Grappling fans caught a glimpse inside this year’s ADCC brackets, as the two confirmed attendees took the F2W stage ahead of the September tournament.
Last evening, Fight 2 Win 207 rocked Dallas, Texas with matches from established and up-and-coming pro grapplers from across the country. Confirmed 2022 ADCC competitors Yuri Simoes and Roosevelt Sousa battled as the main event, while an assortment of gi and nogi matches filled out the rest of the event. Getting a preview of their talent ahead of the championship in September brought another level of intrigue to the show, while giving younger grapplers like purple belt Skylar Idell and brown belt Vitória Assis the chance to compete alongside generational talent.
Both IBJJF champions brought heat for their short nogi match, leading to an upset for the lower ranked athlete. Idell shot in for a double leg, but Assis was quick to stuff the shot and take the back. Idell rose to shake her loose, causing the brown belt to fall into an inverted guard. Assis was nearly able to use the awkward position to attack a leg, but Idell escaped and both returned to the feet.
Assis sat to guard, and Idell moved to pass by isolating the left leg. Assis maintained half guard against Isell’s pressure, and was able to land a deep half sweep on the Genesis athlete. On her feet, Assis switched and fell inside Idell’s guard to attempt a leg lock. Idell reversed and ended in top position, quickly passing to mount. Idell moved to isolate the head and arm of the Formiga brown belt, but Assis defended and went for a hip bump escape. Staying light on top, Idell was able to transition to the back as Assis turned. Slipping off as Assis began to stand, Idell transitioned smoothly to an armbar soon after her head hit the mat. With only 32-seconds remaining, Assis gave up the tap and Idell walked off the winner.
In the main event, Simoes and Sousa went the distance in their 8-minute nogi showdown, displaying the skills they’ll bring to the 99 kg and 99 kg+ brackets respectively. Simoes shot off a single, but bailed after Sousa stuffed his shot and moved to take the back. A brief scramble brought both back to the feet, and both men paced themselves with some grip fighting. Sousa rebuffed another shot attempt, Simoes clearly looking more cautious after the first.
After a few minutes of collar ties, Simoes went for a third single, only for Sousa to isolate the head and free his leg. Taking a new approach, Sousa sits to guard. Simoes moves to pass, but Sousa launches a triangle from his side putting Simoes on immediate defense. The fromer ADCC champ postured, and managed to escape Sousa’s triangle and return to his passing attempts from closed guard. Disengaging several times, Simoes failed to breach Sousa’s defense, and the ADCC Trials winner was content to wait for another opportunity to attack from bottom.
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FloGrappling
Falling back after securing a leg, Simoes and Sousa went in on dual leg locks from 50/50. Neither finding a solid hold, The two disengaged in the closing minute before re-entering 50/50. Both looked strained from the position, but the bell rang with no submission all around. Following deliberation, the judges awarded Sousa the decision for his offensive efforts.