Mikey Lock
Submission
No-Gi
A modified heel hook popularized by Mikey Musumeci that uses the attacker's own head as a fulcrum against the opponent's foot to twist the leg. Because the fulcrum keeps rotational pressure on the knee even when the opponent points their toes (plantar flexion — the usual heel hook relief), it closes off the standard escape.
Quick Reference
Key principles
- · The head-as-fulcrum maintains knee torque through plantar flexion, unlike a conventional heel hook grip
- · Control the knee line first — the rotation attacks the knee's ligaments, not the ankle
- · Foot must stay pinned to the head/shoulder for the fulcrum to work
Execution
- 1 Establish a leg entanglement that controls the opponent's knee line
- 2 Trap the foot against the side of your head with the heel exposed
- 3 Connect your hands around the heel and use head and shoulder as the fulcrum
- 4 Rotate your torso to drive twisting pressure through the knee
Common mistakes
- × Chasing the heel without first controlling the knee line
- × Letting the foot slide off the head, which loses the fulcrum and the plantar-flexion coverage
Common defenses
How opponents shut the Mikey Lock down.
Show 1
Mikey Lock Submission Statistics
Most Mikey Lock Finishes
RNK
ATHLETE
WINS
1
Lloyd Shankland
1
Mikey Lock Historical Trends
Percentage of All Submissions
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Percentage (%)
Year
Showing the percentage of submissions won using Mikey Lock relative to all submission victories
Heel Hook Family
Matches Won by Mikey Lock
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Event | Date | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyd Shankland | def. | Conor Yeates | 2026 Jits Pro League 2: Spring Team Qualifier | 2026 Mar 21 |
