This weekend 10th Planet Lombard hosted Midwest Finishers’ first women’s 3v3 bracket, where 24 women from every part of the country and Canada faced off for $5,000. In the men’s absolute bracket, 16 men showed down in a bracket where Andre Porfiro bested teenage phenom Achilles Rocha in the final, earning him his second MWF belt.

The champs team “Top Dogs” was composed of Claire North, black belt from Iowa, Janine Mocaiber, black belt from Canada, and Felicia Marceau, brown belt from Canada. The three grapplers collected five submissions in regulation along their way to victory. Three of those submissions from Mocaiber in the first round -- two quick armbars and a triangle. Claire North knocked out two women by sub in the second round by americana and heelhook. Felicia Marceau secured a rear naked choke in the last seconds of overtime to win the final round.

North and Mocaiber are both frequently in the IBJJF adult black belt circuit’s lightweight division. They met at the podium during the 2022 Nogi Worlds, according to North. John Gutta, North’s coach and husband, was already familiar with Mocaiber’s game, having coached against her in previous tournaments. Getta coached the three athletes to victory on Saturday.

“Claire and I are both finishers and Felicia was essentially our brick wall who is hard to score on, let alone sub. Having her take the W for us was amazing. She is the true MVP as the pressure was all on her at the end to sub,” Mocaiber told Flograppling.

Of the other competitors, 2021 ADCC European Trials winner Peyton Letcher stood out with her face paced scrambles and awareness at all points of the game. Letcher also took home three submissions -- an armbar and two heel hooks. She avenged a loss to Claire North, who previously submitted her by kimura at Medusa just a few months ago, catching her by heel hook this weekend. Marceau put up the strongest performance against Letcher, matching her ability to scrap and bringing Letcher’s team momentum to an end in the semis.

The second place team “Serial Submitters” was made up of black belt and two-time MWF champ Sheliah Lindsey, brown belt Lauren Sears, and purple belt Nabila Martinez. All three competitors were able to fend off submissions and bring top talent matches to a draw, notably knocking out team “VRMA” -- Maggie Grindatti and Jasmine Rocha, two accomplished and top ranked black belts, and brown belt Leilani Bernales -- in overtime.

The men’s absolute bracket was just as action packed. Andre Porfirio submitted all but one of his opponents, including 17-year old Achilles Rocha in the finals by straight ankle lock. Rocha himself put on a show with creative transitions from standing and the ground, submitting three men by rear triangle, rare naked choke, and heel hook.

Jose Jurema and Ashur Darmo both made it to the semis with submissions in regulations, with an arm triangle and armbar, and RNC and estima lock respectively. Out of 15 absolute matches, only two went to overtime, where competitors still earned submissions. Athletes didn’t hesitate to use effective wrestling and wrestling up to create openings and technical exchanges.