First Things First

This weekend gave us tons of crafty grappling from a variety of cards. WNO showcased two of the brightest and youngest no gi stars. Then the UFC provided a brilliant case study on the importance of patience, discipline, and the effective use of guard to secure a late victory.

Let's dive into the best action from this weekend.

WNO 23

The ADCC World Championships are just a few months away. The entire grappling world is training, competing, and preparing with this prestigious event in mind. That means the no gi matches taking place are largely practice runs for how the athletes will perform in Vegas. WNO 23 presented us with two finishes that have significant implications for the -77KG division.

Nicky Ryan vs JT Torres

Ryan, the grappling prodigy, faced off against one of the best grapplers to ever compete, Torres. These two don't often compete, so there were questions heading into the event.

How would the veteran Torres perform? And would Ryan's injury-prone body even make it onto the mats?

In the relatively inactive beginning of the match, it looked like Torres was going to walk away with a win after leading most of the wrestling. Both men traded grips and hand fighting sequences to clear space for shots. Then Nicky initiated the key exchange by diving on a low single to attack Torres's legs.

The two were paused here for a bit before Torres attempted to give Ryan a taste of his own medicine by entering cross ashi to look for heel hook opportunities.

Ryan re-pummeling his outside leg in above bought him some safety. Now Torres was unable to attack the heel hook or pass. He was also stuck in Ryan's game.

Torres has won the ADCC world championships twice consecutively at this weight. This win can only boost Ryan's confidence for the event.

Andrew Tackett vs Tommy Langaker

Originally booked as a championship match between Mica Galvao and Langaker, Tackett stepped up to the plate when Galvao pulled. What would have been a battle of tricky guards became one of the best guards, Langaker, against one of the most dynamic back takers in the sport, Tackett.

Langaker was working well to bring his legs in front, play guard, and off-balance Tackett. After a few attempts at getting around Langaker's guard, Tackett was able to pin Langaker’s arm in a position that wouldn't allow him to roll away or stand-up. This enabled Tackett to complete a back take.

Tackett stayed on Langaker's back for a few minutes and wore him down. As Langaker fought to build a base, Tackett trapped Langaker's hand to clear space for the choke, roll him over, and secure the finish. Watch Tackett's grip on Langaker’s right arm.

Tackett and Ryan are only 21 and 22 and they took out older competitors that have won ADCC and No Gi World championships. It looks like they’ll own the top of this division for a long time.

In this weekend's UFC, we saw an older competitor show the skill and savviness that comes from veteran experience.

Old Guard With Veteran Tricks

Carlos Diego Ferreira is one of the most underappreciated fighters in the UFC. The No-Gi World Championship medalist is still competing and finishing UFC fighters at 39 years old. This weekend he took on a rising star who hadn't lost in nearly ten years, Mateusz Rębecki.

In the first round, Rębecki was charging forward to beat Ferreira up. Ferreira tried to answer back with body kicks but ended up getting dropped.

Ferreira’s wrist control, active legs, and posture control Rębecki’s momentum. It probably saved the fight.

In the second round, Ferreira's body kicks and patience started to pay off. The guard he used to protect himself became a weapon with which he could counter from.

By the end of the second, Ferreira was starting to rack up points and inflict significant damage.

With five minutes left in the fight, Rębecki the bull had become a lamb for the slaughter. He could hardly hold his hands up or complete his takedowns. Ferreira was happy to meet him on both occasions.

After gaining top position, Ferreira displayed his world-class jiu-jitsu to get to mount and make Rębecki work more. Watch how Ferreira alternates between denying Rębecki’s grips, punching, and disrupting Rębecki’s base.

Rębecki made one last push to get the fight standing again. But by this time, every punch from Rębecki was slow and his hands returned to his hips. Ferreira ended up taking him down to end his misery.

Ferreira is well outside of his physical prime at 39 years old. He didn’t win with athleticism nor cardio, he won by weaponizing patience, experience, and making Rębecki work until he no longer could.

Ferreira's fight demonstrated one of the main reasons you need to have a good jiu-jitsu guard. It's not just about the attacks, sweeps, and submissions. It’s a tool that allows you to stay safe and calm under pressure so you can win later. Training guard gives you skills, savvy, and experience to fight back under fire. If you find yourself on your back in a fight and you don't know what to do, you'd better hope the person on top shows mercy.

It's like insurance. You don't really want to spend the money, especially when you think about what else you could be doing with it. But you never want to be caught without at least basic coverage. If you ever find yourself in a position where you need it and you don't have it, that could ruin the rest of your life.

This week Bellator champion Patchy Mix will try to defend his belt. We're going to take a closer look at what makes him so special.

Come back Friday if you want to learn about arguably the best fighter outside of the UFC.

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