This Week’s MMA Birthdays: Ryo Chonan Turns 37

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It remains a gold standard by which all jaw-dropping submissions are measured.

Ryo Chonan -- who celebrates his 37th birthday on Oct. 8 -- submitted Anderson Silva with a ridiculous flying scissor heel hook at Pride “Shockwave 2004” on Dec. 31, 2004 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Sports Illustrated later tapped it “Submission of the Decade.” Silva went on to become arguably the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in history and did not suffer another legitimate defeat for nearly nine years.

A former Deep champion and 2006 Pride Fighting Championships welterweight grand prix quarterfinalist, Chonan will call it a career after he challenges Bellator MMA Season 2 welterweight tournament finalist Dan Hornbuckle at Deep “Tribe Tokyo Fight” on Oct. 20 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. “The Piranha” has pieced together a 6-3 record since being released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship following a split decision loss to T.J. Grant at UFC 97.

Those in MMA celebrating a birthday the week covering Oct. 6-Oct. 12:

OCT. 6

Brett Martinez (27)

OCT. 7

Akihiro Gono (39)
Kyacey Uscola (31)
Chris Mickle (30)

OCT. 8

Siala-Mou Siliga (43)
Ryo Chonan (37)

OCT. 9

Luis Palomino (33)
Jorge Santiago (33)

OCT. 10

Brandon Vera (36)
Douglas Evans (33)
Terry Martin (33)
Doo Won Seo (32)
Carla Esparza (26)

OCT. 11

Francis Carmont (32)

OCT. 12

“Big” John McCarthy (51)
Wes Sims (34)
Jason High (32)
Ronnie Mann (27)
Kyoji Horiguchi (23)

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