The Commentators Cheat Sheet: WNO Championships 115 lb Division
The Commentators Cheat Sheet: WNO Championships 115 lb Division
It's no surprise that the women’s 115-lb division for the WNO Championship is one of the most hotly anticipated brackets of the tournament.
Considering that the strawweight division has proven to be a well-spring of thrilling grapplers for WNO, it's no surprise that the women’s 115-lb division for the WNO Championship is one of the most hotly anticipated brackets of the tournament.
All but one of these competitors is ranked in the top-10 of the 115 or 125-lb weight class, and the lone exception is a three-time IBJJF no-gi world champion. The list of facts and stats for this accomplished group of grapplers is formidable, so here's a glance at our commentators' cheat sheet that they will use during the broadcast.
Mayssa Bastos
Ranking: #1 115lb / #3 P4P
Major titles: I BJJF World Champ (2019), IBJJF No-Gi Pan Champ (2018, 2021), Brazilian Nationals NOGI Champ (2018), IBJJF American Nat Champ ( 2018) , IBJJF Pans Cham (2019, 2020).
WNO Record: 1-0
Age: 23
DOB: October 23, 1997
Height: 5’0”
Weight: 115lbs
Team: GF Team
From: Niterói, Brazil
Fighting out of: New York, USA
Started training: Jan 2009
Got black belt: June 2018
Coach: Julio Cesar
Also trained with: Murilo Santana / Unity
Breakout stats:
Out of 60+ wins as a black belt, Bastos maints a 52% submission rate.
Bastos has never been finished in black belt competition.
Has beaten both Jessa Khan and Grace Gundrum.
Jessa Kahn
Ranking: #3 115lb #8 P4P
Major titles 2019 IBJJF World Champ, 2019 Pan & Euro Champ (Purple), 2019 World Pro Champ (Purple) 2020 Euro Champ (Brown) - Set to make IBJJF Black Belt Debut 2021 Pan Championships.
WNO Record: 3-0
Age: 9
DOB: October 8, 2001
Height: 5’0”
Weight: 114lbs
Team: Art of Jiu-Jitsu
From: Corpus Christi, TX
Fighting out of: Costa Mesa, CA
Started training: Jan 2010
Got black belt: October 2020
Coach: Gui Mendes
Also trained with: Gustavo Machado
Breakout stats:
Made black belt debut here on WNO vs Danielle Kelly Feb 26, 2020
14-1 as brown belt
Only loss in 2020 a 6-4 match to Mayssa Bastos at AJP in brown/black division
3-2 at black belt level, only losses were against Mayssa
Grace Gundrum
Ranking: #2 115lb
Major titles: F2W Strawweight Champ
WNO Record: 1-1
Age: 19
Born: May 22, 2002
Height: 5’1”
Weight: 14.4
Team: 10th Planet
From: Bethlehem, PA (Born in China)
Fighting out of: Bethlehem, PA
Started training: Age 4
Got black belt: July 21, 2020
Coach: Zach Maslany, JM Holland
Also trained with: Eddie Bravo, Jon Trenge (Wrestling coach)
Breakout stat:
Youngest female American to receive black belt (18 years, 1 month, 28 days)
Only one loss since age 12 (Mayssa Bastos)
Famously does not watch jiu-jitsu, focuses “on school instead”
Lets coaches watch and strategize for her
Wrestled in high school
Tammi Musumeci
Currently Unranked
Major titles: IBJJF World Champ (2019), IBJJF No-Gi World Champ (2013, 2015, 2016) , IBJJF Pan Champ (2014, 2017)
WNO Record: 0-0
Age: 27
Born: 1994
Height: 5’1”
Weight: 127
Team: Boops Garage
From: Marlboro, NJ
Fighting out of: Las Vegas, NV
Started training: Age 6
Got black belt: August, 2013
Coach: N/A - Mikey Co-COach
Also trained with: Caio Terra, Mendes Brothers
Breakout stat:
Has won Worlds at every belt level, including at black belt in 2019.
WNO Championships will be her first competition since the 2019 World Championships - ending a two-year gap from competition.
Famously fierce competitor -refused to tap to an armbar from Michelle Nicolini, resulting in a full break. She completed the match.
She is her brother’s (Mikey Musumeci) main training partner.
Danielle Kelly
Ranking: #3 115lb
WNO Record: 1-1
Major Titles
Age: 25
DOB: Dec 4, 1994
Height: 5’0”
Weight: 114.2
Team: Silver Fox BJJ
From: Philadelphia, PA
Fighting out of: East Hanover, NJ
Started training: 11 years old
Got black belt: January 2020
Coach: Karel Pravec
Also trained with: Jay Regalbuto
Breakout stat:
Started training with Silverfox 2017
Part of the wider RGA family (Daniel Gracie, etc)
Teaches at Studio 84
Currently 1-1 At WNO With a loss to Jessa Khan (x/y) and win over Jessica Crane (6/27/21).
Jessica Crane
Ranking: #7 115lb
WNO Record: 1-1
Major titles: Double Gold at Juvenile No-Gi Worlds (2018)
Age: 19
DOB: September 7, 2001
Height: 4’11”
Weight: 113.6lb
Team: Ares BJJ
From: Arlington, TX
Fighting out of: Dallas, TX
Started training: 2008
Got black belt: Brown belt Dec 2020
Coach: Marcus Antelante
Also trained with: Queixinho, Bruno Bastos (was part of LEAD)
Breakout stats:
1-1 At WNO with a win over Lauren Sears (4/30/21) and a loss to Danielle Kelly (6/17/21)
Competed with heel hooks (since blue belt) but never got into a leg entanglement
Loves to wrestle, won States as a sophomore (Arlington, Texas, Martin High School)
Amanda ‘Tubby’ Alequin
Ranking: #3 125lb
WNO Record: 0-0
Major titles: IBJJF No-Gi World Champ (2016) IBJJF No-gi Pan Champi (2019), ADCC Trials Champ (2015).
Age: 27
DOB: August 19, 1994
Height: 5’2
Weight: 124
Team: Gamblers Jiu-Jitsu
From: Brooklyn (NYC), NY
Fighting out of: West Palm Beach, FL
Started training: 2007
Got black belt: June 2016
Coach: Joao ‘Johnny’ Faria
Also trained with: Marcio Cruz, Gilbert Burns
Breakout stats:
Beat Nathalie ‘Tata’ Riberio for F2W title and defend the belt against Gabi McComb.
Had a match with Gabi Garcia at ADCC 2015.
Will be cutting down from her normal division of 125lbs for the WNO Championships.
First combat sport was boxing.
Alex Nguyen
Ranking: #9 115lb
WNO Record: 0-1
Major Titles: IBJJF Pan No-Gi Champ (2020, Brown Belt) , NO-gi World Chamo (2018, Purple belt), Pan Champion (2019, Purple Belt)
Age: 21
Born: Jan 17, 2000
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 113.6lb
Team: Standard Jiu-Jitsu
From: Rockville, MD
Fighting out of: Rockville, MD
Started training: 2009
Got black belt: Dec 2020
Coach: Greg Souders
Breakout stats:
Made her black belt debut against Grace Gundrum at WNO (4/30/21)
Wrestled in high school (7 or 8 years, mixed divisions almost all male opponents)
Won 2019 Pans (GI) as a purple belt, silver at 2019 Worlds GI as a purple belt