welsh_lad_04
04-27-2007, 03:02 PM
7th ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships Preview
By Bryan Lamb on April 26, 2007
The Olympics of submission wrestling are here again, and the Abu Dhabi Combat Club's (ADCC) World Championship of Submission Grappling looks as if it will not disappoint this year in Trenton, New Jersey on May 4th-6th. The card is as stacked as it has ever been, with many MMA stars from both the future and the past competing, as well as multiple past champions and big names in the grappling world.
For those who are unfamiliar, the ADCC is probably the biggest grappling tournament in the world. A bit different from traditional mixed martial arts, the Abu Dhabi tournament is strictly grappling and submission based. Points are awarded based on positioning, control, submission attempts, and takedowns. There is no cage and there is no ring, rather the competitors grapple on a high school wrestling-like mat. If the competitors go out of bounds, they are restarted in the middle of the mat in the same position they were in when they went off. The competitors grapple in a single 10-minute round (20 minutes in the championship brackets) with a 5-minute overtime (if required).
Although it's definitely more complicated, you could say that it is like mixed martial arts without the strikes and not be too far off base.
The tournament is an honor to compete in and the only way to compete in the tournament is either by being a former champion, winning a grappling qualifier throughout the world, or by receiving a special invite. Everyone who is a competitor is a world-class grappler.
There are various weight classes that competitors compete in:
65 Kg and Under (Lightweight) (144 pound and under)
66 Kg to 76 Kg (Welterweight) (167 and under)
77 Kg to 87 Kg (Cruiserweight) (192 and under)
88 Kg to 98 Kg (Light-Heavyweight) (216 and under)
99 Kg and over (Heavyweight) (Over 217)
Absolute Class (Any weight class)
Oftentimes, the elite competitors will enter their weight class and also enter in the absolute division, as the prize money for placing there is about four times what it is in the normal weight classes. Past winners of the absolute weight class include Dean Lister, Roger Gracie, Ricardo Arona, and Mark Kerr.
This year, there is an exciting array of fighters in each division, and I'll break them down and take a look at who is competing - as well as give some insight as to who I think stands the best chance of winning.
Lightweight: Coming off an injury in 2005, Javier Vasquez should have a very strong showing here. Rani Yahira is a former second place finisher, and will also have a very strong showing. Both of them should be the favorites to capture this division. Jeff Glover had an amazing string of matches to qualify and is getting hot at the right time. Leo Vieira is a very strong competitor who has proven time and time again that he is an ADCC threat. Baret Yoshida is a very aggressive jiu-jitsu stylist and that will either make him or break him in this tournament. Sim Go and Blair Tugman are also two very good competitors (although polar opposites from one another in terms of style) who could cause some upsets and position themselves for a run at the finals in this division.
Pick: Rani Yahira
Welterweight: The obvious favorite in this division is Marcelo Garcia, who some people consider the best pound for pound grappler in the world. He's my pick to win it, as many people (myself included) do not think he can be beaten without a huge weight advantage. This same person has given fits to countless others (who all have 20+ pounds on him) in the absolute division. Outside of Garcia, this division is stacked with talent, many of who could pull of an upset in the right situation. Renzo Gracie is my sleeper pick in this division, as I believe he will go very far - especially with the backing of his local fans (his school is run in New York just a stone's throw away) that will surely be there cheering him on. Pablo Popovich is a former finalist in this division and has the experience edge on most of the people in this division. Saulo Riberio is an ADCC veteran who has always performed well in his weight division and in the absolute, and it could very well be a Garcia/Riberio final. Others to look out for are UFC championship contender Joe Stevenson, whose style of wrestling can score him some points and allow him to position himself to a decision win against some of the more skill Brazilians Jiu-Jitsu competitors. Kurt Pellegrino (UFC veteran and Grapplers Quest champion), Drew Fickett (UFC veteran), Eduardo Rios (Portuguese champion and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt), and George Sotiropoulos (Australian national grappling champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt) are all names which serve to make this division that much more competitive.
Pick: Marcelo Garcia
Cruiserweight: Chris Moriarty is an incredible fighter who can be dominant in this division if he is healthy. He is recovering from an injury he suffered a few months ago, but if healthy, he's a favorite and my pick to win. Rafael Lovato Jr is another incredible grappler with ADCC experience who, between him and Moriarty, have basically tossed grappling tournament championships between them in this division. Rick Macauley is another contender who, outside of Lovato Jr. and Moriarty, is probably the person with the next best chance to make some noise here. Macauley is a great wrestler with amazing jiu-jitsu skills and has a wealth of ADCC experience on his side. There are several other skilled grapplers in this division, but outside of these three - it's doubtful anyone will take it.
Pick: Chris Moriarty
Light Heavyweight: Xande Riberio is the name that shines the brightest out of this list. He has more experience than anyone who is competing this year in this division, and has shown his skill and dominance not only in the light heavyweight weight class, but also in the absolute class. Robert Drysdale is also an ADCC vet and could give Riberio a run for his money in this division. Mikhail Cirkunov, who dominated the North American trials and looked absolutely amazing, is peaking at the right time, and could be a dark horse in this division. Igor Vovchanchyn is also in the division, and while I do not think he will be able to defend himself from the world-class submissions he will surely face, it will definitely be fun to see his array of leg locks and hard takedowns in this tournament. If he can avoid getting subbed, he'll go far because he will definitely score a lot of points. Other notables are Anthony Perosh (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and champion from Australia) and Nick Ackerman (former collegiate national wrestling champion).
Pick: Xande Riberio
Heavyweight: In one of the most stacked divisions, three names stand out above all others. Jeff Monson, Marcio Cruz, and Gabriel Gonzaga will be the top three in this very competitive division. Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga, fresh off his MMA upset of Mirko Filipovic, will be riding a wave of confidence into this tournament. His size and positioning make him a very tough competitor and his jiu-jitsu is world class and top notch. Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz is another amazing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist who is said to be among the heaviest people from the top position. He employs a methodical approach to his matches, and has quite possibly the best control in the tournament. Jeff Monson is easily one of the favorites in this tournament and he is riding a wave of success with some big wins in both MMA and the grappling world recently. In the heavyweight division, he is the guy who is on fire right recently and has looked unbeatable in submission wrestling. He holds multiple victories over both Cruz and Gonzaga, and his freakish combination of power, control, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu makes him the favorite. For dark horses, you have Mario Rinaldi, who has looked excellent recently. Former ADCC champion Ricco Rodriguez, Naomichi Nagata, Rolles Gracie (who will have a ton of the local crowd with him as well, being an instructor with Renzo Gracie's academy nearby), and Jon Olav Einemo round out a very strong division.
Pick: Jeff Monson
Now, this is not a full list of the competitors and it is possible that there will be some late additions to the tournament on the day of or a few days before. Rumors have swirled about Josh Barnett, Royler Gracie, Kron Gracie, Matt Serra, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira all possibly participating. Any of those competitors would be a threat in their division and would make this tournament that much more exciting.
There is also a women's division with some of the most exciting female grapplers in the world today including Kyra Gracie, Felicia Oh, Julianna Borges, Olga Bakalapoulous, Kelly Paul, Keiko Tamai, Vanessa Porto, and Yoko Takahashi among others. Some of the women's events have been just as exciting, if not more exciting, than the men's events.
In addition to all of this, there is an incredible super fight scheduled between past champions Roger Gracie and Ricardo Arona. Originally billed as a Dean Lister and Roger Gracie super fight (in a battle of the past two absolute champions), Lister had to pull out with a torn bicep, in which Ricardo Arona stepped out of his weight class and into the super fight with Gracie. This should be a very good fight, as both of these fighters are incredibly skilled jiu-jitsu participants and match each other's strengths and weakness perfectly. Arona will cause point problems for Gracie with his takedowns, but once on the ground, he will have a difficult time with Gracie's control and positioning. These are two of the top grapplers in the world today, and they both will be neck and neck in what should be an exciting fight.
Pick: Roger Gracie
This is one of those tournaments that when you look at the lineup and see the participants, you wonder if it is something that someone just made up as a "dream lineup." This is an absolutely amazing tournament with a level of competition that is absolutely unbelievable and seemingly surreal. This will prove to be an exciting event with some of the best mixed martial arts grapplers in the world today competing.
For more information on the 7th Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Submission Wrestling Championships and how to get tickets, visit [Only registered and activated users can see links]
Source ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
By Bryan Lamb on April 26, 2007
The Olympics of submission wrestling are here again, and the Abu Dhabi Combat Club's (ADCC) World Championship of Submission Grappling looks as if it will not disappoint this year in Trenton, New Jersey on May 4th-6th. The card is as stacked as it has ever been, with many MMA stars from both the future and the past competing, as well as multiple past champions and big names in the grappling world.
For those who are unfamiliar, the ADCC is probably the biggest grappling tournament in the world. A bit different from traditional mixed martial arts, the Abu Dhabi tournament is strictly grappling and submission based. Points are awarded based on positioning, control, submission attempts, and takedowns. There is no cage and there is no ring, rather the competitors grapple on a high school wrestling-like mat. If the competitors go out of bounds, they are restarted in the middle of the mat in the same position they were in when they went off. The competitors grapple in a single 10-minute round (20 minutes in the championship brackets) with a 5-minute overtime (if required).
Although it's definitely more complicated, you could say that it is like mixed martial arts without the strikes and not be too far off base.
The tournament is an honor to compete in and the only way to compete in the tournament is either by being a former champion, winning a grappling qualifier throughout the world, or by receiving a special invite. Everyone who is a competitor is a world-class grappler.
There are various weight classes that competitors compete in:
65 Kg and Under (Lightweight) (144 pound and under)
66 Kg to 76 Kg (Welterweight) (167 and under)
77 Kg to 87 Kg (Cruiserweight) (192 and under)
88 Kg to 98 Kg (Light-Heavyweight) (216 and under)
99 Kg and over (Heavyweight) (Over 217)
Absolute Class (Any weight class)
Oftentimes, the elite competitors will enter their weight class and also enter in the absolute division, as the prize money for placing there is about four times what it is in the normal weight classes. Past winners of the absolute weight class include Dean Lister, Roger Gracie, Ricardo Arona, and Mark Kerr.
This year, there is an exciting array of fighters in each division, and I'll break them down and take a look at who is competing - as well as give some insight as to who I think stands the best chance of winning.
Lightweight: Coming off an injury in 2005, Javier Vasquez should have a very strong showing here. Rani Yahira is a former second place finisher, and will also have a very strong showing. Both of them should be the favorites to capture this division. Jeff Glover had an amazing string of matches to qualify and is getting hot at the right time. Leo Vieira is a very strong competitor who has proven time and time again that he is an ADCC threat. Baret Yoshida is a very aggressive jiu-jitsu stylist and that will either make him or break him in this tournament. Sim Go and Blair Tugman are also two very good competitors (although polar opposites from one another in terms of style) who could cause some upsets and position themselves for a run at the finals in this division.
Pick: Rani Yahira
Welterweight: The obvious favorite in this division is Marcelo Garcia, who some people consider the best pound for pound grappler in the world. He's my pick to win it, as many people (myself included) do not think he can be beaten without a huge weight advantage. This same person has given fits to countless others (who all have 20+ pounds on him) in the absolute division. Outside of Garcia, this division is stacked with talent, many of who could pull of an upset in the right situation. Renzo Gracie is my sleeper pick in this division, as I believe he will go very far - especially with the backing of his local fans (his school is run in New York just a stone's throw away) that will surely be there cheering him on. Pablo Popovich is a former finalist in this division and has the experience edge on most of the people in this division. Saulo Riberio is an ADCC veteran who has always performed well in his weight division and in the absolute, and it could very well be a Garcia/Riberio final. Others to look out for are UFC championship contender Joe Stevenson, whose style of wrestling can score him some points and allow him to position himself to a decision win against some of the more skill Brazilians Jiu-Jitsu competitors. Kurt Pellegrino (UFC veteran and Grapplers Quest champion), Drew Fickett (UFC veteran), Eduardo Rios (Portuguese champion and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt), and George Sotiropoulos (Australian national grappling champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt) are all names which serve to make this division that much more competitive.
Pick: Marcelo Garcia
Cruiserweight: Chris Moriarty is an incredible fighter who can be dominant in this division if he is healthy. He is recovering from an injury he suffered a few months ago, but if healthy, he's a favorite and my pick to win. Rafael Lovato Jr is another incredible grappler with ADCC experience who, between him and Moriarty, have basically tossed grappling tournament championships between them in this division. Rick Macauley is another contender who, outside of Lovato Jr. and Moriarty, is probably the person with the next best chance to make some noise here. Macauley is a great wrestler with amazing jiu-jitsu skills and has a wealth of ADCC experience on his side. There are several other skilled grapplers in this division, but outside of these three - it's doubtful anyone will take it.
Pick: Chris Moriarty
Light Heavyweight: Xande Riberio is the name that shines the brightest out of this list. He has more experience than anyone who is competing this year in this division, and has shown his skill and dominance not only in the light heavyweight weight class, but also in the absolute class. Robert Drysdale is also an ADCC vet and could give Riberio a run for his money in this division. Mikhail Cirkunov, who dominated the North American trials and looked absolutely amazing, is peaking at the right time, and could be a dark horse in this division. Igor Vovchanchyn is also in the division, and while I do not think he will be able to defend himself from the world-class submissions he will surely face, it will definitely be fun to see his array of leg locks and hard takedowns in this tournament. If he can avoid getting subbed, he'll go far because he will definitely score a lot of points. Other notables are Anthony Perosh (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and champion from Australia) and Nick Ackerman (former collegiate national wrestling champion).
Pick: Xande Riberio
Heavyweight: In one of the most stacked divisions, three names stand out above all others. Jeff Monson, Marcio Cruz, and Gabriel Gonzaga will be the top three in this very competitive division. Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga, fresh off his MMA upset of Mirko Filipovic, will be riding a wave of confidence into this tournament. His size and positioning make him a very tough competitor and his jiu-jitsu is world class and top notch. Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz is another amazing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist who is said to be among the heaviest people from the top position. He employs a methodical approach to his matches, and has quite possibly the best control in the tournament. Jeff Monson is easily one of the favorites in this tournament and he is riding a wave of success with some big wins in both MMA and the grappling world recently. In the heavyweight division, he is the guy who is on fire right recently and has looked unbeatable in submission wrestling. He holds multiple victories over both Cruz and Gonzaga, and his freakish combination of power, control, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu makes him the favorite. For dark horses, you have Mario Rinaldi, who has looked excellent recently. Former ADCC champion Ricco Rodriguez, Naomichi Nagata, Rolles Gracie (who will have a ton of the local crowd with him as well, being an instructor with Renzo Gracie's academy nearby), and Jon Olav Einemo round out a very strong division.
Pick: Jeff Monson
Now, this is not a full list of the competitors and it is possible that there will be some late additions to the tournament on the day of or a few days before. Rumors have swirled about Josh Barnett, Royler Gracie, Kron Gracie, Matt Serra, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira all possibly participating. Any of those competitors would be a threat in their division and would make this tournament that much more exciting.
There is also a women's division with some of the most exciting female grapplers in the world today including Kyra Gracie, Felicia Oh, Julianna Borges, Olga Bakalapoulous, Kelly Paul, Keiko Tamai, Vanessa Porto, and Yoko Takahashi among others. Some of the women's events have been just as exciting, if not more exciting, than the men's events.
In addition to all of this, there is an incredible super fight scheduled between past champions Roger Gracie and Ricardo Arona. Originally billed as a Dean Lister and Roger Gracie super fight (in a battle of the past two absolute champions), Lister had to pull out with a torn bicep, in which Ricardo Arona stepped out of his weight class and into the super fight with Gracie. This should be a very good fight, as both of these fighters are incredibly skilled jiu-jitsu participants and match each other's strengths and weakness perfectly. Arona will cause point problems for Gracie with his takedowns, but once on the ground, he will have a difficult time with Gracie's control and positioning. These are two of the top grapplers in the world today, and they both will be neck and neck in what should be an exciting fight.
Pick: Roger Gracie
This is one of those tournaments that when you look at the lineup and see the participants, you wonder if it is something that someone just made up as a "dream lineup." This is an absolutely amazing tournament with a level of competition that is absolutely unbelievable and seemingly surreal. This will prove to be an exciting event with some of the best mixed martial arts grapplers in the world today competing.
For more information on the 7th Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Submission Wrestling Championships and how to get tickets, visit [Only registered and activated users can see links]
Source ([Only registered and activated users can see links])