Follow along as I recap the opening rounds of the male black belt weight divisions. The black belts start at 9.00am sharp with qualifying rounds and they'll work through to the quarterfinals (which go down tomorrow, Sunday March 23). 

Join me at @flograppling for live updates from 2019 Pans! pic.twitter.com/IOagONrC2q

— Hywel Teague (@hywelteague) March 23, 2019

Black belts are running on Mats 5 to 8. Watch the live stream here. I'm sat at matside and will be providing key updates from all four mats as they unfold in front of me. Keep refreshing to stay on top of all of the action. 

The lighter guys are kicking us off; we've got roosterweight and light-featherweights up first. 

Matheus Gabriel vs Kennedy Maciel – Mat 6

Featherweight qualifier 

Rematch! We mentioned this was going to be one of the most explosive first-round matches. 

Gabriel slaps on an armbar from the double guard pull! He gets Kennedy’s arm completely extended! He rolls and twists and escapes but as soon as he breaks free his arm falls limp. Medics come on and take a long look at him. I think he’s done. 

The medics spend a few minutes with Kennedy and he shakes his head –it’s over. The official clock says the stoppage came at 1.36 minutes. Matheus Gabriel gets his revenge. Man, Pans is off to a crazy start.

Check out the photo from our photographer Michael Sears. Here's the match for you to watch.

Lots of action firing on all four mats. Let's dive back in. 

Leonardo Saggioro vs Raphael Cadena – Mat 6

Featherweight qualifier

2018 world silver medalist Saggioro (nickname “Cascao”) hit a submission in his opening match. An omoplata sweep from guard, a back take and a lapel choke sealed the deal. The featherweight is one of the dark horses of the division. 

Watch the match here.

Rafael Mansur vs Spencer Nogawa – Mat 6

Featherweight qualifier

In his first competition repping Atos Rafael Mansur has to go up against Spencer Nogawa from AOJ. It’s a funny sight to see and Gui Mendes and Angelica Galvao are stood side by side coaching the two opponents! I missed the finish but the video shows me it was a choke from the back. Check it out here. 

John Combs vs Fellipe Arruda – Mat 7

Lightweight qualifier

Scrappy as ever, John Combs is back in the gi after winning ADCC Trials earlier this year. He’s up against Fellipe Arruda in his opening match and is bouncing all over the place as usual. Combs was looking for the finish but settles with a giant 14-2 points win. A fun match as ever. Watch the video here.

Samir Chantre vs Cole Franson – Mat 6

Featherweight qualifier

First-year black belt vs veteran: it’s always fun to see the clash of styles a generational battle offers. Chantre is using his trademark hip clamp control and is looking to sneak around to the back. He’s playing a very tight game and not giving Franson any room to move. Chantre had Franson in all kinds of trouble but the match ended 2-2, 5-1 in favor of Chantre. Don't count the old dogs out! 

Isaac Doederlein vs Matheus Gonzaga – Mat 5

Featherweight qualifier

It’s no secret we’re hot on Isaac Doederlein right now. The Alliance competitor has been steadily improving and earned silver at Euros. A nice warm-up for Doederlein. He came close to getting a choke fromt he back but ending up winning 2-0. 

Jeremy Jackson vs Felipe Simplicio – Mat 8

Lightweight qualifier

Holy crap, Jackson just ran through Simplicio 17-0 and got the submission. Just confirming what it was because I was too busy watching Samir take Cole Franson’s back. 

Andris Brunovskis vs Lucas Rocha – Mat 6

Middleweight qualifier

A shot for Rocha puts him straight into Brunovsskis’s omoplata, which scores the Atos rep a sweep. 2-2. Andris is using his lasso trickery and spinning like cray underneath Rocha, who’s so far keeping up with the movement. Andris has a worm guard patch on his back (it says "Caution: Worms May Chase You") but he hasn’t used it yet. 

Rocha's speed seems to be a factor here, he comes close to taking the back but can't secure hooks. Andris comes back up on top but Rocha slaps on an armbar that has him in trouble. Somehow he manages to use the escape to come out into a crucifix! This match is so crazy, one of the best of the day so far. 

Andris comes close to securing a pass but time runs out and it ends 4-2 for Rocha. Great match. 

John Combs vs Levi Jones-Leary Mat 7

Lightweight qualifier

Here we go! One of the most anticipated appearances of the weekend as the Australian makes his Pan black belt debut. It takes him less than a minute to berimbolo his way to Combs’ back! It takes him a few minutes to finish but Levi wins via choke from the back. 

Renato Canuto vs Piter Frank Silva – Mat 8

Lightweight qualifier

I admit I didn't see this match as I had to run to the bathroom– sorry not sorry, it happens and I've been drinking a LOT of coffee this mrorning. Renato got a choke form the back. I'll post the video as soon as it's available! 

Dante Leon vs Thomas Keenan – Mat 5

Middleweight qualifier

No offense but a pretty shitty match, one of those occasions where two explosive guys cancel each other out. Dante wins 0-0 via one advantage.

Jamil Hill-Taylor vs Brandon Walensky – Mat 5

Featherweight qualifier

Look out! Jamil is running WILD on Walensky! remember how he came out hard in his opening match here last year vs Samir? It's like Jamil is trying to come out even harder! he scores 7 points and finishes with an armbar in less than 2 minutes. Incredible! 

Manuel Ribamar vs Edmund Kim – Mat 6

Middleweight qualifier

Ribamar is signed up for the absolute later too. It's really good to see his former NS Brotherhood teammate Yago de Souza coaching him from matside. 2016 Pan champ Yago is going to spend some time training with him in San Antonio. Ribamar was in cruise control vs Kim, winning 6-0 via two passes. 

Johnny Tama vs Edward Hohl – Mat 7 

Lightweight qualifier

Intense as always, Tama caught a nice choke from the back in this lightweight opener. It looked like he might lose position when he dived on an ankle lock but he kept it together for the sub.

Queixinho vs Jeremy Jackson – Mat 8

Lightweight qualifier

Five-time Pan medalist (three silver and two bronze), Queixinho is often overlooked and that's a big mistake. Much like how his teammate Samir Chantre shut down Franson earlier. Queixinho is slowing Jackson down. Queixinho's using the lapel and the 50-50– not the most exciting, but effective. It was close though and Jackson stayed in it right until the end but Queizinho knows how to win– he got an advantage in literally the dying seconds. It ended 4-4, 2-1 adv and Queixinho will have another chance at winning a medal this year. 

Aaron Tex Johnson vs Melo Sturua – Mat 7 

Heavyweight qualifier 

Less than a minute for Tex to hit a choke from the back! Not much more to say! Just watch the video. 

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Arnaldo Maidana vs Vinicius Gimenes – Mat 7

Heavyweight qualifier 

Arnaldo Maidana just hit s sweet arm triangle on Vinicius Gimenes in his first match– less than a minute. 

Vinicius 

Isaque Bahiense vs Dante Leon – Mat 5

Middleweight qualifier

Yeesh, the first five minutes of this match was a lot of 50-50. Things are picking up (literally) around the halfway mark– Isaque is up on a single but Dante has that deep collar grip that threatens the loop choke. Bahiense wrestles him down and gets his two, it's now 4-2 for the Brazilian. That's how it stayed until the end of the match. 

Hugo Marques vs Lucas Valle – Mat 5 

Middleweight qualifier

Valle just got a big win– a hard-fought 2-0 points victory over Marques. That's a significant win for Valle, who did well to handle the notorious explosiveness of Marques. Solid match.

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Dom Bell vs Murilo Santana – Mat 8

Medium-heavyweight

Santana earned a 2-0 win over Bell in this opener. Not a lot to say, other than Santana hit a sweep from X-guard. 

Manuel Ribamar vs Claudio Calasans – Mat 6

Middleweight qualifier

Strong start in this match – this is the second match for both men and they're looking fully functional. Calasans loving for his trademark diving guillotine from top, Ribamar tying him up with the lapel. Back on their feet and they're all over the place– Calasans trying to get his judo going but Riba is hard to take down. Calasans up 2-0 on the scoreboard in the last 60 seconds when Ribamar comes out and onto the back– clsoe but he only gets one hook in before Calasans shakes him off! Fighting down to the wire here when Riba catches an armbar from closed guard! Only 26 seconds left in the match! Incredible come from behind win for RIba! 

Watch the match here

Never give up! Down on points Manuel Ribamar submits Claudio Calasans with 26 seconds left! pic.twitter.com/8yLGazvi3a

— FloGrappling (@FloGrappling) March 23, 2019

Gustavo Batista vs Devhonte Johnson – Mat 8

Medium-heavweight qualifier 

So the reason behind Devhonte dropping down to medium-heavy is because he's stopped eating meat. He was telling me that he had to eat seven times a day to stay up at super-heavy, and feels way better being lighter. He still has a big size advantage over Batista though. 

Batista closed out here last year and he's a favorite to do so again. He's so smooth in his movement– Devhonte was attacking from the double-under but Batista swept found his way to the back for 6 points and then the choke. 

Quick updates: 

• Middleweight Victor Silverio is through after beating Damien Nitkin on points. 
• Jaime Canuto beat Igor Paiva 2-0 in a middleweight qualifer. 
• Breno Bitterncourt beat Inseong Jang and will face Levi Jones-Leary tomorrow at lightweight. 
• Matheus Diniz scored a quick submission over Esdras Barbosa – watch video
• Larissa Campos tapped Pati Fontes with an ezekiel from mount – watch video
• Ffion Davies won by a single advantage over Nathalie Ribeiro in a featherweight qualifier. 
• James Puopolo defeated Rafael Vasconcelos by submission while up 4-2 on points. 
• Ruan Oliveira tapped Matheus Godoy with a nasty footlock 
• Gabi McComb taped Amanda Alequin with a rear naked choke (pictured below) – watch video

OK things are slowing down a touch here at the Bren Center, but still plenty more to come. The lightweights and featherweights are done and will be back up tomorrow. Still got some women's matches to go (they will run through the divisions with just finals tomorrow). 

Karen Antunes vs Aarae Alexander – Mat 6 

Featherweight semifinal

This is the first comp of the year for returning Pan champ Karen Antunes and she's looking great. A traditional closed guard sweep almost got her points, but Aarae fought up and back to the feet. Alexander is working her open guard, Antunes hits a low pass to the side that gets her three points. Lots of action, we're only three minutes in! 

A second pass gets Antunes another three and she's six points up. Aarae fights back to her feet with around four mins left– she's hard to hold down! A third pace set up a sequence that ended with Antunes winning by armbar. Impressive stuff. 

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Updates:

• Gutemberg Pereira beat Roberto Torralbas 17 points to 2 in the super-heavyweight division. 
• Michael Liera Jr def Victor Silverio via a last-minute sweep
• Matheus Spirandelli beat Matthew Leighton 6-2 in a medium-heavyweight qualifer 
• Gabi McComb dedeated Bianca Basilio 2-0 in a scrappy match – watch video
• Talita Alencar choked Patricia Magalhaes in her opening match of the day 

Gabi Garcia vs Alison Tremblay – Mat 8

A quick guard pull for Garcia, who is making her first return to gi competition since 2013. A sweep and guard pass leads to an easy paper cutter choke. – watch video

My favorite thing from today: 

Kristina Barlaan has got moves! How do you get pumped up to compete pic.twitter.com/whZEbBrx6q

— FloGrappling (@FloGrappling) March 23, 2019

Ana Carolina Vieira vs Jessica Swanson – Mat 8 

Semifinal match in the middleweight division, two-time World champ Ana Carolina Vieira is up in her first match of the day. Quick start from Swanson, who beat Renata Marinho earlier. That first match may have helped, because she's looking loose– an early omoplata sweep puts her up 2 points. 

Swanson's tricky guard work and lapel work gives Vieira some work, but she passes off an omoplata attempt and starts racking up points. She goes 15 points and catches an armbar with about 1.20 left. 

Watch the video 

Quick updates: 

Luiza Monteiro beat Maria Malyjasiak via decision with a tied score of 2-2.

Monique Elias tapped Nivia Moura with an omoplata 

Gabi Garcia won her second match 2-0, beating Jessica Flowers

That's it for now. 

All the adult male and female elimination matches are done, we'll be back around 5.00pm local for the women's absolute. The men's starts approx 6.00pm. See you then!