A title will now be on the line at Polaris 28, as Mateusz Szczecinski is set to defend his welterweight belt against Levi Jones-Leary.
Szczecinski had several impressive performances on the Polaris mats before he was invited to compete in the welterweight title at Polaris 23, and he grabbed that opportunity with both hands. He secured an ankle-lock and submitted Jed Hue in just 21 seconds, guaranteeing his place in the history books in the process. This will be his first title-defense after winning the vacant belt and he will be facing one of the most unique challenges on the planet.
Australian grappler Levi Jones-Leary is the man stepping in as the challenger in what is only his second appearance at Polaris. He competed in the welterweight grand prix at Polaris 27 and although he didn’t win the tournament, he made it all the way to the final and gave a great account of himself in the process. He has some of the best back-takes on the planet and they were on full display then, shortly before he used them to win ADCC Trials.
Jones-Leary will now ride that momentum into his title-fight with Szczecinski and the stylistic clash between them will deliver a match that can’t be missed.
