Fastest Submissions in UFC History: Top Record Breakers

On July 14, 1995, Oleg Taktarov secured the fastest submission in UFC history by defeating Anthony Macias with a guillotine choke in just 9 seconds. This lightning-fast finish remains one of the quickest finishes (submission or knockout) of all time, even despite it being 30 years since this victory. 

Ronda Rousey celebrates her victory over Cat Zingano//Getty Images

In a highly anticipated bout on February 28, 2015, Ronda Rousey defended her bantamweight title against Cat Zingano. Zingano charged forward at the opening bell, but Rousey was not fazed and she quickly used her excellent Judo skills, transitioned into an armbar, and secured the win in just 14 seconds, marking one of the fastest submissions in a UFC title fight. 

Marcus Aurelio made a statement with his 16-second submission of Ryan Roberts at UFC Fight Night 13. Roberts attempted to be aggressive early, but Aurelio quickly transitioned into an armbar from guard, securing a lightning-fast tap and showcasing his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mastery.

British lightweight Terry Etim wasted no time at UFC 138, securing a 17-second guillotine choke against Edward Faaloloto in front of his home crowd in Birmingham, England. 

Etim’s quick reaction and tight squeeze forced an immediate tap, marking one of the fastest submissions in UFC history. This is just one of his 12 submission victories out of a total of 16 career wins.

Chas Skelly set a featherweight division record with his 19-second rear-naked choke victory over Maximo Blanco. 

Skelly stunned Blanco early, took his back, and sank in the choke almost instantly, proving his ability to finish fights at a breakneck pace. This defeat back in 2016 forced Blanco into retirement.

Long before Matt Hughes became a UFC Hall of Famer, he suffered a 20-second loss to Dennis Hallman at UFC 29. Hallman’s slick transition into an armbar was a shocking display of grappling efficiency, handing Hughes one of the quickest defeats of his storied career.

Losing to Hallman via submission is certainly no embarrassment. Hallman had an unbelievably long career, winning 41 of his 76 pro MMA bouts by submission.

The Ultimate Fighter has seen many quick finishes, and Roman Mitichyan delivered one of the fastest with a 23-second armbar against Dorian Price. Mitichyan’s jiu-jitsu expertise was on full display as he wasted no time in locking up the submission.

Patrick Williams stunned Alejandro Perez at UFC 188 with a rapid 23-second guillotine choke. Williams capitalised on Perez’s aggression, catching him in a deep choke almost immediately and securing a quick victory.

This victory for Williams was the win of his career; he went 0-2 in his next two bouts before retiring from the sport in 2018.

Teemu Packalen showcased his grappling skills at UFC Fight Night 84 by submitting Thibault Gouti in just 24 seconds. A quick scramble led to Packalen taking the back and locking in a tight rear-naked choke for the finish.