UFC 5 submissions: the meter fight
A finish only lands when the defender's Submission Resilience meter is empty and the denial is missed — so stamina, not timing, decides most submissions.
Submissions in UFC 5 are a meter fight with a denial window inside it. The attacker is not trying to press a button at the right moment; they are trying to empty the defender's Submission Resilience meter and then finish while the defender is still recovering from a missed denial. Read that sentence again and most of the confusion around the submission system disappears.
The finish and the denial
To finish a submission, transition to the finish with the right stick up (RSUP). To deny a finish, hold block and time the same direction as the attacker goes for it (RT + RSUP).
Two conditions decide the outcome: the defender's Submission Resilience meter has to be empty, and the defender has to miss the denial. If the meter is not empty, the defender is forced into a Desperate Escape instead of tapping — and that escape can cause an injury.
The meter itself is damaged by three things: Submission Offense against Submission Defense, the stamina difference between the two fighters, and the strength of the specific submission being attempted. A high-power submission against a tired defender empties the meter in one attempt; a weak one against a fresh defender may never finish.
Struggle, and why stamina is the real submission stat
Holding the heavy modifier struggles. Struggling drains stamina from both fighters, which makes it a pressure tool rather than an escape: if you are ahead on stamina, struggling wins the exchange even if you never finish.
The rules that make this work are worth memorising:
- Fighters cannot deny at zero stamina. A defender with an empty stamina bar has no denial left, no matter how good their timing is.
- Faking drains more from the defender than the faker. A cancelled attempt costs the defender more than it costs you.
- Counters are slower than escapes. A counter is a bigger swing but a worse option when the meter is nearly empty.
Put together, the submission game rewards the fighter who arrives with more stamina, not the one with the better submission rating.
Chains: the strongest submissions in the game
A submission chain is an input, not a combo: LT plus right stick down. Chains connect related submissions so that the second one is stronger than the first.
| Chain | Connects to |
|---|---|
| Triangle | Armbar |
| Kimura | Armbar |
| Von Flue | Arm triangle |
The value is that a defended first attempt does not reset the position — it feeds the second, stronger attempt. This is why submission specialists feel oppressive on the ground even when the opponent is defending correctly: the defence has to be right twice.
Counters
Counters use LT plus left or right on the right stick. Two documented examples: the guillotine is countered by the Von Flue, and in the heel hook the defender can become the attacker. Counters are powerful but slower than escapes, so they are a choice you make when you have stamina to spend.
Slams
Escaping a triangle to half guard while the attacker tries to finish results in a slam. It is a positional escape that turns into damage, and it is one of the few defensive inputs that can end a fight outright.
Striking inside a submission
Both fighters can strike during a submission attempt: X or Y. Attackers can strike from the armbar, the triangle and the rear naked choke; defenders can strike from the heel hook. Counter a strike by timing block plus the right stick toward the side the opponent is on.
Strikes inside submissions are how you keep a defender honest when the meter is not yet empty — they cannot deny everything at once.
Offensive transitions: the professional option
Instead of finishing, the attacker can transition to a better position using right stick down. This is the correct play when a finish is unlikely, for example when you are at a stamina disadvantage: take the better position, let the meter recover nothing, and try again with a stronger submission.
The flying entries
Every flying submission is a clinch entry plus two inputs, which is why the clinch page and this one overlap.
| Submission | Position | Input |
|---|---|---|
| Flying armbar | Collar tie clinch | LT + RB + X or Y |
| Flying triangle | Single under or over under | LT + RB + Y |
| Flying kimura | Submissive back clinch | LT + RB + X |
| Standing guillotine | Muay Thai or single under | LT + RB + X |
| Rear naked choke | Back clinch | LT + RB + X or Y |
They are high-risk — a failed entry leaves you in a clinch you did not want — and they are the fastest route to a finish against an opponent who cannot deny the clinch entry.
A submission checklist for the bottom player
- Check your stamina before you attack. Below half a bar, a submission attempt is a gift.
- Attack a chain, not a single hold. The second attempt is stronger and the defence has to be right twice.
- If the meter is not emptying, transition instead of finishing. Right stick down, better position, try again.
- If the defender is denying everything, fake. A faked attempt drains more from them than from you.
A submission checklist for the defender
- Hold block, do not tap it.
- Deny the finish, not the setup. The denial window is at the finish, and denying early wastes stamina.
- Watch your own stamina bar, not the attacker's. At zero stamina you cannot deny at all.
- If you survive with a Desperate Escape, expect an injury.
Next: Ground defense · Stamina and health · Clinch guide