An athlete attempted to escape a submission without proper insight, resulting in a broken arm.
The “Mir lock” is a relatively rare submission in MMA, popularized by the renowned mixed martial artist Frank Mir. This technique is based on a shoulder-lock submission, involving the twisting of an opponent’s elbow while keeping their hand trapped, typically executed from the full guard position.
Jon Jones is a fan of the submission and was close to pulling off a standing Mir Lock at one point in his career.
In the world of MMA, this particular submission is seldom seen, especially in high-profile promotions like the UFC. However, there have been instances where MMA athletes in other organizations successfully executed this maneuver. Notably, one such occurrence took place in the Cage Fury Fighting Championship (CFFC).
Cage Fury Fighting Championship (CFFC) is a well-known MMA promotion headquartered in New Jersey. One of their major events, CFFC 81, took place in February 2020 in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The noteworthy incident in question unfolded during a CFFC featherweight championship bout featuring James Gonzales and Pat Sabatini in the main event.
The event was notably one-sided. Almost immediately after the match began, Gonzales showcased his impressive grappling skills, thoroughly dominating Sabatini on the ground. Within a mere minute, Gonzales attempted a Mir lock from the full guard position.
Sabatini, evidently unfamiliar with the rare submission technique, made an ill-advised attempt to escape. He exerted great force to pull his arm free and even attempted to stand up and slam Gonzales. Throughout this ordeal, Gonzales maintained his tight grip, causing Sabatini’s arm to be twisted awkwardly and subsequently broken within seconds. Gonzales then released his grip, revealing the severity of the damage to Sabatini’s arm, which was visibly bent.
Sabatini, understandably shocked and surprised, prompted the referee to swiftly stop the match and declare Gonzales the victor, only 46 seconds into the first round.
The video of this match resurfaced and quickly went viral on social media. MMA enthusiasts took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the submission, expressing disbelief at the unfortunate outcome.
As one commenter observed, “The way he looks at his arm at the end” captured the shocking nature of the incident. Another comment read, “AHH WHAT THE HELL, WHY WOULD HE EVEN TRY THAT AHHH,” highlighting the high-risk nature of the attempted escape. It was indeed a “tough watch,” as another viewer aptly put it.