Above: Rafael Lovato Jr. and Kayron Gracie will compete in a superfight at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.
LONG BEACH, California — Earlier this month, the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo announced that Nick Diaz would be returning to his Jiu-Jitsu roots to face world champion Braulio Estima in a no-gi superfight at their inaugural event next month in southern California.
Now it appears, the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo led by event president Renzo Gracie, will be adding two more world-class superfights to the event’s already stellar lineup.
In an expected gi match, attendees will get to see one of the best Americans take on one of the best of the new generation of Gracie’s, as Rafael Lovato Jr. faces Kayron Gracie.
Lovato Jr. is arguably the most successful American competitor in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. He has a huge list of titles to his credit, which include winning the Worlds and the Pan Ams twice all as a black belt.
He will be facing Kayron Gracie, who is the oldest son of IBJJF founder Carlos Gracie Jr. Kayron is also a very accomplished Jiu-Jitsu competitor. As a black belt, he has placed at the Worlds and one month ago he took gold at the Pan Ams.
The other superfight expected to take place in a gi will see the son of Rickson Gracie take on the younger brother of Braulio Estima in a battle of two of the world’s most promising black belts.
Kron Gracie is the son of the legendary Rickson Gracie and has been doing well to follow his father’s legacy. On his path to black belt, Kron went on a dominant 51-straight submission win streak and he has also competed sucessfully as a black belt at the Worlds, ADCC, and last month he took home two medals at the Pan Ams.
He will be squaring off with another prodigious black belt with a famous last name in Victor Estima. Victor, who is the younger brother of Braulio, has only been adding to his family’s name as well. Also like Kron, Victor has competed successfully at the Worlds, ADCC, and took gold at the Euros in January.
Above: Kron Gracie and Victor Estima will compete in a superfight at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.
The World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 12th, 2012 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, will be the stage for all things Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In addition to the superfights, the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo will offer free jiu-jitsu seminars with some of the greatest black belts on the planet. The roster of seminars includes, Roger Gracie, Robert Drysdale, Rodrigo Comprido, Andre Galvão, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Ricardo "Cachorrão" Almeida, and Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu.
The World Jiu-Jitsu Expo also partnered with the IBJJF to host a tournament, which is the IBJJF’s first-ever Long Beach Spring International Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
In what will be an unforgettable Festival of Jiu-Jitsu, gentle art aficionados in attendance will also be able to network with some of the biggest companies in the business, buy and sell the best BJJ gear on the market at various vendor booths, attend autograph sessions, and engage in Q & A segments with some of the biggest names in Jiu-Jitsu.
To get more information on the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo, visit their official website: World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.