12 International Grapplers To Watch In 2018
12 International Grapplers To Watch In 2018
Here are 12 international (non-Brazilian or American) grapplers we’ll be keeping an eye on in 2018.
Before you start reading let’s get something clear… No, Craig Jones and Adam Wardzinski are not on this list!
Why? Because by now there should be NO doubts as to how good these guys are and why you should be watching them. OK, so with that out of the way let’s continue.
Even though it’s called “Brazilian” jiu-jitsu, nowadays it’s a truly international sport practiced all over the globe. It’s definitely still dominated by Brazilian grapplers, with American athletes in second place.
The rest of the world needs to do some serious catching up to challenge the two big superpowers, but there are some interesting competitors out there who are doing their best to disrupt the hegemony.
Here are 12 international (non-Brazilian or American) grapplers we’ll be keeping an eye on in 2018.
12. Dany Gerard – Tahiti
Born in France, Gerard moved to French Polynesia as a boy. The Atos heavyweight (he switches from super to ultra) has been a black belt since 2015. His record at the highest levels of the game is patchy as he’s often face to face with some of the best athletes in the world, but he’s earned wins over solid names and proved himself a hard man to beat.
11. Wanki Chae – South Korea
Featherweight Wanki Chae of South Korea is one of the toughest Asian grapplers on the competition scene. His biggest championship win to date is a gold medal at the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo, but he’s gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Cobrinha and Gianni Grippo and taken them the distance.
Watch: Wanki Chae vs Mario Silva
10. Tomoyuki Hashimoto – Japan
With a bronze at the 2017 Worlds and silver at No-Gi Worlds, Hashimoto is starting to hit his stride as a black belt. He got his black belt at the end of 2015, but life is hard in the ultra competitive rooster weight division. He’s only been submitted once as a black belt, and most of his losses are decided by a sweep or advantage.
9. Levi Jones-Leary – Australia
A freshly-promoted brown belt, 20-year-old Jones-Leary hails from Sydney, Australia but represents new York-based Unity Jiu-Jitsu. As a purple belt, he won Pans (middleweight) and the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo (77kg). Shortly before being promoted to brown, he defeated AoJ prospect Jonatha Alves in a superfight in Australia.
Watch: Levi Jones-Leary vs Jake Watson
8. Rikako Yuasa – Japan
It’s almost a crime that Yuasa just doesn’t get the credit she deserves. A three-time World champion, Yuasa flies under the radar for a few reasons. First, she doesn’t compete that much on the international circuit, saving her trips for big occasions like Worlds. She’s a multiple-time ADCC veteran and holds wins over the likes of Gezary Matuda in the gi. We’ll probably need to wait until Worlds comes around to see her in action.
7. Espen Mathiesen – Norway
Berimbolo specialist Mathisen of Norway had one of the best brown belt careers an athlete could hope for. In 2017 he submitted every one of his opponents at both the European and Pan Championships. The lightweight was promoted to black belt midway through 2017 and since then has steadily been making progress in tournaments in Europe. Look for him to hit the ground running in 2018.
6. Elvira Karppinen – Finland
Finnish no-gi specialist Karppinen exploded onto the scene at ADCC with some electrifying matches (not least of all, taking out Mackenzie Dern in the opening round). She followed that up by winning the absolute division at the World No-Gi Championships, proving she’s definitely a talent we'll be closely watching in 2018.
Watch: Elvira Karpinnen vs A. Svendsen
5. Lachlan Giles – Australia
A solid competitor and coach out of Melbourne, Australia, his quiet demeanor and coaching responsibilities means he hasn't got to enjoy the limelight quite as much as his teammates Kit Dale and Craig Jones. A much-improved performance at ADCC (a points loss to eventual champ JT Torres) and a bronze medal at No-Gi Worlds shows he’s on track for bigger things in 2018.
4. Ethan Crelinsten – Canada
One of the breakthrough grapplers of 2017, Crelinsten is part of the next wave of Danaher-coached athletes poised to take over no-gi tournaments. His promising performance at ADCC showed he can hang with the best in the world and even though he stumbled via a close points loss at No-Gi Worlds the fast-developing brown belt is clearly one to watch as we go into the new year.
Watch: Ethan Crelinsten vs Nicholas Renier
3. Dante Leon – Canada
GF Team’s Dante Leon was one of the most visible brown belt competitors on the scene, and he’s carried that momentum over to the black belt ranks, winning gold at No-Gi Pans and a bronze at No-Gi Worlds. Don’t be fooled by his resume, he’s just as tough in the gi as without.
2. Abdurakhman Bilarov – Russia
A fearsome heavyweight from the wrestling-mad region of Dagestan, Bilarov earned a spot at ADCC by cleaning up at the 2017 European trials. He dismantled Jake Shields in the opening round, showing off his wrestling-heavy submission style. Bilarov recently heelhooked both Jackson Sousa (not for the first time) and Erberth Santos at the ACB -95kg GP.
Watch: Abdurakhman Bilarov vs Erberth Santos
1. Tommy Langaker – Norway
Viking berserker Tommy Langaker (pictured top) is a renowned submission machine. A teammate of Mathisen, the 23-year-old Norwegian has been competing as a black belt since he was promoted in July of 2017 and shown he’s equally as dangerous as when he was a brown belt.
