A rundown of the biggest headlines and news from the world of competitive grappling.
Gordon Ryan and Andre Galvao have had a friendly rivalry for quite some time, and the antics on social media between Ryan and several key members of ATOS have been increasing in frequency lately. Perhaps the best moment came when Ryan released a ten-minute long video critiquing a recent performance by Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa and showing a plethora of different ways he could’ve finished an armbar attempt.
While Galvao normally stays relatively quiet on the subject, he decided to hit back by calling Ryan ‘a coward’ and then set his price for a match between the two: a million dollars. If this bold request is legitimate then it seems like this beef may never be settled on the mats as ADCC head organizer Mo Jassim publicly stated that a purse of that size was impossible, as it is greater than the revenue even a fully sold-out event would generate.
Ryan Hall forced out of fight with Dan Ige due to injury
It’s devastating news for all fans of elite BJJ in MMA, and for anyone who loves seeing a good leglock finish. Ryan Hall has been forced to withdraw from his next fight as a result of a hip injury that was sustained in training. This marks the second consecutive fight that Hall has to be pulled from, after cancelling his bout with Ricardo Lamas as well. The same event also lost Khamzat Chimaev vs Leon Edwards.
Hall has been crying out for competitive matches for quite some time, and he finally got given a tough opponent, who he could use to propel himself into the top ten. Ige is not only a solid grappler himself, but it was announced that he’d actually bought access to Ryan Hall Online in order to study his opponent’s game. Now the UFC is searching for a new opponent in order to keep Ige on the UFC Vegas 21 card.
Jake Shields defeats Diego Sanchez at main event of High Rollerz 4
The headline match of High Rollerz 4 featured two high-profile UFC veterans as Jake Shields defeated Diego Sanchez at the end of an action-packed event, although the matches were only made available to watch several days after the fact. As is standard for the promotion, the two men competed to win a pound of Marijuana alongside a shiny new belt to add to their trophy cabinet.
Perhaps the most shocking moment of the event came incredibly early on in the lineup however when two local grapplers met. One man went for an armbar from the bottom and was immediately hoisted up high into the air and as his opponent started to shake his arm free, the attacker fell to the ground headfirst. This resulted in a loss by knockout and although it looked horrific, later reports confirmed that the grappler was unharmed.
Rodolfo Vieira becomes victim of the biggest UFC upset in recent memory
As an ADCC World Champion and five-time IBJJF World Champion, Rodolfo Vieira was naturally the favorite in everyone’s mind coming into his fight against Anthony Hernandez at UFC 258. Considering that Vieira had finished every single one of the opponents in his professional MMA career so far, including both of his UFC fights, a submission win seemed incredibly likely.
At first, everything seemed to be going exactly as expected when Vieira used his significant grappling advantage to dominate the early exchanges. It wasn’t long before cardio troubles surfaced however and the fight started to swing in Hernandez’s favor, looking as though he might win the decision. Then the unbelievable happened when Vieira shot for a takedown and Hernandez locked up a tight Guillotine to earn “Performance-of-the-Night” honors.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Quick Hits
- While no names have been revealed as yet, Third Coast Grappling have just announced an eight-man, $20,000 Grand Prix to take place on April 3rd.
- Vitor ‘Shaolin’ Ribeiro just recently released a short documentary onto YouTube, detailing his beginnings in Jiu-Jitsu and his transition to MMA in Japan.
- Gordon Ryan steps in to replace his younger brother Nicky against Roberto Jimenez at Who’s Number One later this month.
- Fabricio Werdum has long been one of the best grapplers in the Heavyweight division and he believes that he would submit the latest addition to the division, Jon Jones.
Technique Corner
A Different Look at the Wolverine Trap from The Saddle
A Method of Exposing the Heel from 50/50
Far-Side Lapel Cradle to Crucifix to Collar Choke