Two under 95kg competitors have just been added to the lineup for Polaris Squads 3, with both men being experienced grapplers with years of competition under their belt.
Daniel Strauss will be leaving behind commentary duties for this event to join Team UK & Ireland on the mats instead, alongside Darragh O’Connaill and Ross Nicholls. Strauss is a black belt under the legendary Roger Gracie and is no stranger to team grappling events, as he led Team Polaris to victory at the very first Quintet event. As a strength-training fanatic with years of experience both competing and coaching, Strauss brings a unique element to the team in that he can help O’Connaill strategize during the event while also going toe-to-toe with even the strongest grapplers.
Joining JT Torres and Edwin Najmi on Team USA is one of the most popular 10th Planet competitors, Richie ‘Boogieman’ Martinez. He is a former professional MMA fighter who decided to forego that career in order to pursue grappling full-time and has excelled ever since, competing all around the world for the past few years. Martinez has a unique style for a bigger competitor and often presents a challenge that his opponents have difficulty overcoming, although O’Connaill has managed to do so in the past, submitting Martinez back in 2015 in a match he’ll be eager to replay.
