Following up on Frank Mir’s Top Bone Breaking Submissions, it’s time to have a look at the science behind Frank Mir’s technique which got put to the test when he appeared on an episode of Sports Science.

Having previously broken the arms of ADCC Champion Roberto Traven in his UFC Debut, Tim Sylvia to win the UFC Heavyweight title and ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira to settle their grudge match, Frank Mir would first have his armbar examined by John Brenkus and the team to determine how much force he generates in the submission.

After Mir is hooked up to the crash test dummy, he wrenches on the arm which delivers a humble 60 lbs of force. But what causes the devastating break is the torque that Frank creates using the leverage of the end of the arm, which results on 150 Newton Metres on the humerus bone, more than enough to cause a break.

So how much force does Frank Mir administer on a kneebar?

Replicating the same hold he used to tap out the behemoth Brock Lesnar at UFC 81, Frank Mir wrenches on the submission to absolute breaking point, breaking the metal braced joint on the dummy.

Though the amount of force was the same, the amount of torque was heightened due to the longer lever of the leg, which resulted in 170 Newton Metres.
Understandable this is why Lesnar tapped out.

About Frank Mir:
Francisco Santos “Frank” Mir, III is an American mixed martial artist. A two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, he currently holds the record for most fights, victories and submissions in UFC Heavyweight history, and is tied for 4th most UFC victories overall. Mir possesses the longest uninterrupted tenure of any fighter in UFC history and he is considered one of the top submission artists in the UFC Heavyweight division. [Source: wiki]