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UFC’s rarest submission artists fight on the same card in Abu Dhabi

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 8:00 AM ET

UFC Abu Dhabi is a stacked Fight Night event, and while fans can look forward to the middleweight title eliminator main event, there's plenty to anticipate on the undercard.

Notably, the Abu Dhabi undercard plays host to a pair of fighters who belong to a very exclusive club. These are Bryce Mitchell and Da'Mon Blackshear, two bantamweights who wouldn't be remotely linked if not for an exceptionally rare finish on their respective records.

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UFC Abu Dhabi features 2 of the 3 Twister submission aces in promotional history

So what do Mitchell and Blackshear have in common? They've both finished fights by Twister, an extremely rare, yet flashy submission that torques the victim's neck and spine in a 'twisted' fashion.

'The Korean Zombie' Chang Sung Jung became the first man to secure a Twister in his UFC debut in 2011. Another one wouldn't come around for almost a decade.

Mitchell joined Jung by securing a Twister against Matt Sayles in 2019, and he very nearly did it again in his next fight against Charles Rosa.

Four years later, Blackshear scored the third-ever Twister finish against Jose Johnson in the UFC APEX. It's a finish that gets little appreciation given the arena.

Da'Mon Blackshear (17-7-1) est l'un des rares combattants à avoir gagné par Twister à l'UFC pic.twitter.com/jdgsIxezem
— The Highlight (@TheHighlightFR) July 24, 2025

Mitchell fights Said Nurmagomedov this weekend in the Abu Dhabi featured prelim, while Blackshear takes on Davey Grant on the night's prelims. They could well be on a collision course.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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