2023 Finishers 18 125lbs Grand Prix

This Triangle Trend Isn't Going Away: Ellis Karadag Hits It At Finishers 18

This Triangle Trend Isn't Going Away: Ellis Karadag Hits It At Finishers 18

Passing around, under, through the guard are underrated. These submission hunters go right over it.

Jan 20, 2023 by Corey Stockton
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Ellis Karadag of the Vault BJJ is the latest of a series of athletes to fly over his opponent's guard directly into a triangle.

Karadag, training in Philadelphia, PA, has a flair for flashy techniques. This one, in his superfight at Finishers Sub Only 18, took him just 40 seconds to set up, lock in and complete.

Karadag told FloGrappling he was shocked after landing the submission, not only because of the stylish technique and the reaction of the crowd, but also because it was the first attack he attempted in the match.

"I have hit all sorts of flying submissions at the lower colored belts, a lot of gi and some no-gi," he said. "I wanna say I hit this exact set up in training the week of maybe three times. But I didn't exactly plan to hit or try it leading up to the match, but wasn't gonna count it out."


The flying triangle over top of the guard has taken off over the last few months, probably spurred by Fabricio Andrey's dynamic attack at the ADCC South American Trials.


We asked the Hokage to break down that technique for us; here's a demonstration of how he sets it up.

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Of course, Andrey wasn't the only athlete to land this wild attack in 2022. Francisco Lo put his name on the map, landing it at No-Gi Pans against Oliver Taza...


...and again at No-Gi Worlds against Adam Wardzinski.

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Ronaldo Junior had his own interpretation of the technique last year at Pans. Here's the Human Highlight Reel's flying armbar in the same vein.

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A word of caution to the guard players out there: mercy grips won't keep you safe, especially against a hungry, explosive opponent.