Behind the Mic: What Made This Year's World Championship Special
Behind the Mic: What Made This Year's World Championship Special
Electric. Intense. Inspiring. These are some adjectives I would use to describe the experience the IBJJF 2023 World Championships.
Jake Watson is a professional combat sports commentator and jiu-jitsu competitor with over a decade of experience.
As with every iteration of the pinnacle of Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, athletes from as far as the other side of the world came to Long Beach, California for a chance to write their names in the books amongst the legends that paved the mats we compete on.
From behind the microphone, I not only have a great seat for the action (the only seat better being reserved for the coaches), I also have a unique part to play.
My job is to hopefully cultivate an experience for the viewer at home that best emulates being at the event. Of course there is the element of explaining storylines, providing statistics and things of that nature - but this is only part of the job.
Commentators notice the slight shaking of a competitor’s hands as they wait in nervous anticipation for the big matchup. They may catch a bit of advice a coach gave to their athlete that the stream couldn’t quite pick up. They feel the energy of the crowd as something truly special happens on the tournament mats.
The Big Story: Jansen Gomes Defeats Tainan Dalpra At Middleweight
There is no better way to exemplify my point than by pointing to this match.
For the middleweight division, all eyes were on the possibility of a matchup between Tye Ruotolo and Tainan Dalpra.
Ruotolo has time and again wooed the crowd with his jumpscare of a d’arce choke, his dynamic and seemingly unorthodox movement and his unlimited gas tank. Lighting up stages all over the world is something this young black belt has made a habit of doing.
Whether it is storming through the 2022 World Championship’s Lightweight division after a year away from gi competition or meeting Nicholas Meregali in the semifinal of the 2022 ADCC World’s Absolute division only months after, Tye is a serious contender. Period.
It’s completely understandable that fans would salivate at the thought of Ruotolo vs. Dalpra.
Tainan had looked untouchable and impossible to deny. We’ve seen him rack up double-digit scores against the best athletes in the world with consistency. Remaining undefeated in IBJJF competition and winning multiple world titles certainly gave Tainan a sort of aura that many athletes were unable to permeate.
Until Jansen Gomes.
WATCH: Jansen Gomes vs Tye Ruotolo 2023 World Championships
Coming into the semi-final match vs. Tye, it occurred to me just how loud the arena had become. Supporters of all 4 athletes featured on Mats 1 and 2 were fully alive and cheering and it boomed from where I sat.
Rolando Samson was fighting for his chance at beating Tainan and Jansen was up against the odds of Tye making it to the finals. I could see on the stoic, focused face of Ruotolo that he was determined to fulfill his mission to defeat Tainan. A world championship organically won would mean so much to him following the 2022 Worlds, and that focus was harnessed for this penultimate match. Contrarily, I saw something different on the face of Jansen Gomes.
He was relaxed. Loose, even.
What transpired in that semifinal made me glad there are underdogs in sports. From the first big exchange, Jansen seemed to have an answer for everything Tye offered. He waded through and smartly evaded the creative attacks, the timing, the threats, and maintained a comfortable lead throughout. Even as Tye ramped up the intensity as the match drew to its close, Jansen was right there up to the final bell.
I suddenly felt these butterflies in my chest as I realized this Middleweight final was going to be special.
Tainan had defeated Rolando and done his part for the matchmakers by making it to the final, and now he was up against an old rival. Everyone who has seen the history between these two knows that Jansen held a unique advantage in climbing this mountain, he has done it before.
WATCH: Tainan Dalpra vs Rolando Samson 2023 World Championships
Jansen not only used his incredible skill and experience against Tainan in this match, he used the energy of the crowd. Opening up the match with an attempt to take Dalpra’s back lit the crowd up in a way that did not die down until after his hand was raised.
With every time that the match would be reset in the middle, you could visibly see the effect the crowd had on Gomes. It was like it was reenergizing him, propelling him forward. With
It felt like an underdog story, but Jansen grappled like he was the one who’s head the crown was fitted for. As Jansen maintained his lead over Tainan, the pyramid only became louder. The clock ticked closer to the upset victory and suddenly flags were waved in the crowd, shirts were off and jaws dropped lower and lower.
The feeling of witnessing this match requires words I don’t have the vocabulary to properly convey. This, for me, was the highlight match of an event filled with memorable moments. Basilio capturing another title, Lucas Pinheiro retiring, Samuel Nagai winning his first title, Victor Hugo’s double gold and Pessanha once again cruising to a World title are all included in matches that drove the crowd wild.
WATCH: Tainan Dalpra vs Jansen Gomes 2023 World Championships
This was our first world championship since the death of Leandro Lo, and the performances of these incredible athletes would have certainly put a smile on his face.
What a weekend.