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MMAjunkie's 'Submission of the Month' for February: C'mon – Like you don't know

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMAjunkie takes a look at the best submissions from February. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMAjunkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for February 2015.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The nominees

Benson Henderson def. Brandon Thatch via rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night 60
Benson Henderson’s (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) short-notice jump to the welterweight division paid off in full when “Smooth” earned a fourth-round submission of Brandon Thatch (11-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Despite a considerable size disadvantage, Henderson found a way to get the fight to the ground and submit Thatch in one of the most inspiring performances in recent memory.

Marion Reneau def. Jessica Andrade via triangle choke at UFC Fight Night 61
Marion Reneau(6-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was not intimidated by the aggression Jessica Andrade (12-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC). Andrade landed a big punch that knocked down Reneau early in the opening round, but that’s where her success came to a halt. Reneau waited for Andrade to make a mistake and locked in a tight triangle choke for the submission finish.

Marion Reneau

Marion Reneau

Roan Carneiro def. Mark Munoz via rear-naked choke at UFC 184
Roan Carneiro’s (20-9 MMA, 3-3 UFC) long journey back to the octagon came full circle when he submitted veteran Mark Munoz (13-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in devastating fashion. The Brazilian took Munoz’s back early and choked him out cold before the referee stepped in to mercifully stop the action.

Roan Carneiro and Mark Munoz

Roan Carneiro and Mark Munoz

Jake Ellenberger def. Josh Koscheck via north-south choke at UFC 184
Jake Ellenberger(30-9 MMA, 9-5 UFC) capitalized on Josh Koscheck’s (17-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) exposed neck and locked in just the third north-south choke finish in UFC history. It was a gruesome finish, as Ellenberger’s first submission victory in nearly nine years left Koscheck foaming at the mouth.

Ronda Rousey def. Cat Zingano via armbar at UFC 184
Ronda Rousey(11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) scored the fastest submission finish in modern UFC history when she tapped Cat Zingano (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with an armbar in 14 seconds. Zingano charged Rousey at the opening bell, and after a brief scramble, the champion emerged victorious.

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The Winner: Ronda Rousey

Rousey’s greatness is difficult to summarize.

Zingano was thought to be her most significant challenge to date, but Rousey needed just 14 seconds to win by armbar for the fastest finish in a UFC championship bout and the fastest submission overall in modern UFC history.

Those feats just scratch the surface of Rousey’s insane list of achievements and records. But beyond the numbers, the flawless and thrilling nature of her victory was a sight to behold.

Zingano’s attempted strategy of charging Rousey at the opening bell rightfully deserves criticism. However, it may have just sped up the inevitable.

Rousey’s career has been filled with quick finishes and devastating submissions. The win over Zingano felt like an entirely different level of success, though, possibly because she was forced to carry the UFC 184 fight card after a number of injuries decimated the original lineup.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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