It looks simple. You just wrap your arms around someone’s neck and squeeze, right? Wrong.
If you’ve ever spent five minutes on a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) mat, you know that the rear naked choke mma fans see on TV every Saturday night is actually a high-level engineering project involving levers, fulcurms, and agonizing patience. It is the most frequent submission in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). It’s the "great equalizer." It doesn’t matter if you have a granite chin or the heart of a lion; if the blood stops going to your brain, you’re going to sleep.
Period.
The Anatomy of a Perfect Strangle
First off, let’s get the terminology right because calling it a "blood choke" isn't just cool—it's medically accurate. Unlike an air choke that crushes the windpipe (trachea) and takes a long time to work, the rear naked choke mma practitioners prefer targets the carotid arteries.
You’ve got one on each side of your neck.
When a fighter slides their bicep against one side and their forearm against the other, they create a V-shape. This "V" compresses those arteries. The result? A massive drop in blood flow to the brain. We aren't talking minutes here. We are talking seconds. Usually, five to ten seconds of a clean "Mata Leão"—the Lion Killer—is all it takes to turn the lights out.
The mechanics are fascinating.
Most beginners try to pull back with their arms. That's a mistake. Expert grapplers like Demian Maia or Charles Oliveira don't just pull; they expand their chests while bringing their elbows together. It’s a 360-degree constriction. Think of it like a snake. The more the victim struggles and breathes out, the tighter the wrap becomes. You aren't just using your biceps; you're using your entire back and core to finish the job.
Why "Naked"?
It sounds provocative, but it’s just a translation from the Japanese Hadaka Jime. In Judo, many chokes require you to use the opponent's collar (the Gi). Since MMA fighters are shirtless, the choke is "naked" because it relies solely on body positioning and skin-to-skin contact. No handles. No fabric. Just physics.
The Invisible Battle for the Back
You can't just walk up and take someone's neck. In the UFC, the rear naked choke mma highlights usually start way before the hands ever touch the throat. It starts with the "back take."
Watch a replay of Khabib Nurmagomedov. He doesn't just jump on a back; he breaks the person down. He makes them want to turn away to escape the punches. That's the trap. As soon as a fighter turns their back to escape ground-and-pound, they are handing over the keys to the castle.
The "hooks" are the secret.
If you don't have your legs wrapped around the opponent's waist with your heels dug into their inner thighs, you don't have control. Without hooks, they’ll just shake you off like a bad habit. Top-tier grapplers use "seatbelt" control—one arm over the shoulder, one arm under the armpit—to glue themselves to the opponent. It’s suffocating pressure before the choke even begins.
The Chin Tuck Defense
Is there a way out? Sure. Sort of.
The most common defense is tucking the chin. If you can bury your chin in your chest, the opponent's arm lands on your jaw instead of your neck. It hurts. It can break teeth or snap a mandible, but it won't put you to sleep.
However, guys like Royce Gracie or more recently, Islam Makhachev, have seen this a thousand times. They’ll use their knuckles to "cross-face" and force the chin up, or they’ll just squeeze the face so hard the person eventually lifts their head just to breathe, exposing the neck for a split second. That’s all a pro needs. One slip. One gasp. Game over.
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Famous Finishes That Changed the Game
We have to talk about UFC 1. Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock. Shamrock was a mountain of a man, a physical specimen who looked like he could bench press a house. Gracie was a lanky guy in a white Gi. When Gracie transitioned to the back and locked in that first televised rear naked choke mma fans ever saw, it changed combat sports forever. It proved that technique could overcome a 50-pound weight or strength disadvantage.
Then you have Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn at UFC 46. Penn was the underdog, a "prodigy" from Hawaii. He took the back of one of the most dominant wrestlers in history and sunk the choke with seconds left in the first round. It was a shocking display of how quickly a fight can end when someone gets behind you.
And who could forget Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 196?
McGregor was the king of the world at the time. He was tagging Diaz, but he got tired. He shot for a desperate takedown, Diaz stuffed it, took the back, and the rear naked choke mma enthusiasts still talk about today was locked in. McGregor tapped almost instantly. It wasn't because he lacked heart; it was because the squeeze was perfect.
The Danger of the "Crank"
Sometimes, you’ll see a fighter tap even if the arm is across their chin. This is often called a "neck crank." While the RNC is technically a choke, the sheer force of the squeeze can twist the cervical spine.
It is brutal.
Ask anyone who has been caught in a "short choke"—a variation where you don't even interlock your arms but just pull back with one hand. It feels like your head is being popped off a champagne bottle. In a professional fight, a tap is a tap. Whether it's the carotid arteries or the vertebrae screaming, the result is the same.
Why it Dominates the Stats
Look at the numbers from 2023 and 2024. The RNC consistently accounts for nearly 35-40% of all submission finishes in major promotions like the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.
Why? Because it’s the safest position for the attacker.
If you try an armbar and miss, you end up on the bottom. If you try a triangle choke and miss, you might get your guard passed. But if you are on someone's back with the rear naked choke mma grip, you are in the "Golden Zone." Even if you don't get the tap, you aren't in danger of getting hit. You can stay there all day, peppering them with short punches until they slip up. It is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward move.
Real-World Application and Safety
Honestly, if you're looking to learn this for self-defense, it is the single most effective tool you can have. But—and this is a big "but"—it is incredibly dangerous.
In a gym setting, you "tap" early. You don't "tough it out." Once the blood flow is restricted, you can suffer a "flash knockout" where you don't even realize you were out until you wake up with your teammates looking down at you.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- The "Grip of Death": Beginners often lock their hands in a way that allows the opponent to grab their fingers and break the grip. Always hide your "choking" hand palm-down behind the opponent's head.
- Crossing Your Ankles: This is the classic rookie mistake. If you cross your ankles while you have someone's back, they can cross their legs over yours and apply a foot lock that will snap your ankles before you can finish the choke.
- Forgetting the Hips: You need to stay "heavy" on their lower back. If your hips are too high, they’ll roll you over their shoulder.
How to Actually Get Better at the RNC
If you want to master the rear naked choke mma style, you have to stop thinking about the neck and start thinking about the chest-to-back connection. You should feel like you are wearing the other person like a backpack.
- Focus on the "Seatbelt": Spend your next five sparring sessions just holding the back. Don't even try to choke. Just learn how to stay glued to them regardless of how they move.
- Hand Fighting: This is the real game. The defender will always grab your top hand. Learn to use your "under" arm to trap their arm, leaving your "over" arm free to hunt the neck. This is often called the "straightjacket system," popularized by legendary coach John Danaher.
- Patience over Power: A frantic squeeze burns out your forearms. If you gas out your arms and they don't tap, you’re in trouble. Squeeze at about 70% and hold it. Let their own panic do the work for you.
The rear naked choke mma is the ultimate testament to the evolution of combat. It hasn't changed much since the early days of Pankration in the ancient Olympics, and it likely won't change for the next thousand years. It’s a fundamental reality of human anatomy.
Actionable Next Steps for Training
- Drill the "Short Choke" variation: Learn how to finish with one arm in case your second arm is being defended.
- Work on "Beating the Chin": Practice using your forearm to "saw" across the nose to get under the jaw (carefully, in training).
- Study the "Body Triangle": Instead of hooks, try wrapping one leg over your own shin around the opponent's waist. It’s harder to escape and adds immense pressure to their diaphragm, making it even harder for them to breathe while you hunt the neck.
Stay safe on the mats. Respect the tap. Whether you're a fan or a fighter, understanding the nuance of the RNC makes the "ground game" a whole lot more interesting to watch.
Ready to level up your grappling? The best way to understand the mechanics of the rear naked choke mma uses is to get on the mats at a local BJJ or MMA academy. Start with basic back control drills and focus on maintaining your "hooks" before ever worrying about the finish. If you're a viewer, watch the next UFC event and keep a close eye on the "hand fighting" battle—it's usually where the fight is won or lost long before the squeeze.