Bear in mind that much of this is written hastily, as a play-by-play. I was running around a little in the beginning, and tried to keep up with the frenetic pace of some of the matches as the action was happening. I also know a lot of the guys in the division, so I go back and forth between first and last names a lot. No Pulitzer this time around.Under 160 pro division:
Fernando Salvador vs Kevin Albertini (ATT)Fernando pulls guard, and seems to turn his back, going to the turtle position. As Albertini goes to take his back, Fernando rolls for the kneebar, ultimately getting the tap about 30 seconds later.Result: Fernando Salvador by kneebar about 2 minutes in.
Raphael Assuncao (Unit 2) vs Courtney Oakes (Alliance) Assuncao by brabo about 1 minute in. Really quick finish.
Chase Wheaton (Alliance) vs. Fernando Salvador:Chase pulls guard, Fernando goes straight for the ankle lock, ends up in closed guard. After a couple minutes neutralizing each other, ref Noah Booth restarts them from the feet. This time Fernando pulls butterfly guard, pulls to turtle again. Chase takes his back, gets his four points. Fernando escapes to closed guard after about a minute with Chase on his back. Chase goes for a triangle; Fernando defends. Chase gets 2 for a sweep.
Time expires.Result: Chase Wheaton 6-0.
Raphael Assuncao vs. Justin Rader (Saulo Ribiero):Raphael pulls half-guard, and Rader goes right for the knee-cut-across pass; back to the feet. Raphael goes for a leglock and Rader rips his leg out; back to the feet. Good exchanges, but still 0-0. Rader shoots in for a low-single and dumps Assuncao on his butt for 2. Assuncao goes for a sweep, comes up with a leg. Rader defends. Assuncao pulls half-guard, goes for the leglock again, and as Rader rips out, Assuncao chases, forcing both guys out of bounds. Dumps Rader on his back on the concrete out of bounds. Back to the center. Rader defends the takedown but is issued a warning for stalling. Time expires with Rader on top, Assuncao on the bottom working for sweeps.
Lightweight division finals:
Chase Wheaton vs Jason Rader:
Chase jumps to closed guard. Rader gets the guard open, and Chase goes for a low single off a sweep attempt. Great action as Rader is looking to set up a Twister or take the back. Chase defends and they get back to their feet. Chase jumps to an arm-in guillotine, but Rader pops out. Rader forces the turtle… still no points. 2 minutes left. Chase recovers closed guard. Great scramble- both guys almost scoring, but nothing. Rader shoots at time expires…. 2 minute ovetime coming up. Chase jumps guard, but not closed… Rader forces the turtle again. Chase works to reverse. Back to the feet. Rader shoots- gets the takedown! Chase goes for the omoplata, but Rader defends.Result: Justin Rader 2-0 in overtime.Rader wins the pro lightweight division.
Under 200 pro division:
Ian McPherson (Alliance) vs Dave “Caveman” Jackson (Joe Hurst):Fast start. Ian pulls guard. Caveman knebar/heel hook attempt. Ian pulls, Caveman almost has the back stack pass, Ian recovers, scramble… Ian on top in side control briefly, 3 points for the pass(?). Caveman shoots, takedown into Ian’s guard.Result: Ian McPherson wins, 3-2.
Raphael Lovato Jr. (Saulo Ribiero) vs. Lee Synowski (Baltimore BJJ):Lovato pulls butterfly guard, takes the back with an armdrag. Lee defends the RNC attempt. Lovato still on the back. Lee escapes, ends up in Lovato’s closed guard. Lovato catches his reverse triangle. Synowski hangs tough, time expires.Result: Raphael Lovato wins 4-0.
Chris Moriarty (Alliance) vs. Roger Carroll (Team Superior):Tentative start. Both guys clinch on the feet, pummeling. Moriarty goes for foot sweep to ankle-pick combos, Carroll defends. Moriarty jumps guard. Sweeps immediately to mount. Sets up the mounted triangle. Carroll rolls, Moriarty finishes.Result: Chris Moriarty by triangle, about 4 minutes in.
Raphael Lovato Jr vs Ian McPherson:
Ian shoots in immediately, and Lovato sprawls, caching a guillotine. Ian defends, but Lovato sweeps, switching to the “brabo” choke. Iansurvives, recovering his guard. Lovato works to pass, forcing Ian toturtle. Eventually Lovato does a “Leozinho” flipover, hitting the rearnaked choke on the way back- a very technical and beautiful transition.Result: Lovato by rear naked choke, about a minute and a half in.
Chris Moriarty vs John Kakavitas (Joe Hurst):John jumps to closed guard, and Moriarty opens it on the feet. John rolls through for a kneebar, and Moriarty steps over to defend, pinning the leg, and ending up in half guard. Moriarty sets up a quick brabo choke for the submission.Result: Chris Moriarty by brabo choke, 2 minutes in.
Finals:Chris Moriarty vs Raphael Lovato Jr:This is an interesting rematch of one of Moriarty’s few no-gi losses of 2006. Both fighters tie up right away, exchanging grips and pummeling. 4 minutes in, no score still. 2 minutes to go, still no score. One minute left, Lovato jumps to guard, butterfly. Sets up the ankle lock/X-guard sweep. Lovato switches to the heel hook. Moriartydefends. Time runs out.
Overtime: OT is only two minutes. One minute in, both guys are still fighting hard for grips on the feet… uh oh. Moriarty screams out as Lovato tries for a takedown. Looks like his leg is twisted. Upon videoreview, Moriarty’s foot twisted. Real bummer way to end the tournament.
200 and up pro division:
Jeff Monson vs. Ethan Garrison (Gracie Barra):The guys tie up. Monson looks focused. Monson shoots in and gets the takedown for 2. Monson eventually works a pass, almost getting to side control, but Garrison is able to try for a sweep. Monson goes back to half-guard, eventually passing for 3 points. Garrison turtles, and Monson looks to take his back, ending up on his back. Garrison gets 2for this. Monson sweeps him back right away from half-guard. Monson almost has Garrison’s back again. Monson gets the face crank for the tap.