Metamoris 4 is poised to occur on Saturday, August 9 and this offering from the promotion has the possibility to be their biggest event yet. With this card show organizers have presented a blend of popular mixed martial artists competing against key names in the grappling world. As fighters such as Chael Sonnen and Josh Barnett are set to participate, one must wonder if this type of cross promotion is what the organization needs to continue to flourish in today’s age of combat sports.
Since its inception back in 2012, Metamoris has become a new look on Jiu Jitsu. The organization has brought in a number of prominent mixed martial artists who got their start due to the success they had in grappling across the world. With Metamoris 4 the promotion has taken things a step further by bringing in two big names from the UFC to face two former mixed martial artists who are more well known for what they have been able to do on the mats rather than in the cage.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett will face off against former UFC and Pride competitor, Dean Lister. This bout presents an interesting clash of catch wrestling versus Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with the winner being named the Metamoris heavyweight champion. Chael Sonnen will also step on the mats to face Andre Galvao, who is a multiple grappling champion but has also competed in both Strikeforce and Dream.
Saulo Ribeiro and Vinny Magalhaes will also bring their past mixed martial arts experience with them when they step back into the grappling world where they have both been champions in the past. There were even rumors building that former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson would face Kron Gracie but that match was scrapped when Gracie decided to focus on his developing MMA career.
This mix of fighters with MMA and grappling experience on the biggest stages possible creates a dynamic that will be interesting to watch. If Metamoris can catch the eye of fight fans who stick to mixed martial arts, then this event should be deemed a success. The increased attention that will come from having these big-name fighters should have a positive impact on the event and promotion as a whole. UFC President Dana White has recently made comments that there is potential for Metamoris to eventually be featured on UFC Fight Pass, which would be a major boost in exposure.
“You might see a lot of combat sports and other things,” Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting reported. “We’re doing a number of deals, including non-MMA. There’s tons of potential.”
Grappling is one of the foundations of mixed martial arts. Metamoris has quickly become one of the focal points within the grappling community. Their latest offering with Metamoris 4 presents a strong opportunity for the organization to grab some attention within the entire combat-sports world.
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