THIS WEEKEND, on Saturday 09, 2021, the Polaris Invitational will feature its 17th professional jiu-jitsu superfitght event. The UK-based promotion has been praised from its inception by BJJ Heroes for being at the forefront of pro-grappling for its high-standard match-making abilities, a quality akin to that of old-school Japanese MMA promotions (i.e. Pride FC) for its Out-Of-The-Box approach to the game. Adding to this feature, the organization has always brought forth very solid production and high-entertainment value clashes, many of which will likely go down in history as some of the most important modern-day jiu-jitsu has seen.
As the intro might have alluded to, much is expected from a Polaris Invitational production by its fans, and tomorrow’s card does have plenty of the ingredients that have made this company a pleasure to follow. Below is a short analysis of what we believe is to be expected tomorrow. The event will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
ROBERT DEGLE VS KAMIL WILK
Catchweight (70 kg) NOGI
We have an interesting match in our hands here. Degle is a fresh black belt from the Renzo Gracie / Danaher lineage tree who, many believe, has the potential to become a big deal in the sport given his flair and his inventive grappling maneuvers. Robert is, however, yet to be tested at the highest level.
On the other side is Poland’s Kamil. Although Wilk is not at the upper echelon of the division, he is certainly a battle-tested veteran with solid knowledge of leg-locks (Robert’s specialty) and plenty of ADCC experience. No easy task for any competitor, let alone someone making his pro-debut. Expect to see a technical battle between two competitors who love to hunt for submissions. This should be a very entertaining clash if these two opt to go to-to-toe (or heel-to-heel).
FRED GRENALL VS TARIK HOPSTOCK
Middleweight (85 kg) NOGI
Originally set for Eoghan O’Flanagan, this match had a last-minute swap, with London, England’s Inglorious Grapplers’ representative Fred Grenall taking O’Flanagan’s place to face Tarik Hopstock.
Favoritism will fall heavily on Norwegian talent, Tarik Hopstok. The representative of the Font Line Academy, in Oslo, might be a brown belt, but don’t let that fool you. He is also a highly accomplished grappler with a keen talent for the submission game. Although a favorite here, we’ve not seen Tarik compete since early 2020, which was 21 months ago(!). This has put somewhat of an interrogation mark on the outcome of this match-up. That said, regardless of who takes it, neither of these competitors has a stalling bone in their bodies, so expect an action-packed fight.
MATEUSZ SZCZECINSKI VS ELLIS YOUNGER
Lightweight (77 kg) NOGI
A very solid match between two of Europe’s finest. Szczecinski has impressed us over the past few months and his performance at the ADCC EU Trials last month was nothing of impressive with many submission wins, including one over British heel-hook specialist Ross Nicholls (by footlock, no less) and a loss to Oliver Taza by only 1 penalty in the semi-finals.
On the opposite side of the mat will be Younger, who is one of Darrah O’Connaill’s latest black belts at East Coast JJ. During his colored belt career, Ellis proved his worth with and without the gi at the highest level in tournaments across the globe. His love for the gi has not kept him away from the leg-lock game, he is very well-rounded and no easy task for the leg-locking expertise of Poland’s Szvzecinski.
KODY STEELE VS JED HUE
Catchweight (80 kg) NOGI
Much like Degle, Jed Hue is one of the rising stars on the submission-only/no-gi circuit. This will be one of his first matches at black belt, and an excellent barometer for the young Londoner who will face a very familiar name of the American circuit in Steele.
Going on his 22nd month as a black belt, so far Kody has beaten big names of the sport such as Edwin Najmi, Alec Baulding, Andy Varela, and David Garmo, furthermore, the US talent has never been in a boring match in his entire grappling career. With excellent scrambles and the better wrestling skills of the two in Kody’s favor and a more polished leg-locking game on Jed’s side, we should expect plenty of action between these two.
VENLA LUUKKONEN VS KENDALL REUSING
Over 55 Ladies (+55 kg) NOGI
One of Europe’s most well-known veterans (Luukkonen) against USA’s rising star (Reusing). Gracie Barra’s Kendall is a physical grappler who will have superior athleticism as well as a big advantage in the wrestling department and when on top, Reusing is also at the tallest step of the jiu-jitsu ladder. With all these factors added in, we do not foresee an easy night for Venla.
DAVI RAMOS VS CRAIG JONES
Middleweight (83.9 kg) NOGI
Polaris’s middleweight championship is back on the line, a belt the Aussie grappling star (Jones) has held since Polaris 6, back in 2018. Although Ramos is always an entertaining grappler to watch, favoritism will fall very heavily on Craig Jones. This might not be as competitive of a match as many fans believe it will be, nevertheless, athletes have proven us wrong in the past.
Ollie Bates VS Jack Sear
Catchweight (70 kg) NOGI
Dominic Dillon VS Scott Pooley
Catchweight (70 kg) NOGI
Ben Hills VS Shane Curtis
Middleweight (85 kg) NOGI
Yousuf Nabi VS Dan Pacan
Middleweight (84 kg) GI
Max Corteggiano VS Nathan Kay
Catchweight (68 kg) NOGI
Abbie O’toole VS Maia Holmes
Over 55 Ladies (62 kg) NOGI
