Yes, that roll works in competition.

February 22, 2019 · Imanari vs Kwon Won Il

MMA / ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS. Imanari won by heel hook at 0:53 of round one. ONE's report describes an initial roll being evaded before a second entry caught the leg.

The embedded video is a finish highlight. Watch the control after the roll; the official report provides the broader sequence.

February 2017 · Marvin Castelle vs Darby Faulkner

No-gi / Fight To Win Pro 24. FloGrappling published this finish by someone other than Imanari, showing how the entry connects to a leg attack in grappling competition.

Watch the approach, the instant the roll reaches the leg, and the transition into the submission. The clip is only 21 seconds: see it once as a whole, then replay the entry.

2012 · Imanari vs Kevin Belingon

ONE presents this MMA bout as a win using Imanari's signature roll. It is another official archive of Imanari's competition use of the entry.

▶2 min

ONE Championship · Official MMA footage

Masakazu Imanari vs Kevin Belingon — official full fight

A 2012 MMA example that ONE describes as a victory using Imanari's signature roll.

If the player is unavailable, use the source link below.

Trouble playing? Watch on YouTube ↗

December 2018 · Ryan Hall vs BJ Penn / UFC 232

Hall won by heel hook at 2:46 of round one. UFC's retrospective identifies the entry as an Imanari roll.

The video below is Kent Peters' instructional breakdown of the entry, not the fight broadcast.

▶3:57

Kent Peters / ZombieProofBJJ · English technical instruction

The Ryan Hall Roll — ZombieProofBJJ breakdown

Kent Peters demonstrates and explains the entry used in Hall vs BJ Penn. This is an instructional breakdown, rather than the fight broadcast.

Trouble playing? Watch on YouTube ↗