As we discussed earlier this week, Marcelo Garcia retired from ADCC competition with an incredible 85% submission rate in his wins. This statistic is even more impressive when you consider Marcelo competed at ADCC five times and racked up 32 matches and 27 victories during that run. 

Dean Lister posted even more incredible numbers at ADCC, submitting 15 out of his 17 wins for an 89% submission rating and the best of all time.

This led to the question we are about to answer here: who are the best finishers in ADCC history, and of the athletes registered to compete in 2019 who has the highest finishing rate? We analyzed the wins of the best-known and most respected competitors in ADCC history, using only results from ADCC and only with athletes who have had eight or more matches. 

Here are the top 10 finishers in ADCC history, going off how many of their wins were by submission. 

After Marcelo and Lister, Gordon Ryan is no.3. He just qualifies for this list with eight matches in 2017. Coming in third and slightly behind Gordon is Roger Gracie, who went 4-1 with no subs at ADCC 2003 before coming back at ADCC 2005 and submitting all eight of his opponents on the way to double gold. 

Tied with Roger at a 67% sub rate is Braulio Estima, whose list of submitted opponents includes legends like Marcelo Garcia, Andre Galvao and Rafael Lovato. Following is Vinny Magalhaes at 65% along with 2005 ADCC champ and MMA legend Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza with a 60% sub rate. 

Only four members of the top ten will be competing in 2019, the previously mentioned Gordon Ryan along with ADCC champions Vinny Magalhaes, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida and Gabi Garcia. Gordon is in front by at 71%, followed by Vinny at 65%, with Buchecha at 46% and Gabi at 45% compared to Gordon at 71%. They have however competed in more matches at ADCC, being multiple-time champions. Here is a quick look at how these four have achieved their subs over the years.

Gordon Ryan

Gordon had probably the best debut in ADCC history in 2017, going 7-1 and submitting his opponents in five out of seven victories. While critics of Gordon going into ADCC 2017 were vocal about him only being dangerous with leglocks, he showed amazing versatility with his submission game at ADCC and hit submissions from a variety of positions. While he did go back to his trusted heel hook game to tap Cyborg and Mahamed Aly, he also choked Keenan Cornelius, Romulo Barral and Craig Jones.

Here is a list of his submissions finishes at ADCC 2017: 

• Romulo Barral via rear naked choke
• Keenan Cornelius via mounted guillotine 
• Cyborg Abreu via heel hook 
• Craig Jones via arm triangle 
• Mahamed Aly via heel hook

Watch: Gordon Ryan submits Keenan Cornelius in ADCC final

Vinny Magalhaes

2011 ADCC champion Vinny Magalhaes has submitted 10 our of 17 wins at ADCC, putting him in at just behind Jacare with an overall 65% submission rating. Vinny hit no less than SIX heel hooks at ADCC, but had some spectacular subs including two flying armbars and a twister.

• Rodrigo Cavaca (2009) via heel hook 
• Marcio Cruz (2009) via flying armbar 
• Glover Teixeira (2009) via triangle armbar 
• Chris Weidman (2009) via flying armbar 
• Jose Junior (2011) via heel hook
• Bruno Bastos (2011) via heel hook 
• Wan Yang Bo (2011) via heel hook 
• Sergio Ardilla (2015) via heel hook 
• Rodrigo Artilheiro (2015) via twister 
• Joao Gabriel Rocha (2015) via heel hook 
• Bruno Bastos (2017)via toehold

WATCH: Vinny Magalhaes def Bruno Bastos 

Marcus Almeida

Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida is slightly ahead of Gabi Garcia for the second best finisher out of ADCC 2019 competitors. Buchecha is a two-time ADCC champion with a 13-2 record, he has subbed six of those opponents for a 46% submission rate. Buchecha’s favored subs have been the RNC and heel hooks, with two of each in his career. 

Buchecha’s submissions at ADCC

• Jimmy Friedrich (2013) via toe hold 
• Hideki Sekine (2013) via kimura 
• Joao Gabriel Rocha (2013) via heel hook 
• Arman Zhampeisov (2017) via rear naked choke
• Tim Spriggs (2017) via rear naked choke 
• Mahamed Aly (2017) via heel hook 

Watch: Buchecha heel hooks Mahamed Aly at ADCC

Gabi Garcia

Gabi Garcia will be attempting to tie Marcelo Garcia with a fourth ADCC title in 2019, especially impressive considering there is no women’s absolute division. Gabi is 11-1 over her career with five submissions at ADCC, her 45% sub rate is just barely behind Buchecha. 

Gabi Garcia's submissions at ADCC

• Penny Thomas (2011) via americana 
• Yurika Nakakura (2013) via darce choke
• Alison Termblay (2015) via armbar 
• Amanda Alequin (2017) via toe hold 
• Talita Nogueira (2017) via americana 

Watch: Gabi Garcia gets the sub in ADCC 2017 final

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