All fighters are on weight and everything is set for tomorrow’s Polaris Pro 2 in Cardiff, Wales. Take a look at our comprehensive breakdown of the matches provided by expert analysts Andre Borges, Ben Thapa and Hywel Teague. 

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Pedro Bessa vs Luca Anacoreta

Andre: An interesting clash between an old school grappler (Bessa) and the new breed of European grappler (Anacoreta). Luca has had some wind in his sail and competed in the same format earlier this year in the UK. Bessa is a mega-talented black belt with a wealth of experience. Tough call, I would incline to a draw.

Ben: As Andre said on BJJ Heroes, Anacoreta's top game looks a bit sharper than Bessa's guard game. I would be surprised if a finish occurred, but Anacoreta will likely get them set up, only to see Bessa getting out due to nice defenses. As there are no points, this is then a draw in my predictions. 

Hywel: Bessa’s pedigree is solid; a student of Terere and Eduardo Telles, plus he grew up training alongside Claudio Calasans and Andre Galvao. Anacoreta is one of the top European grapplers at his weight and this is sure to be a close match with few clkear advantages to either grappler. Expect an evenly-matched back and fore contest that will likely end in a draw. 



Eddie Cummings vs Reilly Bodycomb

Andre: Both grapplers are slightly too one dimensional to see them doing anything else other than going for heel hooks. I can’t really ascertain who will take this, but don’t expect it to last 15 minutes, and don’t expect the result to be any other than a win by footlock.

Ben: I genuinely believe both of these competitors have the ability to be top flight in any competition. Tanquinho Mendes did not pass Cummings' guard at ADCC 2015 and it took the negative point for Cummings' guard pull for a winner to be decided. Bodycomb is nearly that good - but I believe Cummings has an advantage in getting in terrific shape for ADCC beforehand. I think this will be a very complex battle for a leg, with Cummings being slightly faster and stronger about securing a leg for a tap. Cummings by heelhook, with Bodycomb still looking good.

Hywel: Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I see this as a quick and easy win for Cummings. 2015 has been his breakout year, he’s training with some of the toughest guys in the world at Renzo Gracie’s in Manhattan, and he’s riding the wave off the training camps he’d put in for EBI and ADCC. Bodycomb was considered one of the top sources for leglock material…  Five years ago. He’s been inactive, and questions hang out his prep. Cummings should take the fastest sub of the night in this match. 



Michelle Nicolini vs Gezary Matuda

Andre: A barn burner right here. Gezary loves to armbar from the closed guard, while Michelle loves the toe hold as an offence to the closed guard. Don’t see many ways this one will not end up in a submission, and I would point towards Nicolini by toe hold.

Ben: Nicolini is the bigger, stronger competitor, but Matuda is much faster and more agile. If Nicolini settles down for her customary slow start build to a toehold strategy, I think Matuda can surprise her with an early armbar or collar choke. I’m picking Matuda by finish due to Nicolini's habit of starting slow in the gi. 

Hywel: Matuda is a legit champ in her own right but Nicolini’s the one with the bigger name here, and I think that means we’re going to see her pull out all the stops to take out the upstart. Matuda’s from American Top Team and is a World Champ, but she’s a relatively young black belt compared to 3rd degree (not to mention, 9x world champ) Nicolini. This will be competitive, but I think Nicolini’s experience pays off here. If she doesn’t catch a foot, she’ll likely finish by triangle or a choke from the back. 



Tom Barlow vs Gianni Grippo

Andre: A tough match to call as both are highly proficient at what they do. Grippo has a slight edge, taking into account his competition record and who he has faced since reaching his black belt rank. Although I visualize a draw, I can also see Grippo edging this one by being a slightly more accurate with his transitions.

Ben: Barlow is surprisingly good for an "under the radar" competitor. His guard game is very good and he's great at snapping up opportunities when they're there. However, Grippo is borderline elite for the weight class already. His match against Cobrinha at ADCC 2015 showed just how quickly he's stepped up his game in the year and change he's been a black belt. If this improvement rate continues for a few more months yet, ADCC 2017 will likely see Grippo as a favorite - even against the Miyaos. I think Grippo's ADCC form will carry on into this match and will see him glom onto Barlow's back and get a choke after grinding down Barlow's resistance.  

Hywel: Barlow is good, and while he competes mainly in Masters (30+) divisions he’s got a very new school game that means he should be able to deal with most of Grippo’s attacks. The question is for how long, though. Grippo’s youth and gas means he’s going to be relentless for the duration, and I see him catching a leg or getting the back via one of his creative inversions. Whether he can finish the tough Englishman is another matter. 



AJ Agazarm vs Daniel Strauss

Andre: Though Strauss has around 25lbs weight advantage, his natural size does not differ much from that of AJ’s, having competed as low as featherweight (70kg/154lbs). Agazarm should be the faster and more durable of the two. I expect AJ to win this in the later stages of the match. 

Ben: I rather like the “Raspberry Ape” (Strauss) and his game, but this is a question of whether Agazarm's considerable skills are good enough to get a win rather than force a draw. Odds are high that this goes to a draw because Agazarm has shown comfort in a strategy based around baiting an opponent into a mistake and he may be agile enough to avoid Strauss's attempts to get this down to the ground and into the nitty gritty details where a weight advantage can tell. I pick a draw, but this should be a more fun match than Agazarm vs. Karo.

Hywel: First off, this is going to be a fun match! Both guys are natural entertainers and they’d sure to play up for the crowd. Strauss’s size won’t make too much of a difference to AJ, who’s already said how comfortable he is in fighting against bigger guys. In a match under these rules, I think AJ’s high work rate will pay off and after tiring out the bigger he’ll likely go after Strauss’s ankles - that is, if Strauss doesn’t try to powerbomb him through the stage! 



Robson Moura vs Baret Yoshida

Andre: Although Robson is the more complete grappler with better pedigree, Yoshida is absolutely no slouch. This will be a very entertaining match. I do not believe they will be able to catch each other in a submission, but I expect them to put on a show trying.

Ben: Yoshida's place as one of the very best American grapplers of all time is a strange one because most of his accomplishments occurred before online coverage of grappling really took off. Thus his crucifix game and his calm demeanor that transformed into whipping right-side triangles and armbars are not as famous as they should be. Robson is nearly in the same situation with his astounding agility and multiple world titles. I think the match-making for this one is rather apt, as it lets us see the answer to the question of whether Robson's agility now can allow him to stay ahead of Yoshida's climbing guard attacks. I suspect Robson still has enough stamina to get past Yoshida a few times in the 15 minutes and set up armbar finish opportunities. 

Hywel: Moura is one of the best from his generation, and that’s really saying something as he’s from an era that includes some of the best grapplers of all time. The main thing in Yoshida’s favour is he’s never dropped off the scene, staying busy in competitions big and small. Moura, on the other hand, admits he’s fallen out of love a little with sport jiu-jitsu and has focussed on teaching. While he’s still an amazing technician, could he be rusty in a tournament setting? If so, Yoshida could make this very difficult for him to get in the game. 



Vitor Ribeiro vs Nakamura Daisuke

Andre: Put anyone up against “Shaolin”, and expect that person to have a rough ride. Ribeiro is as high class as it gets, and although he lacked the hardness of a top notch training camp ahead of this match-up, I expect him to finish the fight, possibly by choke within the 10 minute mark.

Ben: The best I have ever felt while grappling was when I successfully pulled off a Shaolin sweep in a live roll. Shaolin probably took that feeling to its maximum by hitting it in a world championship finals. I respect Nakamura's game - especially the constant, constant attacking from the guard - but I think Shaolin is bigger, stronger, and better. We should see some flash out of Shaolin and a few arm attacks from Nakamura before Shaolin sets up a finish. 

Hywel: With nearly 20 years as a black belt and 25 MMA fights, Shaolin is an amazing competitor. He’s still young and has managed to avoid serious injuries, and looks as good as guys 10 years his younger. Nakamura’s typically Japanese in his approach: technical, patient and hard-working. However, I see this as Shaolin’s to lose. 



Masakazu Imanari vs Gary Tonon

Andre: Imanari has been one of the most beloved grapplers in MMA for a long time. His willingness to take risks will be thoroughly matched at Polaris 2 by Tonon, who is a bigger, younger, stronger, faster version of the Japanese star. Although I think it will be hard for Tonon to catch Masakazu in a heel hook exchange, I expect Gary to use his full arsenal and better the Japanese grappler, possibly with an RNC.

Ben: Some of the excitement for this match should be tempered because few people are sure of how seriously Imanari is going to take this. I theorize that Tonon will have no problems going full showman with Imanari in the early going, then turning it up midway and getting a quick finish. Imanari has not really shown much in terms of transitions beyond two or three attacks chained together, while Tonon regularly does almost a full Moebius loop with an opponent willing to enter the leglace with him. The size advantage Tonon will enjoy helps too. Tonon by kneebar after roughly the six minute mark. 

Hywel: Do not blink in this match, as the finish is likely to be fast and most probably will leave the loser nursing a nasty limp. Imanari is savage in his application of leglocks and as Tonon described to us earlier this week, he’s got to be prepared for all manner of creative attacks and dangerous traps. Tonon’s youth and size are worth considering but not necessarily as game-changing as people think. Imanari’s game will keep Tonon occupied from start to finish, although something is likely to break before either man taps out. Again, don’t blink! 

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