Top 10 rear-naked choke artists in UFC/MMA history

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 11/28

Between his laundry list of middleweight finishing accolades in the octagon to the fact that he’s only one “RNC” away from tying for third most rear-naked chokes in UFC history, it’s hard to deny Gerald Meerschaert a spot on this list.

He may not be a name that immediately jumps off the paper, but Meerschaert is a professional operator in every sense of the word when it comes to finishing from the back.

A deceptively skilled back-taking opportunist, Meerschaert – in the clip above – shows that you don’t have to be under the chin to finish if you have the proper choking leverage and an expert squeeze.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 10/10

Notching the No. 9 spot is a man who knows what he wants when it comes to finishing fights.

Aside from the fact that all of Renato Moicano’s submission wins come by way of rear-naked choke, he is also tied for the most RNC’s in UFC history with names like Charles Oliveira and Brendan Allen.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who is primed to get behind his opposition, Moicano demonstrates in the clip above how little daylight he needs to get to his preferred kill zone.

And once Moicano can establish his presence from the rear, he shows incredibly slick grip deconstructions that smoothly cut through his victim’s defenses like a hot knife going through butter.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 9/17

I’m not sure if Bryan Caraway comes to mind or makes the cut for most people’s lists, but I stand by this selection as a deserving one.

A hybrid grappler from a wrestling background, Caraway embraced submission fighting from the jump.

An underrated guard passer who could funnel his opposition into opportunistic scrambles and chokepoints, Caraway embraced cross-wrist rides (a.k.a. “The Dagestani handcuff”) well before Khabib Nurnamagomedov and company popularized the position in the octagon.

Carway was also excellent at getting a wedge between his opponent and the cage, which was a huge key to shutting down some of the most effective defense and getups involving the fence. And when it came to closing the show, Caraway did not discriminate, utilizing all sorts of choke finishes that ranged from S grips to Gable grips.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 10/13

If my last selection wasn’t hipster enough for you, then surely Caol Uno will scratch that itch.

A Shooto champion and early UFC lightweight title challenger, Uno was known for his deceptively savvy submission prowess.

Despite holding black belts in gi martial arts like Japanese jiu-jitsu and judo, Uno was known for some of his more (at least at the time) unorthodox submissions like his “no hooks” rear-naked choke.

We’re finally seeing a resurgence of submission fighters from Japan making their way to the UFC, but Uno is undoubtedly a pioneer who helped pave the path for Japanese fighters and rear-naked choke aficionados alike.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 9/17

Despite being known for his vaunted guillotine choke, [autotag[Urijah Faber[/autotag] may be one of the most athletic back-takers on this list.

A wrestler with a natural aptitude for scrambling and submission fighting, Faber – akin to my previous selection with Caraway – carries all the ingredients to make a deadly cocktail in this department.

Faber is also a standout when it comes to standing rear-naked choke finishes, showing peak improvisation and killer instincts in his memorable win over fellow MMA veteran, Ivan Menjivar.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 7/8

Making the top 5 is none other than longtime rear-naked choke record holder, Kenny Florian.

Although Florian eventually got passed by the great Demian Maia as far as RNCs in the UFC go, “Ken Flo” still holds serve as the No. 2 all-time finisher of rear-naked chokes (7) in the octagon well over a decade after retiring, which is incredibly impressive.

An accoladed Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and multiple-time UFC title challenger who only lost to the very best in their prime, Florian’s skills were sharpened across four weight classes in some of the sport’s deepest divisions.

An intelligent fighter who understood the finer points of finishing, Florian’s reactions to the violence he created were both systematic and second nature. He was a true artist when it came to his craft.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 8/10

Securing the No. 4 slot is arguably the most dogged and determined back-taker on this list – – and that’s Alexandre Pantoja.

A man who doesn’t concern himself with finesse, Pantoja has proven that he can get to his preferred kill zone from multiple positions.

Whether Pantoja is shucking by his opponent’s hips into a standing back take or is using leg entanglements to come out the back door, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt can pretty much do it all.

Pantoja continues to be one of the more criminally underrated fighters despite his championship accomplishments, but “The Cannibal” will always get his deserved due on my lists.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 9/21

Despite feeling like these last few top 5 spots are arguably interchangeable, Charles Oliveira ends up at No. 3.

Although Oliveira has more front-choke finishes to his name, there’s no denying Do Bronx’s picturesque nature to his standing rear-naked chokes.

An opportunistic madman who envelops his opposition with his long limbs, Oliveira leaves little room for error when it comes to exposing the back (or any of the subsequent limbs attached to it).

Oliveira is tied for the third most rear-naked chokes in UFC history (6) at the time this article was published, but could easily add to his place in the record books before his career is over.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 10/14

Even though you could easily place this man in the top spot (as my top two are practically interchangeable), Demian Maia will have to settle for the No. 2 slot here.

Not only is Maia the rear-naked choke leader in the UFC, but the highly credentialled Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt also possesses my favorite back-taking process of the bunch.

Utilizing half-guard getups that lead to single-leg reversals, Maia was able to solve a lot of the athleticism and aggression issues that juxtaposed his traditional wrestling offense. Once Maia was able to disrupt defenses by selling a false bill of goods, he wasted little time in making his way to his opponent’s back.

Maia was also smart about forcing caught prey to fight from disadvantageous angles like on their sides, which made it more difficult to defend his attacks. And even if Maia couldn’t get underneath the chin, the former ADCC champion had little issue with using a neck crank instead.

Rear-naked chokes to submission ratio: 6/6

Narrowly notching the No. 1 spot is B.J. Penn.

Newer MMA fans may scoff at Penn’s record without the proper context in tow, but the legendary Hawaiian is arguably the most influential fighter when it comes to both this choke and the lightweight division as a whole.

Not only was Penn utilizing techniques like post-collapsing and leg wrapping well over a decade before later champions like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev came around, but “The Prodigy” also popularized the arm-trapping that so many fighters have mimicked since.

And when Penn went in for the kill, it felt like you were watching a snake devour its prey on the nature channel.

I’m not sure if Penn will ever get his proper flowers from the newer generation, but his presence in this sport’s history is undeniable in my book.

*Honorable mentions: Aljamain Sterling, Brendan Allen, Gillian Robertson, Michael Chiesa, Patchy Mix

For a deeper dive into this topic, feel free to check out Dan Tom’s episode on the subject via The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.