MMAjunkie's 'Submission of the Month' for May 2014

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMAjunkie takes a look at the best submissions from May 1-31. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMAjunkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for May 2014

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for “Submission of the Month.”

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THE NOMINEES

Darrion Caldwell def. Joe Pingitore at Bellator 118

Highly touted featherweight prospect Darrion Caldwell displayed brilliant scrambling ability before submitting Joe Pingitore with a rear-naked choke at Bellator 118. Caldwell is a former NCAA national champion in wrestling and he showed off some of that world-class grappling by stringing several techniques together before taking the back and finishing the fight.

Paddy Pimblett def. Conrad Hayes at Cage Warriors 68

Flying triangle choke finishes are a rarity to see in top MMA promotions, but one took place at Cage Warriors 68 when Paddy Pimblett leaped onto Conrad Hayes’ shoulders and began locking up the submission. Hayes’ did a decent job of surviving the attempt at first, but the combination of the choke and some gruesome elbows was far too much to handle, and he was forced to tap out.

Tito Ortiz def. Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 120

Shock factor alone gets Tito Ortiz a spot on the list for his stunning submission of Bellator MMA middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 120. Ortiz entered the fight after a nearly two-year layoff, and despite having a considerable size advantage, few gave the former UFC champion a shot at winning. But Ortiz came out and proved the naysayers wrong by taking Shlemenko to the ground early, securing an arm-triangle and choking his Russian foe unconscious.

Daniel Cormier def. Dan Henderson at UFC 173

Regardless of his recent record, Dan Henderson is still one of the most durable fighters in the sport today. That said, the former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion had nothing to offer Daniel Cormier at UFC 173. Cormier mauled Henderson on the ground for two-and-a-half rounds before going for the finish in the third. He locked in a rear-naked choke and became the first man to submit Henderson since 2008.

Niklas Backstrom def. Tom Niinimaki at UFC Fight Night 41

In yet another betting upset, Niklas Backstrom rose to the occasion to submit highly touted Tom Niinimaki at UFC Fight Night 41. The fight started with Backstrom in some trouble, but he overcame every compromising situation thrown his way. Once the 24-year-old found his opening, he submitted Niinimaki with a no-hooks rear-naked choke in a finish somewhat reminiscent of the bulldog choke used by Carlos Newton to defeat Pat Miletich at UFC 31

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THE WINNER

Paddy Pimblett def. Conrad Hayes at Cage Warriors 68

The flying triangle choke is an extremely risky technique to attempt in MMA competition. However, when it works, it can be masterful.

Paddy Pimblett made it work in emphatic fashion at Cage Warriors 68 when he soared through the air on his way to choking out Conrad Hayes in the first round in his home town of Liverpool, England.

While the flying triangle choke is a rarity to see on any level of the sport, Pimblett insists this was far from a fluke finish. In fact, he claims the technique is one of his go-to moves, especially when pressed against the cage as he was against Hayes.

“For me, the flying triangle is not a one-in-a-million move,” Pimblett told MMAjunkie. “I always go for it and pull it off. To me, it’s just every day I train it, then I use it in the fight a lot. Against the cage, I am very comfortable. I can get submissions against the cage and no one can take me down against the cage. Pushing me against the cage is a mistake.”

Hayes made that mistake and ended up paying the price. Pimblett says he knew the victory was in sight once his opponent slammed him to the ground. From there, it was just a matter of synching it up and waiting for the tap-out.

“I knew as soon as he slammed me that he had no chance of getting out,” Pimblett said. “As soon as he slammed me, he put himself more in it. I elbowed him from there, made the opening and finished the choke. That was it.”

The win marked just the second submission victory of Pimblett’s career, both by flying triangle choke. The other submission came back 2012, but for Pimblett, there is no comparison which one was a more significant moment.

“This one is a lot better,” Pimblett said. “The first time I got a flying triangle it wasn’t even on video. Only the people that were there saw it. This one was in my hometown, got filmed and was put on YouTube. It was a big event and I went out there and did what I had to do.”

At just 19, Pimblett is beaming with confidence after recording his most noteworthy victory to date. While he’s still young in the game, the Englishman feels his “Submission of the Month” winner is just a glimpse of what he’s capable of.

He has the goal of one day becoming UFC champion, and once that happens, he promises to continue delivering finishes that are just as memorable as what he did to Hayes.

“I think I’m ready for anyone,” Pimblett said. “I’ll never say no to fighting anyone. I can go to the UFC and fight the best there and beat them. You won’t be disappointed in a few years when I’m pulling these off in the UFC when I have a belt around my waist.”