Since day one, the mission of Submission Underground has been to test the grappling skills of MMA fighters, whether against each other or against the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world. 

By eliminating strikes we see just how good these elite athletes are in a man-to-man contest decided not via points, but by submission only. 

This weekend's card for Submission Underground 6 in Portland, OR, is stacked with heavy-hitting matches, but the grappling superfight between Vagner Rocha and Jesse Taylor promises to be one of the most explosive of the night on Sunday, Dec. 3.

Watch SUG 6 LIVE on FloGrappling

Vagner Rocha: Pure Grit

Rocha is the gritty ADCC veteran and grappling standout known for his chippy, in-your-face style and absolute lack of fear in the face of aggression. He’s also had no less than 18 career MMA fights, meaning the SUG cage will post no problems when he takes to the ring on Sunday. 

A grinder known for punishing his opponents with heavy tie-ups and nasty cranks, Rocha has plenty of experience of grappling the best in the world: He took bronze at the 2017 ADCC Worlds, and anytime somebody tries to get up in his face he simply smiles and gives it back twice as hard. 

Vagner Rocha attacks with his dangerous kimura trap sequence. Photo: Hywel Teague / FloGrappling

Rocha is a versatile grappler with true black belt skills. Of his 14 MMA fights, he won eight by submission, with three armbars, three rear-naked chokes, and two triangles. He’s only been submitted a handful of times in his jiu-jitsu career, to Garry Tonon, Gordon Ryan, and Augusto "Tanquinho" Mendes. 

Vagner Rocha MMA record 

14-4-0 

3 KO/TKO 21% 

8 submissions 57%

3 decisions 21%

Submission wins in MMA

Rear naked choke: 3

Armbar: 3

Triangle choke: 2

Jesse Taylor: Choke Machine

With a monster 46 MMA fights to his name, Jesse "JT Money" Taylor is a durable opponent and difficult challenge. A formidable wrestler who turned pro as an MMA fighter in 2006, Taylor is — like Rocha — a UFC veteran. 

Taylor’s strong suit in MMA has always been his ground game and wrestling background. Taylor likes to get his opponents on the canvas and fight from top position, hammering his foes with punches and elbows. Altogether, 55 percent of his wins — 17 of 31 — have come by submission. 

Jesse Taylor. Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Taylor, who trains out of the esteemed MMA stable Team Quest, has got four wins via guillotine and a massive 12 via rear-naked choke. 

It's also important to note that of Taylor’s 15 defeats, 14 (or 93 percent) of those were via submission. Taylor has lost four matches via armbar and three via guillotine and individual matches via Brabo choke, kneebar, heel hook, triangle choke, triangle armbar, rear-naked choke, and a Peruvian necktie. 

Jesse Taylor MMA record

31-15-0 

5 KO/TKO 16%

17 submissions 55% 

9 decisions 29% 

Submission wins in MMA

Rear-naked choke: 12

Guillotine: 4

Injury: 1

Keys To Victory

Taylor’s wrestling is definitely a factor in this match. Rocha can hang on his feet for sure, but he suffers against opponents with stronger wresting and who have weight advantages (see his loss to DJ Jackson, which Rocha later avenged). Taylor’s MMA posture and submission awareness should keep him out of danger if he puts Rocha on his back. 

Rocha’s versatility means he has the ability to take whatever submission Taylor offers him — the hard part will be forcing his opponent into a position where the submission presents itself. He has an insanely effective kimura-trap game that works very well against wrestlers, so we may see Rocha bait Taylor for the shot to snag an arm and work for a reversal, back take, or direct submission attack. 

If Taylor has a chance to win, it could be in the overtime rounds. It’s a no-brainer to imagine that he’ll want to start on Rocha’s back, and those 12 MMA wins via rear-naked choke mean he must have one hell of a squeeze. One thing that works in Rocha’s favor is he has plenty of experience competing under submission-only OT rules, having appeared in two Eddie Bravo Invitational events. 

Watch Vagner Rocha vs. Jesse Taylor at Submission Underground 6 LIVE or On Demand ONLY on FloGrappling