The Top Six Matches From Day One Of The 2020 American Nationals
The Top Six Matches From Day One Of The 2020 American Nationals
The opening day of the American Nationals was filled with upsets, blowouts, and close, gritty matches. Here were some of the best matches from day one.
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The opening day of the 2020 IBJJF American Nationals was filled with upsets, blowouts, and close, gritty matches. Here were some of the best matches from the first day of Nationals:
(Check out the top six matches from day two here)
Ronaldo Junior vs Lucas Valle (Middleweight Final)
Ronaldo Junior continued his streak in the middleweight division. He’s unbeaten in IBJJF events in 2020. But Lucas Valle gave him a run for his money in the division final. Valle kept the often high-scoring Ronaldo at bay for most of the round, and tried to take control in the waning moments of the match.Valle demonstrated the will to win, but Ronaldo still gave us some clips for the highlight reel.
Osvaldo “Queixinho” Moizinho vs Pablo Lavaselli (Lightweight Quarterfinal)
This match was a slow starter, but it ended in fireworks. Queixinho and Lavaselli traded sweeps to open, but got more stingy about conceding points as the clock wound down. Queixinho was down on points with less than a minute remaining, but scored go-ahead points on a fleeing penalty. But Lavaselli was able to make up for it, scoring on a near back take to win by an advantage. He would go on to take silver the lightweight division.
Isaac Doederlein vs Josh Cisneros (Featherwieght Final)
Isaac Doederlein beat Josh Cisneros earlier this year, in Cisneros’ black belt debut in Austin. Since then, he won Pans at light-featherweight, and this match was a good indicator that Cisneros has grown into his new rank. It was a back and forth match, where each athlete demonstrated the strengths of their guards and their passing skills. It came down to the wire, with a last-minute score putting Cisneros ahead in this featherweight final.
Kennedy Maciel vs Richar Nogueira (Featherweight Quarterfinal)
Kennedy Maciel put up 37 points before winning by submission in his first match, leading him to Richar Nogueira. Kennedy charged forward with pressure, and played a clever style to try to pass Nogueira’s guard. But Nogueira played a smart counter-game, and was able to keep a razor-thin lead on the scoreboard.
Danielle Alvarez vs Juliana Fortuna (Female Middleweight Semifinal)
Danielle Alvarez demonstrated impressive passing pressure in this match, and turned up the pace when she finally took Fortuna’s back. Fortuna demonstrated resilience in fighting out of a bow and arrow choke, but Alvarez’ kept a dominating pace.
Joao Gabriel Rocha vs Guilherme Wilson Cordiviola (Ultra Heavyweight Final)
Joao Gabriel Rocha put on a powerful display in his return to IBJJF competition for the first time in 2020. He won both of his matches by submission. In his division final against Guilherme Wilson Cordiviola, Rocha hits a high amplitude throw and then shows off his agility, spinning to Wilson’s back where he eventually earned the submission.
