Fight fans were treated to a rare finish last night (Fri., Feb. 21, 2025) at the LFA 202 fight card in Niagara Falls, New York, as the co-main event ended in a spectacular modified twister.
There have been some really impressive and unique submissions in mixed martial arts (MMA) over the years, but one of the most sought after finishes remains the twister. It’s only been pulled off a few times inside UFC’s Octagon and is rarely seen on smaller stages as well. So whenever a twister submission pops up fight fans are eager to know who pulled it off, how they pulled it off, and what it looked like.
Luckily for those watching LFA 202 on Friday night, Japan’s Shuya Kamikubo came to deliver a memorable submission to start his 2025 campaign off with a bang. The 31-year-old fighter only has one loss to his name over the past 10 years — which was a decision loss on Road to UFC Season 2 — so he was the favorite to take care of business and get through Brazilian counterpart, Mateus Santos.
It took Kamikubo less than one round to snatch up his modified twister attempt. It occurred with just around 30 seconds left in the first frame as the two bantamweights battled on the ground. Off his back, Kamikubo grabbed a hold of the submission attempt and began to crank Santos into an unnatural position. Santos tried to defend and wiggle his way free just for a second, but Kamikubo would not be denied. He continued to squeeze Santos’ body and crank his neck until he tapped (shown in the above video player).
After his victory, Kamikubo referred to the submission as an “Ota” twister (see below).
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I’m win by”Ota”twister.??????????????
?????????? https://t.co/KzsOLnjXIb— Shuya Kamikubo/??? ?? (@siegfried715) February 22, 2025