Ashley Bendle has just gotten one of the biggest opportunities of her career so far, as she’s been called up to replace Ffion Davies against Michelle Nicolini.
Bendle has accepted the match on just a week’s notice, and she will now be headlining Polaris 21 and fighting for the inaugural under 60kg title against one of the best female grapplers of the past decade. Bendle is relatively new to the Polaris mats after making her debut at Polaris 18 and she’s split results since then. Nicolini meanwhile has been at the very top of the game since 2006, winning eight IBJJF gi world championships, four IBJJF no gi world championships, and an ADCC world championship since then. Nicolini is an IBJJF Hall of Famer and an MMA veteran who would represent a tough challenge for almost anyone, but Bendle is a fantastic prospect who will be eager to make a statement with a big win here.
