The G.O.A.T. Card Coming To FloGrappling
The G.O.A.T. Card Coming To FloGrappling
Many fans are saying our next WNO is the greatest card of all-time, find out exactly why in this article!
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Ever since we finished announcing the entire card for our next Who's Number One (WNO), fans have been adamant on social media that it is hands down the event of the year, with many suggesting it is the greatest card ever assembled. WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Matheus Diniz features eight no-gi, submission-only contest, taking place under WNO rules.
The event goes down on October 2nd in Austin, Texas. We have assembled a star-studded roster of athletes from our Official FloGrappling No-Gi Rankings, plus a couple of big names from other sports making the crossover. I'll go through here each match here with a brief description, with more in-depth previews coming as we get closer to the event:
Gordon Ryan (#1 P4P and 99kg) vs Matheus Diniz (#1 88kg and #8 P4P)
This is about as big as it gets. Number one vs number one. Two 2019 ADCC champs colliding in an open weight bout. The last two 88kg champions at ADCC, with Gordon winning the weight division in 2017 and then Matheus in 2019.
This match was supposed to happen before, with Gordon having to pull out, and Gordon has been asking for this match going back to his feud with Dillon Danis while he was still at Marcelo's. There are not many titans in this sport that Gordon has yet to vanquish, Matheus is one of a few matches out there that are no-brainers when putting a card together.
Watch: Gordon Ryan Addresses The Haters And Matheus Diniz
Matheus defeated Gordon's teammate Craig Jones in the ADCC final, moving his record to 2-1 against the Aussie. Gordon provides a different dilemma for Matheus, though, one that is impossible to come close to replicating in the training room. Unlike the rest of our matches, which are 15 minutes, this match will be 30 minutes long. Both athletes are master tacticians, expect a prolonged feeling out period, but when things get going this is going to be fireworks.
Watch: Matheus Diniz Rolling Hard To Prepare For Gordon
Craig Jones (# 3 88kg and #9 P4P) vs Roberto Jimenez (#4 88kg and #10 P4P)
This is the type of matchup you want when you think of submission-only. Neither of these guys knows what stalling is, always pushing the pace and hunting for the finish.
They've trained together a few times at Renzo's in NYC, but Roberto has been improving rapidly in the last few months and it should be a different look than Craig is used to with him.
Watch: Submission Hunter 15 Craig Jones Subs
Craig is used to having to pursue his opponents, many times growing frustrated at the lack of engagement. He is not going to have to worry about that with Roberto, who attacks at a ridiculous rate, and might end up playing defense for once to start things out in this match.
Watch: John Danaher's Analysis Of Craig vs Roberto
Like the previous two matches, this is the first meeting between these two. Gabi has completely cleared out this division on her way to four ADCC titles; a newcomer like Clay is just about the only type of challenger that makes sense for Gabi right now.
Watch: Gabi Garcia Wins Her Fourth ADCC Title
Gabi is in a similar situation as Gordon — she has dominated the best in her division and not many of them are interested in a rematch. Elisabeth is making her third appearance on WNO and has wins over Luiza Monteiro, Kendall Reusing, Maggie Grindatti, and Chelsah Lyons in recent months.
Watch: Elisabeth Clay's Submission of the Night GogoPlata At WNO
Clay first caught our attention when she won ADCC trials at 16 years old in 2017, before having to pull out of ADCC with an injury. She has been on a roll lately, but will have her hands full with the greatest of all-time in this weight class. How she can negate the top pressure of Gabi and try to get to the legs is the story of this match, and is a task that has proven impossible for so many legendary grapplers throughout Gabi's storied career.
Dante Leon (#4 77kg) vs Kody Steele
Gilbert "Durinho" Burns had to pull out to focus on his upcoming UFC title fight, in steps Austin local and up and coming black belt Kody Steele.
Kody has a win over DJ Jackson and is one of the most active competitors in the 77kg weight class. Dante would be his biggest win yet, but one way or another he will probably have to get through him at ADCC 2021.
Watch: Dante Leon Trains For WNO Match
Dante Leon is coming off a loss in maybe the match of the year to Garry Tonon at our last WNO, but before that he was on a tear. Besides his epic back take of Lucas Lepri at ADCC, he has also defeated Renato Canuto, Isaque Bahiense, Johnny Tama, and Marcio Andre in recent competitions.
Paulo Miyao (#6 66kg) vs Geo Martinez (#13 66kg)
This will be the third meeting between Paulo and Geo, with Paulo winning the previous two on points, but the first time they will meet in a submission-only format.
Watch: Paulo Miyao vs Geo Martinez ADCC 2017
Both athletes have been inactive lately, and it will be a treat to see these two fan favorites back in action. Both are known for highly flexible, impassible guards, but Paulo is also a tremendous passer in no-gi competition. I think we see Paulo on top passing in this one, and with him being seemingly un-leglockable the paths to victory are few against Paulo Miyao. It will be interesting to see what "The Freakazoid" has cooked up to walk away with the W this time around.
Nathalie Ribeiro (#5 62kg) vs Luiza Monteiro (#10 62kg)
Both of these athletes are highly successful in gi and no-gi competition, and both of them are actually black belt No-Gi World champions.
They have surprisingly only met once in their careers, with Luiza walking away the victor by referee decision in gi competition. Both women no doubt have their eyes on an ADCC title in 2021, and this match is between two of the likely contenders in the under 60kg division at that tournament.
This is a classic Atos vs Checkmat matchup, with Luiza training at Atos HQ under Andre and Angelica Galva and Nathalie training in La Habra under halfguard master Lucas Leite.
Nicky Ryan (#13 77kg) vs Tony Ramos (NCAA Champion Wrestler)
An intriguing matchup here, that came to fruition after the two-time Team USA wrestler Ramos reached out to FloWrestling wanting a no-gi match, specifically with Nicky Ryan.
Watch: The Prodigy Nicky Ryan Submission Supercut
Nicky is no doubt the heavy favorite here, considering Tony has never even competed in a jiu-jitsu match, but this one will be interesting nonetheless. One of the most heralded prospects in the sport matched up with a product of the legendary University of Iowa wrestling team is about as interesting of a wrestling/crossover you are going to get.
William Tackett (#9 77kg) vs Jason Rau (Unranked)
This match was a late addition, with Jason Rau of the Matt Serra academy stepping up to take on local rising star William Tackett. These two fought to a close match at the 2019 ADCC trials, with Tackett getting the win on points.
Watch: William Tackett vs Jason Rau ADCC Trials
This is going to be a fun one to kick things off, both athletes are relentless in their attacks and always looking for the sub. Word is that Tackett is going up to 88kg for ADCC 2021, this is a match we will most likely see run back at the upcoming trials as well.
Watch WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Matheus Diniz Live On Demand On FloGrappling