The Cranking Submission of Bellator 253

Bellator 253 only had one submission and it was one highlight that had grappling enthusiasts go nuts on Thursday night. A.J. McKee submitted Darrion Caldwell in the first round of their Featherweight Grand Prix main event on CBS Sports Network with a neck crank, but fight fans could not help wonder “what was that?”

Well, it is not a completely new submission but it certainly is new to the current landscape of MMA. Much like Jason Von Flue’s counter to the guillotine became known as the “Von Flue choke”, what McKee pulled off might become known as the “McKee-otine” thanks to Luke Thomas who is a combat sports analyst for CBS Sports. Thomas may do his own breakdown of the technique but this might help in understanding the mechanics of it.

Firstly, a neck crank is a very painful and dangerous submission for obvious reasons. The crank can turn into serious damage if the person getting cranked does not tap, which Caldwell did wisely when he was in McKee’s guard. So, let’s look at what happened leading up to the submission.

Caldwell got the takedown which McKee was expecting. McKee told the media that “front headlocks are bread and butter for me,” and that he had been doing them since he was a kid. While McKee worked to pull guard while landing elbows and locking his legs which would secure Caldwell in front of him. Then, he would…