One of the most exciting matchups at Chael Sonnen's Submission Underground 4 is between two grapplers who couldn't be more different. 

This Sunday, 10th Planet star and black belt Nate Orchard and Atos brown belt Mike Perez will face off in the main card at Roseland Theater in Portland, OR.



With more than six years of experience in submission-only style tournaments, Orchard is unquestionably in his realm. In addition to being a SUG veteran and clocking five distinct appearances at Eddie Bravo Invitationals, he came up through the ranks competing at a local Portland sub-only tournament called Sub League. 

"I've honestly done more submission-only matches than point matches, by a long shot," he said. "And to tell you the truth, even when I do point matches, I completely ignore points. I do not even consider them. I act like it's a submission-only match."

On the other hand, this will be Perez's second submission-only appearance. 

Orchard knows his opponent as more of a points game player than a submission hunter. Indeed, in his first and only match against the Atos athlete, Orchard hit a submission only after he was able to open Perez's game. 

It was a super tough match. I was basically in his guard for five and half minutes, and the second his guard opened, I hit a rolling kimura and was able to armbar him.

That was three years ago, and Orchard is looking forward to seeing what the rematch will bring. 

"It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out," he said. "We'll see what he does. I'm curious myself to see what he wants to make of this match. Is it just going to be a wrestle-fest, or are we actually going to throw submissions at each other?"

Obviously, Orchard is hoping for the latter. 

"For me, I just want to go out and look for the submission," he said. "And I want my opponent to be looking for the submission, because that's the whole point of it. That's what makes an exciting match. ... What are you doing in a submission-only match if you're not gunning for the submission?"


Nate Orchard is a black belt under 10th Planet guru Eddie Bravo.

That isn't to say Orchard will underestimate his opponent. An ADCC veteran as a purple belt, Perez has faced some of the best no-gi competitors in the business. 

And while both are undeniably top level grapplers, they bring very different flavors to the mat -- Orchard with his free-flowing movement and unorthodox 10th Planet style and Perez with his explosive wrestling and dangerous guard game. 

"Mike is a super tough guy," Orchard said. "It's going to a scrap one way or another."

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