Islam Makhachev is inventing new submissions and testing them on his teammates, with a clip of him performing it going viral.
As things stand, Makhachev is the No.1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC and is on a staggering 16-fight winning streak.
He suffered his lone defeat in 2015 before going on a blistering tear inside the famed Octagon, beating the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Charles Oliveira, not to mention Jack Della Maddalena in his last appearance.
Makhachev dominated Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to become a two-weight UFC champion, having won the UFC lightweight title.
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The Russian star is currently honing his craft and developing new skills in training ahead of returning to action.
He's also inventing new submissions and using his Dagestani teammates as guinea pigs.
One of his teammates was on the wrong end of a brutal-looking submission that includes the mouth being covered.
Makhachev called it the 'oxygen cylinder' and a demonstration of the manoeuvre shows the terrifying nature of the submission.
A clip, which has gone viral, shows the 34-year-old performing what appears to be a crucifix submission while using his hand to cover the airway, preventing his teammate from breathing, forcing the tap.
Filming the submission, one of his teammates says: "Crazy! What choke was that?"
To which Makhachev replied: "It's not new, I've caught some people with it already."
The teammate who was the subject of the submission then explained how the 'oxygen cylinder' works, explaining: "You know what the trick is? I'll explain now... he puts pressure with his pelvis right here (pointing to his chest), plus he shuts your mouth."
Makhachev added: "An 'oxygen cylinder' that's what we call it."
A scary-looking choke hold but it begs the question - is it legal?
While fighters are allowed to smother their opponent's mouth and nose, it's unclear whether they are allowed to completely cover their airways to stop them from breathing.
Makhachev performing the 'oxygen cylinder' in a UFC fight would determine whether the move is legal or illegal.
One thing's for sure, the UFC welterweight king isn't resting on his laurels and is aiming to improve his already elite skillset to become an even better MMA fighter.
Topics: UFC
Nasir Jabbar