We are only days away from this Friday's WNO card and we are set with one of the best lineups of the year. Grappling fans will have ten super fights to enjoy, headlined by a major clash between CJI Champ Nick Rodriguez and ADCC Champ Kaynan Duarte.

Every match on this card has serious implications for the participants and the division. We broke down six of the biggest burning questions for this pro card.

WNO 27 is going down April 18th in Round Rock, TX at the Kalahari Convention Center. Matches start at 7pm, with prelims airing live on YouTube.

1. Who's Really Number One At Heavyweight?

After the dust cleared on the summer of 2024 we were left with two heavyweight champions. Nick Rodriguez, the million dollar grappler, submitted four men to win the CJI +80kg bracket and Kaynan Duarte submitted 7 of 8 opponents for double gold at the ADCC World Championships. These two titans stood on top of the grappling world.

But there was one inevitable question - who was better? who would win if they faced off? They had met twice early on in Nicky's grappling career but now he's a whole new athlete. How would the years focused on sharpening those natural gifts shape a rematch?

On Friday evening we find out when they meet in what is the biggest super fight in WNO history, a monumental meeting that any fan of grappling should want to check out. With WNO in need of a new heavyweight champion by the end of the year, who will emerge as the front runner?

2. Is This A Co-Main Event or A Double Main Event?

We have a really interesting dynamic at play with the top two matches. The main event really is as big a match as can be made at heavyweight BUT the guys in the co-main event have every right to feel like they should be the finale. In fact, they were a WNO main event before until Griffith had to pull out of the planned match at WNO 24.

Not only that, but both of the co-main eventers have a recent submission win over a main eventer. Victor Hugo recently tapped Nicky Rod and Luke choked Kaynan last year - so is our co-main event really the toughest match of the evening? In our search for a new heavyweight champion is one of these two ultimately our best big man?

3. Have We Forgotten How Good Lis Clay Is?

For the last eighteen months, Helena Crevar has had a steady, impressive march to the top. She made the ADCC World finals and became the youngest medalist at the tournament ever and is now potentially on the cusp of her first WNO title.There's every reason in the world to believe in the potential of the 18-year old New Wave brown belt as a future pound-for-pound number one.

But are we forgetting how good the champ is? Elisabeth Clay is still only 24 herself and has already stamped her claim as one of the best women's no-gi grapplers ever. She took most of 2024 off to welcome her first child and still won an IBJJF world championship in December. She isn't just the woman who tapped Helena at ADCC Trials, she's the reason Helena isn't the youngest ADCC women's trials winner ever - because she holds that record.

This is a matchup between the two greatest women's leg lockers to ever face off in competition. They're both super capable champions who have had success at every level of the sport. As we head into this match and many eyes are on the up-and-coming star, don't forget that Elisabeth Clay has owned this division for years. She will get the chance to remind everyone of that on Friday evening.

4. Are We Going To See The Match of the Year Already?

Let's be real - the only way Andrew and Fabyury don't have an incredible match that fans love is if one of them comes out and finishes things early. I just don't think these two can compete together in a way that isn't going to be absolutely packed with action and scrambles. Andrew was in 2024's match of the year against Kade Ruotolo at CJI and Fabyury was in another nominated match in his WNO debut against Daniel Sathler.

So are we already going to see the match of the year here in April? We have two young, athletic, scrappy welterweights who both have a history of making sure their matches are as fun as possible for everyone watching. It's the perfect recipe for a bout we will be talking about not just at the end of the year but far beyond that too.

5. Owen Jones Can Hunt. Can He Be Hunted?

Owen Jones had a really incredible 18 months, winning ADCC trials, making his WNO debut, and then making the final four of the 2024 ADCC Worlds with submission wins over Gabriel Sousa and Gairbeg Ibragimov. He won the 2024 FloGrappling Breakout Grappler of the Year. He's finally arrived. So now what?

Now that the UK-born rising star is a known danger to the division, how is that going to affect his run? He can't hide in any bracket again, people know his game and know he's world class. How will his opponents react now that he has a target on his back? Can he continue to evolve and keep that edge? This is a really critical time in Owen's career, and the answer to these questions will determine his arc to the top.

Owen's lightweight match against Julián Espinosa is a sick matchup, with both guys bringing an extensive highlight reel of dynamic action. Julián brings more of a takedown pedigree whereas Owen is more of a guard puller and leg locker - but both men are really capable everywhere. I am also really interested to see how much Owen has improved since his ADCC run last August.

6. What's A Legends Match Look Like On WNO?

We have an underrated first for WNO 27 - a match between legends in Xande Ribeiro and Richie Martinez. This could be looked at like a Masters match between older competitors, but given the high level of skill and experience between the two (and the fact they both stay so active) I think this is something else entirely - so, legends and not masters.

On the last WNO, we saw the first ever youth match when Icaro Moreno and Chris Sarkissian faced off in what was a pretty entertaining performance. Now, we get two guys who aren't likely to campaign for a title but can still create some incredible matches and moments on the mats. So what's it going to look like?

I think we are going to get a real show with boys guys able to share some of what has made them so beloved and successful over the years. I'm especially excited to see what their opening strategies are, how they pace things, and how Xande approaches the vaunted guard of Boogey.

Full WNO 27 Card

• Kaynan Duarte vs Nick Rodriguez
• Luke Griffith vs Victor Hugo
• Elisabeth Clay vs Helena Crevar
• Andrew Tackett vs Fabyury Khrysthyan
• Owen Jones vs Julián Espinosa
• Xande Ribeiro vs Richie Martinez
• Chris Wojcik vs Michael Esquivel II
• Colin Carr vs Alan Magendzo
• Taylor Hishaw vs Trinity Pun
• Ben Eddy vs Josh Wyland

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