4 UFC Fighters With The Most Submission Losses In Their Careers

Some call grappling the great equalizer in mixed martial arts. There are many fighters who have made a great career for themselves by grappling opponents into submission, and many have had their careers cut short due to their inability to grapple with the best in the world.

This list doesn’t reflect the lack of skill of these four UFC

fighters from the past and present, but it reflects their longevity and commitment to challenging themselves as martial artists.

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4

Molly McCann

4 Total Submission Losses In Her UFC Career

Molly McCann celebrating with the English flag Cropped — Adam Hagy – USA Today Network

McCann’s UFC Career
Total Losses	7
Submission Losses	4

McCann is the youngest fighter on this list, but she is no longer part of the UFC. After her most recent submission loss to Alexia Thainara in March 2025, McCann announced her retirement from MMA in emotional fashion in front of the crowd in her home country of England.

The lack of skills was always evident when watching McCann in the octagon, but it was overshadowed by the impressive improvements she had made from debuting in the UFC back in 2018, to when she made her rise to the rankings in 2022. Her fighting style was always so much fun to watch, with her brawling and interacting with the fans in attendance.

Much like the others on the list, McCann had a massive hole in her skills. She struggled against the more well-versed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners whom she met in the octagon. This hole led to her ultimate struggles in not getting over the hump into title contention.

Even though she was not an all-time great or world champion, the impact she has on young girls all over the world, especially in her own community, will measure her career success.

3

Michael Johnson

5 Total Submission Losses In His UFC Career

justin-gaethje-michael-johnson — © Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson’s UFC Career
Total Losses	15
Submission Losses	5

Johnson is the only currently active fighter on this list in 2025. He has had an up-and-down career, but still proves to be able to beat some of the best fighters in the world and remain on the UFC roster. With 5 total submission losses on his record, it’s clear to see that he has a glaring hole in his game that has kept him from becoming a world champion.

He was a collegiate wrestler at the JUCO level, and has shown his athleticism and wrestling skills throughout his MMA career. The only issue is that his wrestling skills have not translated into elite technical Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills to fend off some of the best submission grapplers on the roster.

It’s no secret that Johnson’s bread and butter is his striking abilities, as he sits in the top 5 of the UFC record books for most striking numbers, but he struggles against aggressive grappling opponents. Even outside the UFC, his first four losses as a professional came by way of submission.

His 30+ fight UFC career has allowed Johnson to have a very successful career, even though he has suffered his fair share of submission losses. These losses can be a sign of weakness in his skills, but they are more so a sign of his longevity and ability to compete after many years in a brutal sport.

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2

Joanne Wood

5 Total Submission Losses In Her UFC Career

Wood’s UFC Career
Total Losses	8
Submission Losses	5

Wood is a retired UFC fighter who had a kickboxing background before shifting her focus to MMA. Even though there have been some great kickboxers who succeed in the UFC, many struggle after they get into MMA later in their careers. There is a large skill gap in the grappling department in that group of athletes. She struggled against lifelong grapplers like Jessica Andrade, Jennifer Maia, Taila Santos, and Alexa Grasso.

Even though Wood holds the record for most submission losses for women in the UFC, she made it to the top of the sport and competed against just about everybody who ever became a top contender in the women’s flyweight and strawweight divisions. She was also able to retire on her terms, something that is rare for MMA fighters around the world.

Wood has the record for the most significant strikes landed in UFC women’s flyweight history, proving that even though a fighter is very skilled on the feet, it’s almost impossible to become world champion without elite grappling skills. Her greatness will be measured by the impact she had on the sport, not by her submission losses.

1

Clay Guida

8 Total Submission Losses In His UFC Career

USA_Clay-Guida — Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Guida’s UFC Career
Total Losses	20
Submission Losses	8

Even though Guida was released by the UFC at the start of 2025, he will always be remembered for his unique personality and massive heart he displayed in the cage. After being the inaugural Strikeforce lightweight champion, Guida went on to fight 37 times in the UFC.

By the end of his career with the company, Guida went on to have the most losses in UFC history (19) while also having the most control time in UFC lightweight history. His up-and-down career shows how his passion for the sport and work ethic played a huge part in his life. He kept competing and proving why he deserved to be on the biggest stage in MMA.

The downfall of Guida was his defensive grappling. Even though he was a very good wrestler, his skills needed him to be the aggressor at all times to succeed. After getting submitted for the eighth time in the UFC at the end of 2024, the UFC decided to part ways with the 43-year-old lightweight.