Murtazali Magomedov's Scottish twister won MMA Fighting's Submission of the Midyear for 2026, and it belongs on a list with ninja chokes and Suloev stretches as proof that grappling creativity is thriving.
Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-07-27
Sources: MMA Fighting Submission of the Midyear award coverage; MMA Junkie / Central Oregon Daily reporting on Almabayev and Brito finishes.
The submission of the midyear in MMA for 2026 belongs to Murtazali Magomedov, who finished Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Vegas 119 using a technique that most casual fans had never seen applied live in competition. The Scottish twister is a variation on the body triangle that adds a deliberate rotation component, trapping the opponent mid-scramble and then torquing the spine in opposing directions. It is not a submission that happens by accident. It requires the grappler to recognize a specific position, apply the body lock cleanly, and complete the rotational force before the opponent can defend.
What made Magomedov's finish notable beyond its rarity was the context. UFC Vegas 119 was his Dana White Contender Series debut, meaning he executed one of the most complex and unusual submissions of the year under the highest-pressure circumstances of his career. The Contender Series is explicitly designed as a proving ground for fighters trying to earn UFC contracts, and Magomedov responded to that pressure with a finish that generated significant attention across the MMA media landscape.
MMA Fighting's Submission of the Midyear award reflects community and editorial recognition of both technical difficulty and entertainment value. The Scottish twister scored on both dimensions. It was genuinely hard to execute and visually unlike anything else on the 2026 midyear shortlist. For grapplers who study technique, it represents the kind of innovation that emerges from deep positional understanding combined with the creativity to apply a movement in live competition that most practitioners only explore in drilling.
Joanderson Brito's submission of Jordan Leavitt was the kind of finish that makes grappling fans stop and rewatch. With 41 seconds remaining in Round 1, Brito applied a ninja choke to put Leavitt away. The ninja choke is a variation of arm-in choke setups that works from a specific positional configuration and requires the finishing fighter to establish arm position while maintaining neck pressure simultaneously. It is an attacking technique that rewards practitioners who think offensively from scrambled positions rather than defaulting to more conservative guard work.
Brito's finish is worth examining alongside Magomedov's because they represent the same philosophy from different angles. Both grapplers entered unusual positions and chose to pursue unorthodox finishes rather than retreat to familiar territory. That mindset, the willingness to commit to a submission setup that is not the default option, is something that comes from extensive mat time and a training environment that encourages creative grappling rather than only drilling the highest-percentage techniques.
For anyone currently training BJJ, the Brito finish is a reminder that the gym is where that kind of thinking develops. Rolling with training partners who attack from odd angles, having instructors who show variations beyond the standard curriculum, and spending time drilling unusual setups builds the positional vocabulary needed to recognize and apply those finishes under pressure. You cannot discover a ninja choke opportunity in a live match if you have never felt the position in drilling.
The third submission that defines 2026's creative grappling story is Almabayev's Suloev stretch, described by MMA Junkie as the first finish of its kind in 125-pound MMA history. The Suloev stretch is a leg lock variant that applies pressure through a specific configuration of the legs and hips, creating a stretch submission that is distinct from the heel hook and kneebar families that have become more common in recent years. Landing it cleanly enough to finish a professional MMA bout in the flyweight division, where athletes are exceptionally mobile and quick to defend, adds weight to the accomplishment.
The significance of a historic first in a weight class that has existed for years says something about the pace of technical evolution in modern grappling. Techniques that were exotic or theoretical in BJJ competition five years ago are now appearing in MMA cages, applied by fighters who trained in gyms where those techniques were part of the curriculum. The Suloev stretch at 125 pounds did not emerge from nowhere; it came from a practitioner who had the technique in his toolkit and the positional awareness to apply it in competition.
Together, these three submissions, the Scottish twister, the ninja choke, and the Suloev stretch, paint a picture of a grappling landscape in 2026 that rewards creativity and technical depth. The finishes that generate conversation are no longer only the rear-naked choke and the armbar. Grapplers who invest time in understanding positional variety, unusual entries, and low-percentage-but-high-reward submissions are bringing those tools into competition and using them successfully.
The 2026 submission highlights are a direct argument for training at a gym that goes beyond the basics. Every BJJ school covers the fundamental submissions because they are high-percentage and foundational. The rear-naked choke, the armbar, the triangle, the guillotine belong in every practitioner's game. But the creative finishes that define this year, including the Scottish twister and the Suloev stretch, come from gyms and instructors who also spend time on the unusual, the advanced, and the theoretically complex.
Finding the right gym matters here. A school that teaches a varied curriculum, exposes students to leg lock systems, body lock submissions, and unorthodox choke setups alongside the fundamentals, is the kind of environment where a practitioner can eventually develop the range Magomedov and Brito demonstrated this year. That level of creativity does not come from drilling the same five techniques for years. It comes from a mat culture that values exploration alongside fundamentals.
Use our gym finder to locate a BJJ school near you that fits your goals. If you want to train the kind of creative, varied grappling that produces finishes like the Scottish twister, ask prospective gyms about their no-gi curriculum and whether they incorporate leg locks and unusual submission chains. A free trial class is the fastest way to assess whether the training culture matches what you are looking for. The creative finishes you watched in 2026 started as drills in someone's gym.
The year's highlight finishes point toward a broader vocabulary of grappling techniques that serious practitioners are adding to their games. Here are five worth exploring at your gym:
BJJ Gyms is an independent directory, not a gym. We feature 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as our recommended no-gi system. Always take a free trial and vet any academy yourself before committing.
The Scottish twister is a variation of the body triangle that adds a deliberate spine rotation component. Murtazali Magomedov used it to finish Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Vegas 119, trapping his opponent mid-rotation and applying torque in opposing directions to earn the stoppage.
MMA Fighting awarded Magomedov's Scottish twister the Submission of the Midyear for 2026, recognizing both its technical difficulty and its rarity as a competition finish.
Most gyms introduce unusual submissions after students have built foundational skills over several months. The curriculum typically starts with fundamental techniques and adds advanced variations as students progress. A gym that includes leg lock systems and body lock submissions in its curriculum is where these techniques are most accessible.
Use our gym finder to locate BJJ schools near you, then ask specifically about no-gi curriculum, leg lock instruction, and whether instructors cover unusual or advanced submission chains. A free trial class will let you experience the training culture before committing.