Texas stood witness to another star-packed WNO event this past Wednesday. Quickly becoming one of the top Jiu Jitsu competitions on the professional BJJ competition circuit, this edition surely did not disappoint Jiu Jitsu fans. If someone asked, “What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?” This is the type of event to show them what Jiu Jitsu is all about.

Gordon Ryan Returns to Action

Gordon Ryan, the self-proclaimed “King” of Jiu Jitsu, returned to action after a brief retirement in an exhibition match with UFC fighter Philip Rowe. Under a special rule set where submissions did not end the match, Gordon was able to find the submission four times. Showing a calm and collected approach to the match, Gordon reminded fans why he is the #1 No-Gi Jiu Jitsu fighter in the world.

Women’s Title Matches

Beatriz Mesquita vs Luiz Monterio

Beatriz Mesquita, who is arguably the lady GOAT of BJJ, notched a victory over longtime rival and fellow world champion Luiz Monterio of ATOS Jiu Jitsu. Both women have been at the top of their respective divisions for a long time.

Mesquita’s aggressive and heavy guard passing proved the difference between the two in this match. Positional dominance got her the victory, with a late heel hook sequence proving not to be enough for the judges to weigh in the other direction.

Ffion Davies vs Nathalie Ribeiro

The second Women’s title up for grabs at the event was the Flyweight title. In this showdown, one of the best UK grapplers in the world, Ffion Davies, squared off with Nathalie Ribeiro of Checkmat team. Ffion’s aggressive and exciting style has made her a fan favorite since exploding onto the Jiu Jitsu scene a few years back.

Ribeiro was not to be intimidated by Ffion’s strength and stand-up skills. The Jiu Jitsu black belt was willing to scrap it out and proved a match in the scrambles. Takedowns and submission attempts proved to be enough for the judges to go with Ffion as the winner.

Expect more to come from Ffion Davies in the Jiu Jitsu world for the years to come.

Men’s Title Match

Mikey Musumeci vs Richard Alarcon

In the lone Men’s title match, Mikey Musumeci snapped on a quick foot lock from the 50-50 position, forcing a tap from Richard Alarcon in just under one minute. Gordon Ryan’s teammate, Oliver Taza, dropped a one-sided decision to Australian star Levi Jones-Leary.

A late back take secured the match for one of the top competitors in the division. Jones-Leary's recent switch from Gi Jiu Jitsu to No-Gi Jiu Jitsu could see him walking away with some major titles in the near future.

Final Thoughts

If you missed this last WNO competition, make sure to catch the next one as it is a great competition to watch live in person or on the stream.

- Team Progress Jiu Jitsu