Devhonte Johnson & Nick Calvanese: FOTY Potential At F2W 91
Devhonte Johnson & Nick Calvanese: FOTY Potential At F2W 91
Plain and simple: this match is a guaranteed barnburner.
The star power of F2W 91's main event featuring Tom DeBlass & Aaron 'Tex' Johnson casts a long shadow over the rest of the card, but it would be a crime if we didn't highlight a match that has the potential fight of the year written all over it: Unity jiu-jitsu athelte Devhonte Johnson versus Tac BJJ representative Nick Calvansee in a 200lbs No-Gi Battle.
Watch F2W 91 LIve Oct. 27 5:30pm EST.
The two black belts are both on the cusp of earning a ranking position on the official FloGrappling No-gi rankings, and this match plays a likely pivotal role in deciding future F2W title shot considerations as well. Let's dive into why this match has us on the edge of our seat.
Devhonte Johnson: Unity's Prodigy
Partially known for the physicality and intense attitude he brings to his matches, Devhonte Johnson has long been on our radar as a top prospect to watch. A long-time student of Murilo Santa, Devhhonte was promoted to black belt over the summer after taking first place at the IBJJF World Championships in June – a title that he also claimed as a purple belt in 2016.
Devhonte at Unity. Photo: Michael Sears
But things haven't been as smooth since making the jump to Faxia Preta: Johnson’s career at black belt kicked off with a disappointing performance at No-Gi Pans in October where he lost to long-time checkmat black belt Thiago Sa in the opening round.
Never one to be easily discouraged, we’re certain that Johnson will take the opportunity to fire back hard at Fight 2 Win 92 in his match with Nick Calvanese. Expect his crafty guard work and ability to win a scramble to be key factors for Devhonte come Saturday night.
But Johnson will need his A-game if he intends to make any positive ground past the Tac representative Nick Calvanese.
Nick Calvanese: The Philly-Tough Submission Artist
A lifelong wrestler turned jiu-jitsu player, Calvanese is an underrated submission grappler who may not hold a place on your list of athletes just yet, but trust us when we say he’s an absolute monster on the tatami. Stand out performances include FOTN honors at F2W, he's a KASAI Qualifier Champion, the 2018 No-Gi Pans Silver Medalist, among many more accolades – all of which have been earned while working full-time as a bricklayer. Badass.
Calvanese's wrestling may be his strongest attribute, but he is submission skills are certainly well-honed. He clocked in at #4 at F2W 90 with a vicious kimura lock submission (See video below).
What’s should we expect from this match? It's a safe guess that Calvanese will insist on playing on top and that Johnson is certainly confident in his guard – both are clutch in the scramble. We see no clear path to victory for either man, but we are certainly eager to find out how it will happen.