Are neck cranks allowed in the UFC?

If you’ve ever trained in submission wrestling then you may have heard of the term ‘neck crank’. This is used to describe when someone puts pressure on the neck which sometimes results in a submission. Sometimes, a crank can come from a sloppy choke attempt, whereas other times it can be a crank and nothing else.

In this article, we shall discuss the legalities of neck cranks in MMA and the UFC and whether it’s legal as a submission. We shall also be uncovering some common myths and rumors surrounding what constitutes a neck crank and how they can differ in terms of pain and severity.

What is a neck crank?

As mentioned, a neck crank is the act of pressurizing a neck and is usually done by someone’s arms but can sometimes be achieved by using your legs as well. This typically results in the neck muscles being twisted and cranked until a submission is achieved, or your opponent escapes the neck crank and the fight continues.

Perhaps the most common form of neck crank is done when a fighter is on the back of their opponent. Here, they may put their arms over their opponent’s jaw and squeeze, resulting in a tap. Often, this won’t even choke the opponent but will be incredibly painful and could potentially break the jaw, teeth, or even neck. It’s not like professional MMA fighters are particularly soft or overly cautious either. This shows just how dangerous a crank can be – and also that there’s no shame in tapping to them.

To summarize, a crank can also be part choke as well, depending on how it is applied. In some rare cases, you can also do submissions that are solely intended as a crank. The best example of this is the twister which was developed by Eddie Bravo. This doesn’t attempt to choke the opponent but instead twists the head from the lower body and is a spinal lock. If you didn’t tap to this, then you could easily break your spine and risk paralysis. Thankfully, it’s very rarely seen in MMA and isn’t common.

Are neck cranks legal?

In MMA, neck cranks are completely legal. This means even moves that appear quite brutal such as the twister can be performed without getting disqualified by the ref. Equally as rare is the half nelson neck crank which is another black swan within the MMA world but is still completely fine in terms of the rules.

In some cases, neck cranks can also be used to pass the guard and they aren’t always done as submissions etiher. For example, the can opener is often used to open the closed guard. This literally means putting your hands behind the opponent’s head and pulling forward like a clinch. If done with enough force, the opponent will be forced to open their legs and potentially give up the position.

Most commonly a neck crank submission will occur from a sloppy rear naked choke or guillotine. This means that even if neck cranks were outlawed then they’d still be very difficult to judge due to appearing as chokes to the referee and audience. This may be why cranks are legal – as it would be almost impossible to judge what constitutes a crank otherwise and there would be too much debate.

One of the reasons why people believe neck cranks may be illegal is because of the rules in most grappling martial arts. In BJJ and Judo, neck cranks are mostly illegal. This means if you tried a twister or even a can opener under most rule sets, you’d get disqualified. Remember, MMA is quite different from sports grappling though, and tends to follow fewer rules!

Do neck cranks hurt?

Neck cranks can hurt and in some cases, they can even paralyze someone. With this in mind, you have to be careful when caught in a neck crank and judge whether it’s merely pain or something more serious. In some cases, you can get people that refuse to tap based on stubbornness, only to injure their neck as a result.

So, if you’re caught in a deep twister then it’s ideal to tap instantly. However, if someone is trying a rear naked choke crank and it’s not that bad with room to escape, then you may be able to escape. A lot of the pain also depends on whether your neck is strong and whether the person doing the crank is applying enough pressure. Like all submissions, each one is different and is situational – meaning that some cranks hurt and others aren’t too bad. Thankfully, you’re almost always given enough time to tap which means injury is often preventable.

How do you heal against a neck crank?

If you get caught in a bad neck crank then it may take weeks or even months to heal. Ultimately, it depends on how bad the crank is to begin with. In some cases, you could lightly pull a muscle that may take a day or two to heal. In others, you could tear a muscle which would be more serious. If you hurt your spine then obviously it’s a different story though which is when a crank chances from a muscular submission to a skeletal one. Of course, this means it’s more severe and should be treated with more respect.

Sometimes, grapplers will often rush to get back into training after suffering a neck crank which can also be a bad thing. Just because you feel mostly fine, it doesn’t mean that you are fine. There’s a big difference and often over-eagerness can cause more long-term damage. As mentioned earlier based on the pain threshold of neck cranks, it really depends on the level of damage the crank causes and there’s no definitive answer.

How do you defend against a neck crank?

Neck crank defense depends on what type of crank you’re placed in. For example, if someone is cranking your neck from a closed guard position, then you may want to post on your head and lean your weight forward. This should alleviate some of the pressure from your neck and give you room to escape. From here, you can try and grip fight and eventually free your head.

With a twister, it’s all about freeing your hips so they can’t control your lower body. If this is achieved then you can once escape. In short, every crank has its own methods. However, there is often one main way of defending and escaping. This relies on freeing any grips around your neck and head which often involves head placement and grip fighting.

This may sound easier said than done and against a skilled grappler can be almost impossible if they have cemented a dominant position. Just remember, with all submissions there’s a big difference between being able to escape and being completely trapped. If you’re trapped then it’s not worth toughing it out unless there are seconds on the clock. If you can escape then it may be a different story.

Is a guillotine a neck crank?

A guillotine should primarily act as a choke. More specifically, a guillotine should be used as a blood choke. Here, the attacker should use one or both arms to block either of their opponent’s carotid arteries. In doing this, they shut down blood going to the opponent’s brain which results in unconsciousness.

In some cases, a sloppy guillotine may not be a blood choke and may squeeze the trachea. If crushed enough then this can act as an air choke as well which in some cases is equally as effective. However, in other, less technical cases then a guillotine can act as a neck crank. This is especially true if the person trying the submission is very strong. Here, they can possibly twist the opponent’s neck which results in submission.

To sum up, a guillotine should be intended as a choke but can sometimes slip into a neck crank. Ideally, you should be aiming for it to act as a choke as this will submit enough the toughest of opponents. However, with the right strength, control and angle then it may work as a crank instead.