Tezos WNO 20: Night of Champions

Gordon Delivers On Cryptic Prediction, 4 New Champs Crowned At Tezos WNO 20

Gordon Delivers On Cryptic Prediction, 4 New Champs Crowned At Tezos WNO 20

Gordon defeated Gaudio, delivering on his well-packaged promise. Diogo & Mica won vacant WNO straps in 4-man brackets. Clay & Guedes earned WNO titles.

Oct 3, 2023 by Corey Stockton
Gordon Delivers On Cryptic Prediction, 4 New Champs Crowned At Tezos WNO 20

Gordon Ryan delivered on the cryptic prediction hidden inside a mystery box, finishing Patrick Gaudio with an armbar in the main event of Tezos WNO 20: Night of Champions in Houston, TX on Sunday, Oct. 1. 

Ryan, who had promoted throughout the week that he would reveal the content of the box with the prediction of his victory style after the bout, submitted Gaudio with an armbar less than halfway through the scheduled 15-minute bout, securing an armbar after spamming successful guard passes on the GF Team product.

In his post match interview, Gordon opened the box, which contained a baby doll with a missing arm, a bottle of Proper Twelve whiskey, and a note, reading, "That's the proper way to preform an armbar."

Ryan earned his second title defense victory, becoming one of five athletes to earn or retain titles on Tezos WNO 20.

After the match, Gordon announced his next main event, headlining Tezos WNO 21 on Nov. 30 in Austin, TX, against Lucas Barbosa responding to the Hulk's video callout from earlier in the evening.

Mica Galvao won the Tezos Submission of the Night Bonus with his flying armbar in the welterweight bracket final against PJ Barch, securing the vacant 170 lb strap with a sensational performance. Galvao submitted Barch in 43 seconds, clocking in the fastest submission of the 2023 season and the second fastest armlock victory in Tezos WNO history.

Galvao was scheduled face Andrew Tackett in the final after Tackett defeated Barch via decision in the semifinal round. But Tackett was unable to continue, so Barch stepped up to fill in. Galvao defeated Jay Rodriguez in the semifinal in what could be the match of the year, a wild scramble demonstrating Galvao's precise game and Rodriguez' durable submission defense.

Diogo Reis won the men's featherweight bracket to capture the 145 lb title, locking up a second belt for team Melqui Galvao Jiu-Jitsu.

Reis defeated Gabriel Sousa in the final in a showing of positional dominance, after putting on a demonstration of precise wrestling against Keith Krikorian in the semifinal.

Sousa earned his berth in the final with a kneebar over Ash Williams.

Elisabeth Clay showed off her rarely seen top game to take out Brianna Ste-Marie, winning the vacant female featherweight belt at Tezos WNO. And Nathieley de Jesus dethroned Rafaela Guedes to win the heavyweight title, using her guard to get behind the Atos product on two occasions.

Rafael Lovato Jr. submitted Riccardo Evangelista to open the main card, locking a triangle from the back. Lovato was originally scheduled to face Pedro Marinho for the light heavyweight title, but Marinho had to withdraw due to infection.

After Lovato's win, he and Marinho squared off, hinting at a rescheduled bout for the 205 lb belt in the near future.

On the undercard, Thanyara Victoria defeated Tiffany Butler via heel hook, and Steffen Banta defeated Thomas Bracher via inverted triangle.