On July 25th, Ryan Aitken and Roberto Jimenez will face off at WNO 29 in a pivotal clash between light heavyweight contenders. This top-five matchup pits two of the best submission hunters in the world against each other, and we want to take a look at how their styles and skillsets fit - and what fans should be expecting.

Both Ryan and Roberto have had very different paths to get to this moment but they stand at the same place - a win here makes them the clear number one contender for Pedro Marinho's WNO championship. They've both separated themselves from the pack with repeated impressive performances and whoever wins this match will have a genuine claim to being the best on Earth at 205lbs.

Get your tickets here for WNO 29 in Miami, FL on July 25th!

Roberto began his career as a prodigal figure, becoming the first purple belt to submit his way to double gold at IBJJF Worlds since Andre Galvão. Though he's taken losses throughout his career, Roberto has developed over the years into the black belt he was once prospected as - globally elite and with one of the most exciting styles ever. Under the spotlight, he has blossomed into a star and comes into this matchup riding more momentum then after. His most recent win at AIGA over 2-time ADCC Champion Giancarlo Bodoni was incredible and he began the year at WNO 26 with a flying armbar that is many people's frontrunner for submission of the year.

Ryan Aitken, on the other hand, is more of a ten year overnight success. He's been working and grinding for years, over a decade at this point, but only in the last ~18 months has he begun to really break out and see recognition and success at the elite levels. He qualified for ADCC Worlds where he submitted Pedro Marinho early in a shocking upset, he won EBI absolutes, he won PGF, and he won his WNO debut with a decision over world-ranked Luccas Lira. As he keeps piling up bigger wins, it seems like his confidence has only grown and I think the best for Ryan is still yet to come.

Roberto Jimenez's Wild Style

If you asked most jiu-jitsu fans to describe Roberto's style, you'd get a lot of people saying things like "crazy", "chaotic", or "wild" - and they'd be right. Roberto is an unpredictable offensive juggernaut who may just be the best back attacker in the game today. Roberto, since his colored belt days, has shown that he can get to anyone's back with dives and scrambles into wedging back takes from any position you can name.

Roberto has really leveled up his wrestling over the last few years and has a great ability to swing around into rear body locks. Something that can get a little overlooked in Roberto's game is also his armbars, which he usually snaps on in scrambles or from bottom position.

Ryan Aitken's Methodical Style

Ryan, for all his success, has a style that I would consider a little atypical of most 10th Planet black belts. He has a methodical, highly strategic game that - while still fitting in with some of the 10P hallmarks - fits him and his body type perfectly. The first thing worth noting about Ryan is that he is a big, strong guy at 205lbs (and can drop lower) and he puts that power to good use with his pacing. You can always expect him to show up well prepared, and his gas tank was a weapon in his last WNO matchup.

I would say Ryan has a pretty complete game and can win in different ways but he usually has his best success when attacking legs early. If that isn't successful, he gets back up and uses his power to weigh on people and wear them down until he can get on top. Something else worth pointing out is his escapes, he showed off some very good escaping skills under EBI & PGF competition.

How They Match Up

We're going to take a look at a few ways in which this match could play out technically and a few positions/strategies to watch out for.

The easiest place to begin is - how are these guys going to start the match? We've seen both guys score big wins early in matches, so don't count on them easing into things. I think the first major key is how Roberto deals with Ryan's leg locks. Ryan is really skilled, one of the best in the division really, when it comes to entangling the legs and this has been a major area of concern for Roberto in the past - even as recently as last August at CJI.

On the flipside, Roberto has put a lot of work into improving there and has been able to turn those leg entanglements into his own back take attempts. I don't know how that will play out with someone as strong as Ryan, but I think we are likely to find out.

A big factor in this matchup, along with Ryan's ability to escape from back takes. Like any 10th Planet black belt worth his salt, Ryan has excelled at EBI overtimes and we've seen that on display in multiple organizations. If Roberto can find the back, then it's far from guaranteed that he will be able to keep it.

Overall, I actually think there's a lot of reasons to favor Ryan stylistically in this one. He's excellent at the areas where Roberto struggles and he has great defense for Roberto's best offense. He's bigger, stronger, has an excellent gas tank, and makes few mistakes for opponents to exploit. But - it's Roberto Jimenez. He's been on such an unbelievable run, with so much momentum, and he has shined the brightest when against his longest odds.

Only one man can emerge as the winner and the clearcut favorite for the title shot. Make sure to tune in on July 25th when these two throw down in a night packed with great jiu-jitsu in Miami, Florida.

WNO 29 Card

• Middleweight Bout - Kit Dale vs Vagner Rocha
• Bantamweight Bout - Adele Fornarino vs Jasmine Rocha
• Light Heavyweight Bout - Roberto Jimenez vs Ryan Aitken
• Lightweight Bout - Gianni Grippo vs Owen Jones
• Heavyweight Bout - Igor Tanabe vs Roosevelt Sousa
• Welterweight Bout - Michael Sainz vs Natan Chueng

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