Second Degree Black Belt and jiu-jitsu ace Eddie Bravo analyzes Alan Belcher’s unexpected attempts at the twister submission from UFC on FOX 3 this past weekend.

Even though you see UFC fighters like Alan Belcher and Chan Sung Jung try and submit their opponents with The Twister like it’s normal, this submission move has not always been a mainstay in the UFC.

In amateur wrestling, The Twister is a variation of the guillotine that was designed to pin your opponent. Eddie Bravo learned of this move and decided to incorporate it in his “10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu” because of the horrific pain that could come along with the pinning technique. With a couple of modifications to the positioning of the hold and points of contact, Bravo managed to turn the pinning guillotine into a submission move that cranks the neck to an intolerable degree while stretching your torso in an abnormal manner.

The Twister first debuted on a mainstream level at Ultimate Fight Night 24 when Chan Sung Jung submitted Leonard Garcia with the hold. The pain Garcia’s face showed proved that this move, albeit difficult to get your opponent in, was in fact a useful tool in full-contact competition.

Last Saturday, very few expected Alan Belcher to stand his ground while grappling with Rousimar Palhares, let alone almost put him away by submission multiple times. Belcher was almost the second fighter to pull off a Twister victory in the UFC, but came up short and ended up winning by technical knockout instead. The video below is a breakdown done by Eddie Bravo displaying what Alan Belcher did right, and what he needed to do to seal the deal.

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