Midnight Mania! Jonno Mears explains how he pulled off pro-wrestling style “Boston crab” submission in MMA for the first time ever

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Jonno Mears did what every 2-0 professional fighter dreams of; he went viral. In his case, he did so by using the Boston Crab, a WWE submission, in MMA for the first time ever.

Of course, such a submission is much more likely in the murky waters of regional MMA. His opponent looked very uncomfortable with the grappling phase, to the point where I saw some raise the spectre that the result was fixed. While possible, that’s less likely than a last-minute replacement simply being less versed with grappling, making him a target for an unlikely submission. As a white belt, I’ve had higher belts pull off fancy, low-percentage submissions on me just because they could. I’ve done the same to less accomplished grapplers than myself. Jonno opened up on to MMA Fighting today as to how he caught the famous hold. He said he has been practicing WWE moves since he was a kid.

“I loved and studied all the moves,” Mears told MMA Fighting. “I wasn’t great at remembering the names, as I was trying to do them on my younger brother.”

“I’m very shocked at the response,” Mears said. “I knew it would be good, but not this amazing.”

He walked through the submission, revealing he was originally going for a Peruvian necktie.

“When I took him down, he turned to all fours quick, but I managed to chin strap him and was going to try the Peruvian necktie,” Mears said. “But he tucked his chin, so I jumped to his back, then the crab came into my head. Then, during the scramble, I was going to turn into mount and give it up, but I seen he covered up during me striking him, so I thought why not I just try? And I was shocked myself I got a hold of his legs in a scramble.

He said the pressure on the spine was what caused the tap:

“I’m sure it was his back, although I applied it slowly knowing it’s a dangerous move being a spine lock,” Mears said. “But he refused to tap, so I cranked it a bit more while sticking out the tongue.”

He credits his training environment and fun-loving approach for the mental freedom to try something that different.

Mears, 34, said he “messes about” often with “silly submission attempts” in training. He said his Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Andy Aspinal is a “chilled-out coach” who lets his students enjoy the art. Having fun is a major key for Mears.

“I always say to everybody, if you don’t enjoy [MMA], don’t do it,” Mears said. “You gotta really love and enjoy doing it to succeed, as it’s a very tough sport.”

“My mind ticks about differently and my inner belief and confidence within myself and my skillset,” said Mears, who fights at lightweight. “I always try to enjoy my fights. Physically, I have some long limbs and stand at 5-foot-11 with a 77-inch span at lightweight. I feel my reactions are fast and I’m very accurate.”

Can we expect more crazy submission from Mears? Will this become his gimmick? He can’t say for sure, but he’s certainly thinking of ways to keep this train rolling.

“I can’t say this as it may give away my next move,” he said with a laugh. “I have a few up my sleeve, and I know if I can pull off another that would be even more amazing.”

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Insomnia

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McGregor does look like he’s on something. Maybe not cocaine, but something.

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Max Holloway thinks that Conor McGregor’s fairytale run would end if they fought a second time.

When it comes to watching old men fight, I would be most interested in this bout, mostly to see Seagal get smashed.

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Slips, Rips, and KO Clips

Even with no UFC, plenty of combat sports happened this weekend.

Grappling in a cage is fun to watch

I posted this before, but it was just such an awesome sequence: How to knock someone out without getting your hands dirty, by Cosmo Alexandre.

Even Dana White was into that one

Textbook check hook

Beautiful sequence.

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Good Reads and Quick Hits

• You have to read the way Peggy Morgan covered this MMA event. It could change the game forever.
• So, the rumors were true: Cub Swanson faces off against Brian Ortega on December 9th. Both men like to ride close to the third rail in their fights. That could be another fight of the year.
• Dana White reacts to the tragic Las Vegas shooting. That’s why the UFC are donating one million dollars to help the victims of the largest shooting in modern US history.

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Podcasts and Video

Demetrious Johnson-Ray Borg full breakdown with Flyin Brian J:

Here’s a favorite topic: a timeline of Conor McGregor NOT defending his UFC belts. Follow MMA Mania on Youtube for more.

The MMA Hour

BJJ Scout breaks down Ferguson-Lee

The Co-Main Event podcast

The Severe MMA podcast

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Random Land

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