A rundown of the biggest headlines and news from the world of competitive grappling.
There were two exciting grappling matches booked for ONE Fight Night 7, both pitting top BJJ competitors against grapplers from other disciplines. First up was Tommy Langaker, who took on Sambo world champion Uali Kurzhev and managed to submit him with a heelhook less than three minutes into the match. He was given one of two $50,000 performance bonuses for the exciting finish as well.
Shortly after that Danielle Kelly was facing off against Ayaka Miura, an MMA veteran and talented Judo black belt. Miura started off strong by attempting a straight armbar that she’s become known for in her MMA career, but Kelly escaped and countered by transitioning to the back. The time limit ran out before she could get the finish, but Kelly was awarded the win by the judges for her efforts.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Gordon Ryan pulls out of Felipe Pena match on a few day’s notice
Gordon Ryan v Felipe Pena 4 was set to be one of the biggest BJJ matches in recent memory, but unfortunately Ryan pulled out just a matter of days before the event. He cited stomach troubles as the reason for his withdrawal, but that didn’t sit well with Pena and many others. Ryan was quickly replaced by his former teammate Nicky Rodriguez and Pena remained in the main event of the Who’s Number One card.
Pena was especially frustrated at the news because he had actually moved to San Diego for three months prior to the event in order to conduct his training camp at ATOS. Not just that, but a win here would have put his personal record against Ryan at 3-1 and would likely have ended their rivalry for good. Despite his annoyance, Pena has publicly agreed to reschedule the match and has even offered to take it within the next two weeks.
Felipe Pena wins close decision against Nicky Rodriguez at WNO
The Who’s Number One event went ahead with a replacement main event and the card was just as exciting as predicted. There were several great matches throughout the event, including a flawless performance by JT Torres against Magid Hage. Jasmine Rocha also impressed as she submitted Amanda Bruse and showed that she clearly belongs with the highest level of competition possible.
Although Gordon Ryan wasn’t competing at the event, his teammates were and New Wave Jiu-Jitsu didn’t have a great night. Oliver Taza lost a decision to Jonnatas Gracie and Giancarlo Bodoni experienced the same result in his title-fight against Pedro Marinho. The main event was the closest match of the night, but in the end the judges sided with Pena and he won the decision after thirty minutes of action.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Jena Bishop dominates in Bellator debut
Jena Bishop has been grappling at the highest levels of the sport for years now, winning the North American ADCC Trials in 2019 and appearing at that year’s world championship. She made the transition to MMA in 2021 and she’s been on fire since then, crushing any women who stand opposite her in the cage. Bishop put together a perfect 4-0 professional MMA record with all of her fights coming under the LFA banner.
That earned her a call-up to Bellator and a step up in competition against veteran fighter Elina Kallionidou. Bishop met the challenge comfortably and she dominated her opponent from start to finish, winning all three rounds cleanly on route to a unanimous decision. The main event then saw Yaroslav Amosov fight for the first time in twenty months, maintaining his undefeated record and retaining the welterweight title.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Quick Hits
- IBJJF gi and no gi world champion Diego ‘Pato’ Oliveira has just left Dream Art and joined Art of Jiu-Jitsu to train under the legendary Mendes brothers.
- Erin Blanchfield gave an assessment of the flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko’s grappling, ahead of a potential fight between the two.
- It was revealed that Marcelo Garcia wasn’t just a spectator at ADCC 2022, he was prepared to step in to the superfight if Gordon Ryan or Andre Galvao pulled out.
- Kristen Bell, star of ‘The Good Place’ and ‘Frozen’, revealed that she has started training Jiu-Jitsu with her daughter under Cesalina Gracie.