How To Pass And Pin Like The Best In The World

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A week from tomorrow features one of the most compelling matches in professional grappling. 2023 Absolute No Gi World Champion, Roberto Jimenez, takes on 2024 Absolute ADCC World Champion, Kaynan Duarte. We’re going to examine where the match will be won or lost.

Other than Petr Yan styling on Deiveson Figueiredo with some beautiful trips the grappling in elite MMA was a bit thin last week. We’ll take a closer look at why that technique works so well in the premium section of this week’s newsletter. Before that I want to do a deep dive on WNO 25’s main event, Roberto Jimenez vs Kaynan Duarte.

Most recently Roberto Jimenez lost at CJI by heel hook. Jimenez’s relative lack of leg locking defense shouldn’t make you over look him though. He’s one of the most exciting grapplers in the sport.

Win or lose, Jimenez is always all out offense. From the jump he goes forward, passes, and hunts for acrobatic back takes.

Top or bottom, Roberto is really really hard to deal with. He’s fast, technical, and has a seemingly unlimited gas tank. Watch how he stops the much larger Nick Rodriguez’s attempt to pressure pass.

Jimenez’s scrambling and work rate what makes his style clash against Kaynan Duarte so compelling.

Duarte been at the top of gi and no gi jiujitsu for half a decade. In 2019 he won the IBJJF and ADCC World Championships. For what its worth, Duarte’s IBJJF title was later stripped due to a drug test.

Duarte’s most recent ADCC run that was equally stifling and impressive. No one had an answer for his top game. It looked like he was made of mobile concrete.

In the tournament’s finals, Duarte folded the veteran Rafael Lovato Jr.’s guard like paper. Watch how direct and forceful his passing is. As soon as he locks his feet Lovato is completely stuck.

And when Duarte’s opponents did start to find space he jumped to submissions.

When opponents tried to counter wrestle on the feet and the floor, Duarte would simply grab their head and crunched down on a guillotine choke.

So how exactly could this play out against Jimenez?

A few years ago Jimenez suffered an uncharacteristically shocking loss at the hands of Gordon Ryan. The loss wasn’t necessarily shocking. What surprised everyone was how Ryan went right through Jimenez’s hyperactive guard.

From half guard, Ryan next had to put Jimenez’s shoulders down.

Then, Ryan only had to free his leg to mount Jimenez.

This isn’t exactly impossible for Duarte to replicate. He’s a juggernaut from top half. He does have another direct option to shut down Jimenez’s frenetic activity before they go to the mat. If Duarte can lock his hands around Jimenez on the feet he could shut Jimenez down before he ever gets going.

If Jimenez can maintain space there’s no reason to doubt he can’t find Duarte’s back in a scramble. That’s where he does his best work. He creates a chaotic tsunami and drowns opponents while they’re struggling to see which way is up.

If Duarte can lock his hands around Jimenez on the feet, half guard, or headquarters he has the opportunity to hold Jimenez down and cook him. Then the match might look his historically dominant performance at ADCC 2024.

Next week we’re going to take a look at the UFC’s boogeyman before he fights for the title. Come back here next week if you want to learn howShavkat Rakhmonov evolved into one of the most destructive finishers in the sport.