9 Cool Matches & Moments From Day Two Of No-Gi Pans
9 Cool Matches & Moments From Day Two Of No-Gi Pans
Here are some of our favorite matches and moments from day two of the 2024 IBJJF No-Gi Pans, with black belts finally taking the mats!
Saturday was on fire at the IBJJF No-Gi Pans, with the black belts finally taking the mats in their open classes and weight divisions. We saw tons of great scraps, awesome submissions, and some exciting new names to keep an eye on.
Tomorrow will kick the action back off, 9:30am CST, with men's quarterfinals, semifinals, and then all finals - airing exclusively on FloGrappling.
Sebastian Rodriguez vs Harrison Woods
Sebastian is a former No-Gi World Champion so it takes a lot to drag him into deep waters but Harrison Woods did just that. Watch and see how Woods was able to give the champ all he could handle - before Sebastian proves what has made him such a threat at the highest level.
This was definitely one of the best scraps of the day. Rene Sousa was his usual wild self, Charlie Gilpin was giving it right back, and things came down to the final minute - plus a very tight buggy choke from the always flexible Sousa.
Luccas Lira Finishes His Day In Only 15 Seconds
Luccas has developed a dangerous reputation as a finisher and this opening day match was no exception - he needed only fifteen seconds to lock into an armbar.
This was one of my Saturday's most anticipated matchups and it didn't disappoint. Both guys brought it but one finished things off in a decisive manner early - and looks primed to keep that momentum rolling Sunday.
CJ Murdock (along with his brother) are always exciting, no matter the result, and this is no exception. While Luiz Paulo ultimately gets his hand raised, he had to work hard against this PSF black belt to get the win. Paulo continues to be one of the weight class's best unsung grapplers, capable of competing with the elite of the elite.
Salla is a very tough black belt, one of Finland's best, and was up late by points early in the absolute. Nadia Frankland had to show real spark to dig up the come-from-behind submission victory here. The speed of transition and submission were super impressive.
John Stapleton vs Jalen Fonacier
This was maybe the biggest upset of the day by ranking, with Cobrinha student Jalen Fonacier beating top-5 John Stapleton at men's roosterweight. He's this year's brown belt gi world champion in the weight, so this could be the start of a real hot streak for the Alliance rookie black belt.
Shelby Murphey vs Jessie Crane
Jessie Crane has proven herself to be a force at this level already, so the pressure was on AOJ's Shelby Murphey to prove herself. She did just that and more in inverting her way into a submission win. After a super successful gi season, she has now started off no-gi with a bang and a trip to tomorrow's Pan finals.
Nadia Frankland vs Maria Ruffatto
I would say the most technical and tense match of the day was likely Ruffatto vs Frankland. Both are new black belts who have fought before at colored belt, and both are already top-ten ranked grapplers with experience against the best. This fight was watching the new generation - and ends with an emphatic submission.
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