A rundown of the biggest headlines and news from the world of competitive grappling.
It’s only the second event that the Brazilian promotion have put on, but it’s already clear that BJJ Bet are here to stay. They managed to put together a card headlined by some of the best grapplers in Brazil and several making the trip over from America too. Nicholas Meregali put on a great show in the headline superfight against Rider Zuchi although in the end it was only two points that separated them.
The no gi grand prix was the main attraction however with both Leandro Lo and William Tackett putting in dominant performances in the opening round against Rafael Paganini and Rousimar Palhares respectively. They then met in the semi-final where Tackett suffered an injury and couldn’t continue, while Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa submitted Mauricio Oliveira to book his place in the final where he submitted Lo to take home the title.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Joshua Cisneros gets revenge against Kennedy Maciel at F2W 179
It was a rematch that grappling fans in the know have been wanting for quite some time now, as Cisneros and Maciel put on an amazing show back at F2W 169. Maciel won that meeting despite being on the back foot for most of it, as he managed to take his opponent’s back out of nowhere and sink in the fight-ending rear-naked choke. It was this drama that set up the demand for a rematch as soon as possible.
The pair didn’t disappoint at F2W 179 as this match was every bit as exciting as the first, except Cisneros didn’t get caught slipping this time around. He managed to keep up the pace and maintain pressure for the entirety of the match and although he couldn’t return the favor and finish Maciel, he was awarded the decision by a relatively comfortable margin in the end.
Full results for the event can be found here.
The Martinez brothers lead Team USA to victory at Polaris Squads 3
Polaris Squads is quickly becoming one of the world’s premier team grappling events thanks to a unique ruleset that seems like a foolproof way of providing plenty of fast-paced action. There were some last-minute changes to the lineups of both Team UK & Ireland and Team USA, but it turns out they were for the best as all three of the night’s submission finishes came from those late replacements.
Nathan Orchard kicked off things for Team USA by locking up an unusual modified version of the twister against Kieran Davern to earn 3 points in defeating a heavier opponent. It took a little while but Roberto Jimenez improved the lead to 4-0 by sinking in a rear-naked choke against Bradley Hill, shortly before their final tally was raised to 7 points when Dan Strauss was injured and unable to continue his match with Geo Martinez.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Lineup announced for Middleweight division of WNO Championships
The Who’s Number One Championships is shaping up to be quite possibly the best event of the year, and they’ve only announced three out of the eventual five brackets. The men’s Lightweight division alone was enough to guarantee a ton of viewers, and the women’s 115lbs division that soon followed looked to be the most stacked female competition in recent memory.
Now the Middleweight division has been announced and it features a host of ADCC veterans like the Australian phenom Craig Jones, the Canadian IBJJF world champion Dante Leon, and 10th Planet’s Jon ‘Thor’ Blank. Alongside them is one of the most exciting grapplers of his generation, Roberto Jimenez, and the ATOS prodigy Tye Ruotolo, who’s twin brother Kade is competing in the Lightweight division at the same event.
Quick Hits
- Combat Jiu Jitsu world champion Kody Steele has announced plans to make his MMA debut at the end of this month at Fury FC 49.
- Tamyra Mensah-Stock made history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first black woman to ever win a gold medal in wrestling.
- Rickson Gracie recently made an appearance on the Jocko podcast where he sat down with the host and explained what he sees as the differences between BJJ and Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
- UFC and Bare-knuckle boxing veteran Paige Van Zant was recently spotted putting a US soldier to sleep with a rear-naked choke.
Technique Corner
The Tornado Clock Choke
Gubber Guard to Canto Choke, to Omoplata
Escapes from 50/50 using a lapel grip