Fight To Win Pro 64 sees the clash of two American titans of grappling: Rafael Lovato Jr. and Tim Spriggs.

It’s actually a bit of a mystery how these two have not yet crossed paths yet in their careers. They are around the same weight and compete in a variety of rule sets and promotions — but we’re glad that Fight To Win Pro has stepped up to make it happen this Friday in Denver.

Watch Fight To Win Pro 64 LIVE on FloGrappling

What Can We Expect? 

Aggression. Both men are extremely physical, unafraid to mix it up on the feet, and enforce their position. When asked about his expectations for the match, Lovato said he's planning for a war.   

“I like to let it all go, and Tim is like that too," Lovato said. "He’s aggressive, he runs right at you; he tries to throw you down, and you see matches where he racks up 10 or more points.”  

Between MMA, superfight events, and the occasional open tournament, Lovato is one of the most active combat sports athletes on the planet. 

WATCH: Rafael Lovato Jr. vs Cyborg – F2W Pro 7

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Spriggs is a bit different. The Team Lloyd Irvin standout has long been at the top of the heap. He holds wins over the likes of Joao Gabriel Rocha, Tanner Rice, and Erberth Santos (to name a few), but he’s also very selective in choosing which events he likes to compete in each year.

He spent much of 2016-17 away from competition and says he went through some soul-searching during that period. Thankfully for all, Spriggs seems to have rekindled the fire and ramped things up at the end of 2017, competing at ADCC, F2W Pro, and at the IBJJF Washington Open.  

Spriggs has a wicked snapdown (with and without the gi) and relentlessly wears down his opponents. Unintimidated by a size disadvantage, Spriggs has seen some of his best wins come in the absolute divisions, where he is clearly the smaller competitor. Spriggs recently beat the significantly heavier Leo Nogueira at F2W Pro 53. He was also one of the smallest competitors in the 2017 ADCC +99kg division and still pushed Marcus Buchecha to the limits. 

Spriggs had this to say about Friday's bout with Lovato:

“I’m looking forward to my match with a legend such as Lovato JR., and working with a great Promotion like Fight To Win. It’s going to be a phenomenal match that the fans will enjoy.” 

We're excited too: On paper, this match is a shoe-in for No-Gi Match of the Year. 

WATCH: Tim Spriggs vs Janne-Pekka Pietilainen – ADCC 2017

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Also On The Card: Joao Assis & Eliot Marshall To Battle For No-Gi Title

The big boys will go to war in this battle of the super heavyweights. Joao Assis is currently undefeated at F2W in both gi and no gi and is the current no-gi heavyweight titleholder. He is a master of the format and uses his heavy top-pressure and intricate leglock game to pave the way to five wins under the F2W banner. 

WATCH: Joao Assis vs Tom DeBlass – F2W Pro 43

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Eliot Marshall is also no stranger to the Fight To Win Pro stage. A Colorado resident, he’s been competing at F2W since the very beginning and has also earned some huge wins over Babalu, Bruno Bastos, and others.   

We anticipate this match to be a technical, calculated affair — any advantage given to either man will be enough for him to finish the match.

Watch Fight To Win Pro 64 LIVE Feb. 23 on FloGrappling.