Chael Sonnen isn’t exactly what you would call a jiu-jitsu master. He is, however, a big fan of professional wrestling, in case you couldn’t tell from his “Chael P. Sonnen” persona.
The UFC light heavyweight title challenger gave some insight as to what he believes is the most dangerous submission in WWE right now (via Joey Styles of WWE.com):
The armbar is very basic. Anything that really works at high level competition is basic. It is really hard to stop somebody who is using their full body against your one joint. An armbar is one fighter using his arms, legs and hips to apply pressure on an elbow. An armbar can be applied quickly and effectively from almost any position. I tapped out to an armbar quickly twice yesterday in training. There is a point of no return with an armbar where there is only one centimeter more before the elbow breaks. You can tap out or spend six months recovering from surgery.
The man who utilizes an armbar as his finishing maneuver is Alberto Del Rio. The WWE bad guy comes from a great wrestling pedigree and has also competed in the sport of MMA as well, sporting a 9-5 professional record.
Sonnen explained how he was first introduced to the submission move (per WWE.com): “The very first time I saw an armbar, it was demonstrated by 1984 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medalist Mark Schultz,” Sonnen said.
The gangster from Oregon also told a story about how Schultz displayed the power created by trapping an opponent’s arm between your legs (via WWE.com):
To make a point, Mark put a two-by-four between his legs and instantly snapped it. The point that he was making was how effective the armbar is. When you trap anything between your arms and legs and elevate your hips, you will break it. Besides being so basic and so effective, it can be applied quickly from almost any position.
Sonnen‘s interview comes as a preview for the upcoming WWE pay-per-view Hell in a Cell, in which Del Rio and “The Viper” Randy Orton are set to face one another.
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