Charles Johnson at UFC Baku. The Kazakhstan-based flyweight, who boasts a 7-1 UFC record, controlled Johnson for two rounds before finishing with a Suloev stretch in the third—yanking Johnson's leg over his head with less than two minutes remaining and forcing the submission.

Alice Ardelean took third place for her finish of Polyana Viana at UFC Vegas 117 with a rare Capsule Lock—believed to be the first such submission in UFC history. Ardelean, once criticized as a social-media personality lacking credibility, has quietly built a legitimate fight record and proved doubters wrong by turning Viana's bottom-position body lock into a leg lock submission.

These three submissions represent the diversity of grappling finishing techniques on display in 2026, from traditional holds to innovative leg lock combinations that continue to evolve the sport.