As fighters continue to evolve in this sport, you see less and less submission wins at the elite level of MMA. Everyone knows how to defend the classic submissions we have grown accustomed to witnessing over the years; avoiding them has become the standard.
It seems like when a fighter is forced to tap to a submission, he receives more criticism for letting it happen than his opponent receives praise for applying the technique.
While the submissions may be less frequent in this knowledgeable new age of MMA, when they do happen, they are spectacular.
For me, submitting an opponent when they are rocked is one thing. Submitting your foe solely with craft and patience is another. When it happens, it can be mesmerizing.
Here are the top 10 submissions that stick out in my mind from 2011.