Polaris 22 will take place on Saturday, November 5, and will feature an eight-man grand Prix to determine a new middleweight champion.
This weekend, Polaris, Europe’s largest submission grappling promotion, will crown a new middleweight champion. In a one-night, submission-only tournament, eight elite athletes will compete for the crown.
Former interim UFC champion Carlos Condit will face ADCC Trials winner Ash Williams in a super fight.
Polaris 22 Start Time and How to watch Live:
Polaris 22 will kick off at 12 PM ET at Southampton Central Hall.
Polaris 22 takes place on Saturday, November 5 and airs live on UFC Fightpass.
Live Stream: Polaris 22 Live (try it free)
The following is the current Middleweight Grand Prix lineup for Polaris 22:
- Sanchez, Alan
- Szczecinski, Mateusz
- Hue, Jed
- Livesey, Owen
- Jimenez, Roberto
- Fishman, Shane
- Taza, Oliver
- Colvin, Hunter
Polaris 22 Preview:
There is no apparent favorite in this field of high talent, which includes four previous ADCC veterans.
Polaris will now return to the UK following its journey to Sardinia with Polaris 22, and the primary attraction will be a Middleweight Grand Prix. Polaris 22 will take place on November 5th and will feature some of the top Middleweight grapplers competing for a $20,000 grand prize and the Polaris Middleweight world title. Craig Jones has held the title from its inception, but he will be relinquishing it as a result of stepping up in weight to compete in the 99kg division at the 2022 ADCC World Championships.
Jones won the Middleweight championship by submitting Jake Shields at Polaris 6, and he has since defended it twice, defeating Matheus Lutes by decision at Polaris 10 and Davi Ramos by decision at Polaris 17. While Jones will be relinquishing one title, he will retain the Polaris Light-Heavyweight world title, which he gained by defeating Keenan Cornelius at Polaris 8. Polaris has chosen to organize a grand Prix to determine who the greatest in the Middleweight division is, with the division now wide open for a new champion to claim a grip over.
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Although no names have been confirmed, there will undoubtedly be a large number of professional grapplers invited to compete in the Middleweight Grand Prix. Along with whoever that is, there will also be a sort of wild-card entrance into the competition. Polaris will stage yet another contenders tournament, and this time a spot in the Middleweight Grand Prix will be offered to the victor of what is typically an extremely strong field of competitors.
Alan Sanchez is a 10th Planet black belt who has been a mainstay of the elite no-gi scene for a few years, but just had the best performance of his career when he won gold at EBI 19, defeating fellow Polaris fighter Oliver Taza in the final.
Taza is a two-time ADCC Trials champion and one of the tournament’s most experienced grapplers. He may also be the best leg locker in the group, which he compliments nicely with his ever-evolving wrestling and a top game.
When it comes to leg lockers, Jed Hue is among the greatest in the world. The 25-year-old black belt is fresh off a leg-lock victory over UFC veteran Paul Craig at Polaris 21.
Mateusz Szczecinski of Poland is another grappler who will attack the legs early and often. He specializes in straight foot locks, which he utilized to submit William Tackett at the ADCC World Championships.
Roberto Jimenez, the ADCC Trials winner known for his back-takes and non-stop submission attack, may have the game best suited to the Polaris submission-only regulation. The Ecuadorian, who is tall and lanky, can attack the back from virtually any position and has an unlimited gas tank.
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Fan-favorite Another ADCC veteran, Owen Livesey, is quickly becoming one of the UK’s best and most active competitors. He’ll try to use his superior judo and wrestling talents to limit the attacks of his more submission-oriented opponents.
Hunter Colvin, a silver medalist at the ADCC Trials, might be the field’s dark horse. He is a great takedown artist, but he also has outstanding talents in leg locks, guard passes, and guard.
Finally, Shane Fishman is a prominent European racer who qualified for the Grand Prix by winning the Polaris Contenders.
Polaris 22 Fight Card:
- Ashley Williams vs. Carlos Condit
- Dani Khalid vs. Jack Sear
- Emily Eyles vs. Violet Bennett
- Tom Watson vs. John Hathaway
- Mo Coles vs. Gavin Stewart
- Finlay Nixon vs. Justin Moore
- Dominic Dillon vs. Nathan Johnstone
- Ben Robson vs. Claudio Brudny
