Missed Fists: Fighter locks in unorthodox armbar for submission win

Welcome to the latest edition of Missed Fists where we shine a light on fights from across the globe that may have been overlooked in these hectic times where it seems like there’s an MMA show every other day.

Unsurprisingly, the UFC being back in business didn’t return the MMA world to normalcy (or you can argue that it did given that MMA’s natural state is to be as f****** weird as possible at all times). That’s good news for the Missed Fists highlight-reel factory though, because it means that chaos continues to reign in the regional and international scenes.

On that note, let’s check out an armbar variation that I, for one, have never seen before.

(Big thanks as always to @Barrelelapierna for their weekly lists of the best KOs and submissions, and to @Grabaka_Hitman for uploading many of the clips you see here. Give them a follow and chip in on Patreon if you can.)

Daniel Boehle vs. Dallas Manspile
Preston Leonard vs. Shinya Nakamura

We’re looking at inexperienced pros and amateurs at a recent Showcase MMA event in Kingsport, Tenn., which means finishes that you’d rarely see in higher level competition. Case in point, Daniel Boehle somehow managed to lock in an armbar by just throwing his legs out, pulling his opponent’s arm through, and bending it across his thigh until he secured a verbal submission.

I can’t even blame his opponent — the magnificently monikered Dallas Manspile — that looked like it hurt! Manspile being in a seemingly innocuous position may have actually ended up worse for him, because he might not have realized he was in any danger until it was too late.

While we’re on the subject of awkward finishes, how about amateur Preston Leonard just tackling Shinya Nakamura and ending up in full mount before battering him for the stoppage?

Leonard wrestling like an honorary Nurmagomedov out here.

Walel Watson vs. Marvin Garcia

Not only do we have a cool choke-out to look at, this next clip also serves as a “Hey, remember that guy?” as former UFC fighter Walel Watson scored his first win in five and a half years at a Lights Out Xtreme Fighting show in Commerce, Calif.

Watson has been around the block long enough to know you don’t let go of a choke until the referee steps in and fortunately this in-cage official was on top of things. It’s nice to see Watson get a win as he was part of the formative years of the UFC’s bantamweight division, a time that included going the distance in a loss to future champion T.J. Dillashaw.

Tesshin Isobe vs. Yoshitomo Inoue
Shoji Saito vs. Yasuyuki Nojiri
Ayaka Watanabe vs. Mina Kurobe

We love our low-level MMA around these parts, so we couldn’t leave Tesshin Isobe’s inverted triangle out of our submission roundup.

Isobe’s record is now a sterling 2-3, while Inoue drops to 1-4.

Shoot’s first event of 2023 also delivered on the knockout front with not one, but two fighters getting face-planted.

Shoji Saito made Yasuyuki Nojiri pay for a lazy takedown attempt by blasting him with a sniper uppercut.

The fight went down to the mat, but probably not in the way that Nojiri had hoped.

Ayaka Watanabe gave Mina Kurobe similar treatment, rifling an uppercut to the jaw that flattened Kurobe.

Not a bad win for Watanabe, who improved to 2-1 by beating the now 18-6 (a record earned against auspicious competition) Kurobe.

Jalin Fuller vs. Scott Writz
Ganbat Bayasgalan vs. Adamu Isah

We mentioned earlier the importance of holding onto a submission until the fight is definitely over, so there’s no ill will aimed at Jalin Fuller, who choked Scott Writz completely unconscious at LFA 150.

Referee Travis Metteer though? We may need to have a conversation. It’s impossible for us to pinpoint exactly where Writz went out, but it’s super easy to see that he was done long before the bout was officially waved off. Metteer was way too passive here for my liking and should have checked Writz for signs of struggle way earlier.

Fortunately, Writz regained consciousness shortly after, which is great not just for him but because it allowed us to guiltlessly enjoy Fuller’s celebration.

He entered to I Want It That Way and you best believe he exited to it.

Let’s award some style points to Ganbat Bayasgalan too for this wonderful 35-second knockout and equally wonderful pulling back of an unnecessary hammerfist.

Making this sequence even more impressive is that Bayasgalan appeared to be employing the ancient art of swangin’ and bangin’, which isn’t known for its shows of restraint. Perhaps the teachings have evolved.

LFA 150 is available for replay on UFC Fight Pass.

Ozzie Alvarez def. Tyson Miller
Paul Garza vs. Soloman Amadeo
Shawn Tillman vs. Rodrigo Barrera

Let’s wrap with some more Fight Pass content as Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat and Fury Fighting Championship both held events this past weekend.

At A1 Combat, Ozzie Alvarez threw a wrench in the promotion’s plans with a wild right hand and Donkey Kong smash combo that took out Tyson Miller and made Alvarez the new A1 welterweight champion.

Given that Alvarez is 37, was 9-9 heading into the contest, and had just recently snapped a five-fight losing streak, you have to think that the previously undefeated Miller was favored to walk out with his first MMA belt. Alvarez clearly couldn’t care less about any of that and he proved it by clobbering Miller.

Fury Fighting Championship hosted an event split between fresh pros and amateurs, meaning more quirky finishes, specifically submissions by pro Paul Garza and amateur Shawn Tillman.

Garza’s rear-naked choke tickled me because it’s not often that you see someone get a tap while hanging off the side of their opponent like a chimpanzee. Even a blatant fence grab couldn’t save Soloman Amadeo there.

On the amateur half of the event, Shawn Tillman executed a picture-perfect Peruvian necktie on Rodrigo Barrera.

When last we saw Tillman, he was on the wrong end of a 20-second knockout courtesy of Byron Wells. But the Missed Fist wheel is constantly turning, and if you hang around long enough, the loser now will be later to win, as they say.

If you know of a recent fight or event that you think may have been overlooked, or a promotion that could use some attention, please let us know on Twitter — @AlexanderKLee — using the hashtag #MissedFists.