2021 FloGrappling WNO Championship

Everything You Need to Know About The WNO Championship Heavyweight Division

Everything You Need to Know About The WNO Championship Heavyweight Division

ADCC champions, WNO veterans and more: this is the WNO Championship heavyweight division. Watch them live on September 25-26.

Sep 23, 2021
Everything You Need to Know About The WNO Championship Heavyweight Division

The heavyweight division at the WNO Championship is loaded with some of the most decorated heavyweights around. Champions from ADCC, IBJJF and other circuits will square off for the belt and the $30,000 grand prize.

Most of the men here are in the top-10 at heavyweight or light heavyweight. 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.


Kaynan Duarte

No.1-ranked light heavyweight / No.3-ranked pound-for-pound


Major titles: 

  • ADCC 2019 Champion

  • 2020 Pan No-Gi Champ

  • 2019 Pan Champion

  • 2019 European Champion

WNO Record 1-0

Age:             23 

DOB:             January 24, 1998    

Height:         6’0

Team:             Atos    

From:             Pederneiras, Sao Paulo 

Fighting out of:     San Diego

Got black belt:     2019

Coach:         Andre Galvao    

Breakout stats: 

  • Made ADCC worlds debut as Purple Belt in 2017

  • 2019 FloGrappling male grappler of the year 

  • Second-youngest competitor in history to win the +99kg division at ADCC (Rico Rodriguez)

  • 18-1 record since ADCC 2019

  • Undefeated in last 12 matches (8 by submission)


Kyle Boehm

No.10-ranked light heavyweight


Major titles:

BJJ Fanatics Grand Prix Champion

WNO Record: 0-1

Age: 34

DOB: April 19,1987

Height: 6’3”

Team: 10th Planet

From: Escondido, CA

Fighting out of: Oceanside, CA

Stated training: December 2014

Got black belt: October 2019

Coach: Richie Martinez

Also trained with: Eddie Bravo, John Botello, Geo Martinez

Breakout stats:

  • 16-3 record since 2019

  • Two prior wins over Tex Johnson

  • 56% career submission rate

  • Undefeated in 2021 on four matches


Orlando Sanchez


Unranked

Major titles:

2015 ADCC Champion

2017 ADCC Runner-up

WNO Record: 0-0

Age: 39

DOB: February 5, 1982

Height: 5’9”

Team: Gracie Barra

From: La Canada, CA

Fighting out of: Los Angeles, CA

Stated training: Age 26

Got black belt: Age 30

Coach: Heath Pedigo

Also trained with: Alberto Crane, Draculino, Romulo Barral, Jose Olimpio, Rafael Cordeiro

Breakout stats:

  • Has not competed in a non-ADCC event since 2015

  • Has not competed at all in the last two years

  • Defeated Dean Lister, Vinny Magalhaes and Jared Dopp in ADCC gold medal run

  • 5-0-1 MMA record


Mason Fowler

No.3-ranked light heavyweight


Major titles:

2019 ADCC West Coast Trials winner

WNO Record: 0-0

Age: 28

DOB: January 18, 1993

Height: 6’0”

Team: Brasa CTA

From: Fresno, CA

Fighting out of: San Jose, CA

Stated training: Age 18

Got black belt: N/A

Coach: Caio Terra

Also trained with: Gabriel Procopio

Breakout stats:

  • Two wins over Craig Jones in abbreviated EBI format at SUG

  •  6-0-0 MMA record

  • 2020 IBJJF brown belt Pan champion

  • Submission victories over Richie Martinez and Kyle Chambers


Haisam Rida

No.10-ranked heavyweight


Major titles: 

2021 IBJJF American National No-Gi champion

WNO Record: 2-0

Age:             27     

DOB:             July 25, 1993

Height:         6’5”

Team:                       Assembly Jiu-Jitsu

From:             Accra, Ghana

Fighting out of:     Detroit, MI

Started training:     17 

Got black belt:     September 2018 

Coach:         David Garmo

Also trained with:     Ishikawa Yuki, Yamada Shigetaka

Breakout stats: 

  • Went white to black belt in Japan 

  • Broke onto world scene as a brown belt with big wins on Quintet 

  • Moved to USA in 2020 

  • 75% submission rate on wins

  • Earned first victory via heel hook this year at Dallas Open

  • Has 7 armbar victories since 2019


Aaron Tex Johnson

No.6-ranked heavyweight


Major titles: 

Three-time IBJJF No-Gi Pan Champion

2018 ADCC Trials winner

WNO Record: 0-0

Age:             35     

DOB:             April 1, 1986

Height:         6’0”

Team:                       Gamblers

From:             Cuyahoga County, OH

Fighting out of:     San Diego, CA

Started training:     2008 

Got black belt:     2015

Coach:         N/A

Also trained with:     Murilo Santana, Lucas Lepri, Roberto Abreu

Breakout stats: 

  • 63% career submission rate

  • Holds a heel hook victory over Felipe Pena

  • 70% of his submission wins have been via leg lock

  • 11-6 record in 2021


Tim Spriggs

Unranked


Major titles: 

2018 IBJJF No-Gi World Champion

2018 ADCC Trials winner

WNO Record: 0-0

Age:             29     

DOB:             October 10, 1990

Height:         6’0”

Team:              Team Lloyd Irvin

From:             Columbia, MD

Fighting out of:     Elkridge, MD

Started training:     Age 17 

Got black belt:     Age 23 

Coach:         Lloyd Irvin

Also trained with:     Julius Park

Breakout stats: 

  • Two-time ADCC veteran

  • Two submission victories at ADCC

  • Has wins over Luiz Panza, Erberth Santos, Kyle Boehm, Tex Johnson and others


Giancarlo Bodoni

No.7-ranked light heavyweight


Major titles: 

2021 IBJJF No-Gi Pan Champion 

WNO Record: 0-0

Age:             25     

DOB:             October 15, 1995

Height:         6’0”

Team:        Alliance

From:             Miami, FL

Fighting out of:     Boston, MA

Started training:     Age 12

Got black belt:     October 2020

Coach:         Lucas Lepri

Also trained with:     Rillion Gracie, Gutemberg Pereira, Bernardo Faria

Breakout stats: 

  • 61% submission rate as a black belt

  • Defeated Lucas Barbosa at No-Gi Pans (1-2 in carer vs Barbosa)

  • 11-5 no-gi record in 2021