SEPTEMBER 27, 2023, AUSTIN, TX, USA – AN EPIC WEEKEND for fans of no-gi grappling thanks to another edition of the Enigma Invitational, a relatively novel jiu-jitsu promotion that is gaining a lot of traction with their Grand Prix style tournaments broadcasted on their website, enigmajiujitsu.tv.
This weekend Enigma produced a lightweight tournament featuring quite a few well-known names in the no-gi jiu-jitsu scene. Names such as ADCC veteran Jeremy Skinner of Australia, IBJJF No-Gi worlds silver medal Deandre Corbe (who was on a 19-match [13 subs] winning streak in the ADCC circuit coming into this), black belt prospects Dominic Mejia def. Carlos Henrique, to name a few.
As it happens in tournaments of this level, the event was not exempt from surprises and none was bigger than Reese Lefever’s win over heel-hook expert Jeremy Skinner. Reese is a purple belt from Nashville who recently moved to Austin to train and despite his lower rank & lesser name recognition, managed to come out the victor against the pro-veteran circuit Skinner, beating the Australian and #1 seed in the tournament at his own game in a quick leg-locking exchange.
The #2 seed, Deandre Corbe of Standard Jiu-Jitsu, proved once more why he is widely regarded as one of the most fun feather/lightweights to watch in the current no-gi scene. Corbe worked mostly from a passing stance throughout the tournament, applying relentless pressure and killer finishing instincts with which he submitted everyone in his path, leaving no doubt as to who was deserving of the Invitational’s prize money.
Despite LeFever’s great moment against Skinner, the Breakthrough Athlete Award – if there was one to give – would likely have gone to David Stoilescu (Baby Dave). The Australian brown belt looked great in all his matches, showing solid killer instinct and athleticism. Definitely a name to keep an eye on if you like exciting grappling.
ENIGMA INVITATIONAL LIGHTWEIGHT GP 2023 RESULTS
Round 1:
– Jeremy Skinner def. Brandon Ferguson via Z-lock
– Reese Lefever def. Ben Eddy via 2×0
– David Stoilescu def. Jordan Wirth via outside heel hook
– Henrique Camargo def. Anthony Valdez via flying armbar
– Deandre Corbe def. Augusto Rabelo via inside heel hook
– Landon Elmore def. Josh Wyland via decision
– Carlos Henrique def. Alex West via triangle
– Dominic Mejia def. Jordan Holy via armbar
Quarter-Finals:
– Reese Lefever def. Jeremy Skinner via outside heel hook
– David Stoilescu def. Henrique Camargo via RNC
– Deandre Corbe def. Landon Elmore via reverse triangle
– Dominic Mejia def. Carlos Henrique via 3×0
Semi-Finals:
– David Stoilescu def. Reese Lefever via 2×0
– Deandre Corbe def. Dominic Mejia via shoulder lock
Final:
– Deandre Corbe def. David Stoilescu via RNC
