Month: August 2023

With Polaris 25 fast-approaching, the final two competitors who are being invited to Absolute Grand Prix can now be confirmed and only one spot remains for the winner of the Contenders tournament. Kaynan Duarte is not only a two-time IBJJF world champion and a two-time ADCC world champion, but he's no stranger to absolute divisions either. Duarte has reached the podium of absolute tournaments on several occasions and he will be one of the heaviest competitors in the bracket, so he stands a great chance of winning. It's tough for anyone to beat Duarte but the Absolute Grand Prix is stacked with elite grapplers and they're all capable of stopping him on the right day. The second grappler invited to Polaris 25 is also the lightest competitor so far, Fabricio Andrey. Although he generally competes at 70kg or less, Andrey is still an IBJJF world champion in his own right. He has a fast-paced style that always produces exciting matches and even though he'll be at a size disadvantage, he has what it takes to outwork bigger opponents. Andrey is also a Polaris veteran too, as he had three matches where he helped Team Brazil storm to victory at Polaris...

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The lineup for the absolute grand prix at Polaris 25 has grown even further as two more elite grapplers will be competing for the $30,000 grand prize on September 30th, 2023. Eoghan O'Flanagan has been one of the top talents in the UK for quite some time and is a Polaris fan-favorite thanks to his exciting style. He won the ADCC European Trials in 2021 with a clean sweep of heel hook finishes in all 5 of his matches, booking his place at ADCC 2022 at 88kg. He went 2-2 at the event with a stunning submission win over Mason Fowler and only narrowly missed out on a medal after suffering an ankle injury in his semi-final match. Most recently he defeated Hunter Colvin at Polaris 24 and he'll be coming into this tournament eager to avenge his loss to Giancarlo Bodoni at ADCC 2022. Alongside O'Flanagan is Roberto Jimenez, a man known for being one of the most entertaining competitors on the planet. Jimenez won the ADCC South American Trials at 77kg, eventually going 1-1 in his weight class at ADCC 2022 and challenging himself in the absolute division shortly after. Jimenez is the reigning Polaris middleweight champion after...

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The absolute grand prix at Polaris 25 now has another two veterans of ADCC 2022 joining the reigning 88kg champion Giancarlo Bodoni. Izaak Michell actually competed in the same weight class as Bodoni after winning the only edition of the ADCC Asia and Oceania Trials, and he engaged in one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament. He lost in the opening round against eventual bronze medalist Vagner Rocha, but he announced his arrival at the highest level of the sport and now gets another opportunity to compete against the best in the world. Owen Livesey was called up to compete as a short-notice replacement at under 99kg at ADCC 2022 after an impressive performance in the European Trials. He drew an incredibly tough match in the opening round against the reigning over 99kg champion and the eventual winner of the division, Kaynan Duarte. He gave a good account of himself regardless and has come back with a vengeance, coming into the absolute grand prix fresh off an incredible decision victory over Chris Weidman at Polaris 23.

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The first entrant for the absolute grand prix at Polaris 25 on September 30th, 2023 can now be announced, and he's a reigning ADCC world champion. Giancarlo Bodoni won the under 88kg division at ADCC 2022 after putting in one of the best performances of the entire event. Bodoni is a BJJ black belt under Lucas Lepri and moved to train under John Danaher at New Wave Jiu-Jitsu back in 2021. Later that year he won the ADCC North American Trials and earned his place at ADCC 2022, although he was still considered a long shot to win the division at the time. Bodoni won his first match 6-0 on points before submitting the remaining three opponents in his weight class in order to become the new ADCC world champion. He's no stranger to absolute divisions either as he entered it at ADCC 2022 and submitted the larger Haisam Rida in the opening round. Bodoni has established himself as one of the best grapplers on the planet already and he will be tough for anyone to beat at Polaris 25, no matter the size advantage they might have.

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Polaris 25 is now scheduled for September 30th, 2023 and the main event will be an absolute grand prix tournament. The tournament will feature 8 of the best grapplers on the planet from any weight class, and they'll all be battling it out for a $30,000 grand prize. While 7 athletes will be invited to compete based on the strength of their competitive performances and achievements on the past, the final spot will be left open. This is because another edition of Polaris Contenders will take place on August 26th, 2023 at Great Britain Top Team Headquarters in South London and the winner will claim the final spot. As always, there will be several other superfights throughout Polaris 25 serving as both the preliminary card and a break in the action during the absolute grand prix.

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