A few days away from Oct. 1, athletes are well into their preparations to rise to the mats at Tezos WNO 20. 

Such is the case of Gabriel Sousa, one of the four contenders vying for the tournament’s featherweight throne. But despite having to face some of the toughest athletes in his weight division to reach his goal, the Brazilian black belt’s resolve is unwavering ahead of the task, showcasing a level of confidence that may well be the deciding factor in such a stacked bracket, which also features Diogo Reis, Keith Krikorian, and Ash Williams.

Tickets are on sale now for Tezos WNO 20: Night Of Champions in Houston, TX on Oct. 1

That’s not to say that confidence is the only thing he’ll bring to the mats. After his latest victories at the AIGA Global, which landed him and his team a spot at the event’s finals at the end of the year, Gabriel has been hard at work to show his best performance yet at the WNO. 

Now flying under the banner of Essential Jiu-Jitsu, a team founded by two-time ADCC champion JT Torres, Gabriel has been bolstering his game by training alongside JT and ADCC champ Ffion Davies. By the time Oct. 1 comes around, he expects to be in top form to fight for the title.

“I love fighting without the gi”, Gabriel told FloGrappling. “The rulesets usually encourage a more active fight, making it more dynamic and with fewer opportunities for someone to try and stall the match. I’ve been training a lot of wrestling and guard passes using the knee, which is Essential’s specialty, so you can expect a more technical and battle-ready version of myself.”

But while the WNO title is the main goal, Gabriel is further motivated by his opponents in the 145lb division, some of which are old rivals that the 26-year-old athlete is raring to challenge again. The most clear example is Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis, the ADCC 2022 gold medalist that earned his title after an encounter with Gabriel in the finals.

“I’ve been looking forward to this fight since the ADCC 2022. It’s been a year and we both have come a long way in terms of evolution. I worked on my wrestling and guard, and also adopted a more professional structure to my training sessions. I’m more experienced now, so I’ll be ready for whatever comes.”

Speaking of familiar faces, another competitor with whom Gabriel has a score to settle is Keith Krikorian, the American black belt who made waves after taking the gold at the ADCC Trials last year. The athletes last met at WNO 12, also in 2022, and the scales tipped in favor of Keith, who took the win via the referee’s decision after a back and forth bout. Nevertheless, this defeat does not dampen Gabriel’s spirits, as he sees that moment as an important propeller for his growth.

“I remember that he managed to neutralize my game and didn’t let me find the right distance to use the moves I favored at the time. However, it was also that fight that showed me how far I had come with my heel hook escapes, which were his specialty. That loss made me train and evolve a lot, so it was necessary to reach my current level.”

Alongside the featherweight bracket, the 170lb division will also have its title up for grabs, with Mica Galvão, PJ Barch, Andrew Tackett, and Jay Rodriguez fighting for the belt. In the superfight card, WNO 20 will feature Gordon Ryan against Patrick Gaudio, Rafael Lovato Jr. vs Riccardo Evangelista, Rafaela Guedes against Nathiely de Jesus, and Elisabeth Clay against Brianna Ste-Marie. Follow all the action live and exclusively at FloGrappling.