KASAI assembled a stacked main card of 10 matches for their first Super Series event. The main event of Gordon Ryan vs Joao Gabriel Rocha grabbed the majority of the headlines due to the compelling nature of the match and the dramatic action that ensued. 

The show saw plenty of action from a supporting cast of local, national and international talent, with submissions, technical grappling and even a dash of controversy. 

Here we rank the performances of every winner from the main card. Catch up on all of the matches here.

Lucas Valente bests Formiga by referees decision after a back and forth match that resulted in a 1-1 score. pic.twitter.com/VyVdmibkMY

— FloGrappling (@FloGrappling) February 3, 2019

10. Lucas Valente

Young gun Valente found that old lions should never be counted out in his gi match with 4th degree black belt and World Masters champion Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa. This technical bout was an intricate affair, a battle of inches with both men working hard to create openings. Valente’s strong start and crafty guard gave him the decision after a close match. 

9. Bruno Bastos 

Taking on a similar, if notably smaller, figure in Tom Deblass, half guard specialist Bruno Bastos rode out the first 10 minutes on top but did little to advance the action. A perfectly timed outside footsweep in overtime earned him the only points in the match and got him the win. Bastos’s cautious strategy gives his opponents fits, and Deblass was certainly frustrated with the lack of action from the bigger man. 

8. Andressa Cintra 

This lively gi match between Cintra and Soul Fighters rep Jessica Swanson was entertaining and saw sweeps and submission attempts. Cintra’s ability to resist Swanson’s armlock attack and score with sweeps was the deciding factor in this match. 

7. Alex Martins 

This match proves that persistence pays off, as Alex Martins scored after innumerable attempts to move the stocky Mike Medrano from guard. The Mushin MMA black belt’s base was excellent throughout but Martins managed to hit a late sweep right into the mount that sealed the deal in his favor. 

6. Raquel Canuto 

Canuto’s strategy in this match was to grind over and through Chelsah Lyons’ flexible guard any way she could. Lyons proved dangerous from bottom and her leg attacks put Canuto in some bad spots, but the Hawaiian black belt stuck to her game plan and methodically worked for a guard pass that put her on top and in control. 

5. Aaron “Tex” Johnson 

Tex is known for his killer leg attacks and his lightning-fast finishes, but Ricardo “Demente” Abreu was well-prepared for the heat Johnson brought and they went head to head from start to finish. Johnson’s work rate was relentless, whether in the stand-up phase or on the ground. From bottom, he used his inversions to get under the legs, but often found himself fending off strong pass attempts by the Brazilian which tested Johnson’s guard to the limit. A great showcase of heavyweight jiu-jitsu which Johnson won via a single point for a submission attack. 

4. Gordon Ryan

There’s not much to be said about this match that hasn’t already come up in our live play-by-play or our subsequent live studio interview with Gordon the Monday morning following the show. Rocha was unranked in our no-gi rankings going into this match purely because he’s been off the no-gi scene for a while, but the two-time ADCC silver medalist posed one of the most dangerous challenges Gordon has had to face in the past year and a half. Ryan’s win puts him at number four on our list of best performances from the night. 

3. Edwin "Junny" Ocasio 

Unity Jiu-Jitsu scrapper Junny Ocasio is no stranger to KASAI. As a veteran of the inaugural event and follow-up superfights, he knows just what it’s like to appear under the bright lights. Maybe that gave him an edge over Vinny Saenz, or maybe it was just a confidence that comes from training in one of New York’s top gyms. Ocasio showed great use of the leg attack game to isolate a leg and hit a nice heel hook to be one of only three main card matches to end by submission. 

2. Dante Leon

Canadian black belt Dante Leon was brought in as a late opponent for Marcelo Garcia-trained brown belt Matheus Lutes, and he proved to be an excellent choice. Not many people can go head to head with the physical Lutes, but Leon faced down the heavy-handed Brazilian and scored a solid win over the up-and-comer. Leon showed off plenty of skills in the short match: wrestling, guard play and submissions. A significant win for the GF Team member. 

1. Renato Canuto 

Hot shot Renato Canuto is one of KASAI’s stars, and with good reason. The two-weight tournament champion added another superfight win to his record with a submission over Nova Uniao’s Marcio Andre. Canuto’s high pace, dazzling movement and– as in this match– razor sharp submissions make him a joy to watch. Andre came into this match as an underdog but people were possibly unaware of just how good he is– a past No-Gi World champion and a Worlds silver medalist, just like Canuto. The Checkmat black belt spent nine solid minutes of testing Andre’s unfeasibly flexible guard before latching onto the match-ending submission, an impressive inside heel hook that was a contender for submission of the night.