YR Sports Lab
You have your opponent's back. To escape, they post both hands and both feet and lift their hips. That escape also puts one ankle right in front of you: grab it, pull it toward your shoulder, drive your hips down, and the back of the thigh is stretched to its limit until the only exit is a tap. This is the Suloev Stretch, a kneebar variation from back control. It carries Amar Suloev's name, but the name itself only appeared in 2013. This guide covers the naming story, mechanics, three entry timings, strengths and limits, common counters, documented competition cases and safety notes.
1. Origins: Recorded in 2002, Named in 2013
The Suloev Stretch is named after Amar Suloev. According to Wikipedia he was born in January 1976 in Tashir, then in the Armenian SSR of the Soviet Union, debuted in M-1 Global in 1999, and later fought in PRIDE and the UFC. Wikipedia records his win over Paul Cahoon at 2H2H 5 in Rotterdam on October 13, 2002 as the first recorded use of the hold, and LowKick MMA likewise dates its origin to the same 2002 Rotterdam event.
The technique is eleven years older than its name
FloGrappling notes that before 2013 fans and writers mostly called it a kneebar or a hamstring stretch. At UFC 157 on February 23, 2013, Kenny Robertson beat Brock Jardine with it at 2:57 of round 1 and earned Submission of the Night. Journalist KJ Gould then called it the Suloev Stretch, and the name began to circulate.
LowKick MMA says Robertson's was the first successful Suloev Stretch in a UFC fight. The name became widely known at UFC 228 on September 8, 2018: that night Aljamain Sterling beat Cody Stamann with it in round 2 at 3:42, and Zabit Magomedsharipov beat Brandon Davis with it in round 2 at 3:46.
On the move's earlier roots, LowKick MMA says it began as a wrestling move for scoring back points when an opponent tripods, but this is a single-source claim and is not treated as settled here. What is clear is that BJJ and MMA treat it as a close relative of the Kneebar: both attack a hyperextended leg, but the Suloev Stretch enters from back control and emphasizes stretching the hamstring. For the biomechanics and injury side of kneebars, see our kneebar injury deep dive.
2. Mechanics: From Back Control to Hip Drive
The standard situation is that you already have back control: a seatbelt grip on the upper body and hooks or a body triangle on the lower body. To escape, your opponent plants both hands and both feet and lifts the hips, the tripod posture described by LowKick MMA. You release one hook and go for one of their ankles.
| Stage | Key points |
|---|---|
| 1. Secure the back | Take the back from a sweep or when the opponent gives it up; keep the seatbelt and lower-body control instead of releasing the upper body to chase the leg |
| 2. Wait for the post | When the opponent posts hands and feet with hips lifted, one ankle becomes reachable |
| 3. Trap the ankle | Grab under the heel with both hands, or hook a forearm above the heel and clasp, and pull the ankle toward your upper body |
| 4. Drive the hips | Drive your hips down onto the opponent's thigh and hips while pulling the foot toward your face, hyperextending the knee and lengthening the hamstring |
| 5. Keep back control | Hold the same leg with both hands throughout; you can finish belly down or on your back depending on the reaction |
FloGrappling stresses that this is not purely a joint lock. It stretches the hamstrings to the limit of their flexibility, the knee takes kneebar-like hyperextension pressure, and the hip's rotational limit is also stressed. The load runs along the whole posterior chain, not just the knee, which is why it is called a stretch.
FloGrappling also describes Josh Cisneros's approach: he secured one ankle, then tilted sideways so the opponent could no longer keep both feet down, which made pulling the leg easier. The detail shows the technique does not have to wait for a perfect tripod; you can break the opponent's base yourself.
3. Entry Timing and Setups
There are three common entry points:
First, the moment the opponent postures into a tripod under back control. This is the classic scenario and the one the move grew out of. The "post up and shake you off" escape delivers the foot to your hands.
Second, as the opponent turns and starts to face you. While turning, one foot often leaves the mat while the other stays planted. Trap the planted ankle and the turning force works against them.
Third, from other positions. JitsuIQ lists further entries, including turtle, scrambles, defending a takedown, and switching from a failed kneebar. These come from instructional write-ups with no success-rate data, so treat them as setups to try rather than guaranteed routes.
4. Strengths and Limitations
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Turns the opponent's escape (posting up) into an attack | Requires back control first; without it there is no setup |
| You keep back control while pulling the leg, so the rear naked choke and hooks remain as a fallback | If the opponent does not post and no foot is available, the entry disappears |
| Stretches the whole posterior chain, so the opponent feels pressure quickly | Weak leg control or hips that do not follow the pull let the opponent pull the leg out and return to standing |
| Chains with the kneebar and straight ankle lock | Forcing the hyperextension with strength carries a high injury risk for you and your partner |
5. Common Counters
LowKick MMA summarizes three practical counters:
First, do not give up the back. Without back control the setup does not exist, so the root defense is avoiding back exposure from guard and position.
Second, do not tripod when someone has your back. Rather than posting hands and feet to shake them off, pull their arm across your body and turn to face them, turning the exchange into a guard fight.
Third, keep your feet from posting too wide. A wider base makes a foot easier to hook. JitsuIQ's common mistakes add that an attacker who neglects hip control or leg control gives the defender a window to escape.
Follow-ups when the counter works
If the opponent pulls the leg out or turns, do not muscle the leg. Return to the seatbelt and hooks, reset back control, and choose between a rear naked choke or attacking the other leg.
If the opponent drops their hand defense to protect the leg, a choke is usually more efficient than a harder pull, since you are still behind them. JitsuIQ also notes the move can be chained with the kneebar and straight ankle lock, so pick one to finish.
6. Competition Frequency
Governing bodies do not publish per-technique frequency, so there is no "X% of finishes" figure to cite here. What we can do is list documented cases, drawn from Wikipedia event pages and FloGrappling reporting (accessed 2026/10). It is a list of known examples, not a statistic.
| Date | Event | Athlete and result |
|---|---|---|
| 2002/10/13 | 2H2H 5 (Rotterdam) | Amar Suloev def. Paul Cahoon; recorded as the first use |
| 2013/02/23 | UFC 157 | Kenny Robertson def. Brock Jardine, round 1 at 2:57, Submission of the Night |
| 2018/09/08 | UFC 228 | Aljamain Sterling def. Cody Stamann, round 2 at 3:42 |
| 2018/09/08 | UFC 228 | Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Brandon Davis, round 2 at 3:46 |
| 2022/04 | ADCC West Coast Trials | Josh Cisneros won twice with it; opponents included Gianni Grippo |
The UFC 228 event page cites Barstool Sports saying that before that weekend there had been one Suloev Stretch kneebar in UFC history, and afterward there were three. When FloGrappling reported on Cisneros's ADCC trial performance in 2022, it jokingly called the hold the "Cisneros stretch," a sign the move is a recognized weapon in high-level no-gi. On rules, the legality of leg locks varies by organization and belt level, so check the current rulebook and your coach; this article does not vouch for a specific ruleset.
7. Safety Notes
The Suloev Stretch loads the hamstrings, the knee and the hip at once. FloGrappling notes that it stretches the hamstrings to the limit of their flexibility and can tear the muscles at the back of the thigh, while the knee takes kneebar-like hyperextension and the hip is pushed to its rotational limit. Wikipedia's Leglock entry adds more generally that leg locks applied improperly or with excessive force can damage muscle, tendon and ligament. We found no injury statistics specific to the Suloev Stretch, so this section stays qualitative.
・Add pressure slowly, starting with the hip drive rather than yanking the ankle with the arms
・Release the moment your partner taps or calls out, and do not hold out as the one being locked
・With a prior knee, hamstring or hip injury, talk to your coach before drilling
・Confirm your gym's and your event's leg lock rules before live rounds
For the full injury mechanics of kneebars and the wider leg lock system, see our kneebar injury deep dive and leg lock system guide. For another technique that attacks a leg from behind, compare the Banana Split.
FAQ
How is the Suloev Stretch different from a regular kneebar?
The difference is the entry and the load. The Suloev Stretch starts from back control: you pull one ankle toward your upper body, which hyperextends the knee and also stretches the hamstring to its limit. A kneebar usually traps the thigh and drives the hip into the back of the knee. Wikipedia lists the Suloev Stretch as a kneebar variation, and the two can be chained.
Why is it called the Suloev Stretch?
It is named after Amar Suloev. Wikipedia records his 2002 win over Paul Cahoon as the first recorded use. After Kenny Robertson used the same hold to beat Brock Jardine at UFC 157 in 2013, journalist KJ Gould coined the name Suloev Stretch. Before that it was usually called a kneebar or a hamstring stretch.
How do I avoid getting my leg taken when someone has my back?
The simplest fix is to stop escaping from a tripod, with both hands and both feet on the mat. LowKick MMA notes that attackers wait for that posture, and a wide base makes a foot easier to hook. Pulling the opponent's arm across your body to turn into them, or never giving up the back in the first place, removes the setup.
Can white belts train the Suloev Stretch?
Only slowly and under a coach's supervision, after checking your gym's and your event's rules. Leg lock rules differ between organizations and belt levels, and this article does not vouch for any specific ruleset, so confirm with your coach and the current rulebook. Apply pressure slowly and release the moment your partner taps.
Which competitions have featured the Suloev Stretch?
Documented cases include Kenny Robertson at UFC 157 in 2013, Aljamain Sterling and Zabit Magomedsharipov at UFC 228 in 2018, and Josh Cisneros at the 2022 ADCC West Coast Trials. Governing bodies do not publish per-technique frequency, so these are known examples rather than statistics.
References
1. Wikipedia contributors. Amar Suloev. en.wikipedia.org/Amar_Suloev (accessed 2026/10; supports Suloev's birthplace, the October 13, 2002 win over Paul Cahoon at 2H2H 5 as the first recorded use, and the hold's classification as a kneebar variant from back control)
2. Hywel Teague. The Suloev Stretch at ADCC Trials: What Is It and How Does It Work? flograppling.com (published 2022/04/05, accessed 2026/10; supports the 2013 naming by KJ Gould, the Cisneros ADCC cases, the step description and the loading mechanism)
3. LowKick MMA. How to Do the Suloev Stretch Submission. lowkickmma.com (accessed 2026/10; supports the step breakdown, the hip-drive detail and the three counters; the claim that it began as a wrestling move is single-source)
4. Wikipedia contributors. UFC 157. en.wikipedia.org/UFC_157 (accessed 2026/10; supports Robertson's win over Jardine on February 23, 2013, round 1 at 2:57, and Submission of the Night)
5. Wikipedia contributors. UFC 228. en.wikipedia.org/UFC_228 (accessed 2026/10; supports the two Suloev Stretch wins by Sterling and Magomedsharipov on September 8, 2018 and their times)
6. JitsuIQ. Suloev Stretch. jitsuiq.com (accessed 2026/10; supports the additional entries such as turtle and scrambles, the point that weak leg and hip control lets opponents escape, and chaining with the kneebar and straight ankle lock; an instructional write-up with no success-rate data)
7. Wikipedia contributors. Leglock. en.wikipedia.org/Leglock (accessed 2026/10; supports the general statement that improperly applied leg locks can damage muscle, tendon and ligament, and the description of pulling the ankle toward the shoulder to stress the hamstring)