Leg locks dominate UFC BJJ 12 two weeks after Claudia Gadelha called them “boring”
Four of the five submissions of the night in Las Vegas were foot or heel attacks, including the one that made Gilbert Burns tap
Four of the five submissions at UFC BJJ 12, this Thursday, October 8, in Las Vegas, were leg locks. There were three heel hooks and one ankle lock, all in the first round. The number stands out because, two weeks earlier, the executive who runs the organization had said this kind of attack is “boring” and “doesn’t sell.”
The five submissions of the night
- Raphael Ferreira submitted Kyle O’Hare with a heel hook at 3:14
- Kade Anastasios submitted Ataide Rafael with a heel hook in the final minute of the round
- Landon Elmore submitted Max Livingston with an ankle lock at 3:42
- Thaynara Victoria submitted Danielle Kelly with an armbar at 2:53
- Gabriel Almeida submitted Gilbert Burns with a heel hook at 4:34
The only exception was Thaynara Victoria’s armbar, and even she started her match by attacking her opponent’s foot. Victoria and Kade Anastasios won the submission bonuses of the night, which means one of the two awards went to a heel hook.
What Claudia Gadelha said
At the press conference after UFC BJJ 11, on September 24, Claudia Gadelha praised the match between Mikey Musumeci and Bryce Mitchell, in which both athletes avoided pulling guard and attacking the legs. “Butt scooting and leg locks are so [expletive] boring. It doesn’t sell. It’s not entertaining,” she said, as VF Comunica reported.
Gadelha said the organization does not want to change the tradition of the sport, but she made clear what she prefers to see. “It’s not going to be exciting seeing guys and girls sitting on their butt and going for leg locks during the whole match,” she said. She added: “I would like to see more athletes not doing a lot of leg locks.”
What the mat showed
Gadelha’s criticism is aimed at slow matches, with an athlete sitting and waiting for the opponent’s leg. At UFC BJJ 12, the leg locks ended matches in under five minutes. Landon Elmore’s came after a takedown and a sweep. Gabriel Almeida’s, the one that made Gilbert Burns tap, came right after a takedown and an attack on the neck.
The main event showed the other side. Adele Fornarino went to the mat from the start and attacked Cassia Moura’s legs in all three rounds. She came close with a heel hook in the first round and with a leg lock in the last second, but she did not finish and lost by split decision.
The topic continues at UFC BJJ 13
The subject is back at the center of the event on October 29. Jalen Fonacier, who fights Kleber Barboza for the bantamweight title, owns the fastest submission in the history of the organization: a heel hook in 19 seconds at UFC BJJ 5. The belt at stake belonged to Mikey Musumeci, the athlete Gadelha herself called the best in the world at leg locks.
Do leg locks make Jiu-Jitsu more boring or more exciting to watch? Leave your opinion in the comments.
