A burst of ADCC updates, results from Japan and did we identify the biggest Shoyoroll stash in existence? 

What Time Off? JT Back Like He’d Never Been Away 

Not many people treat Vagner Rocha like Johnathan “JT” Torres did at Fight 2 Win 119 on Saturday night. Known for his rough tactics and gritty style of grappling, Rocha is rarely a man you see on the back foot yet Torres shut him down in impressive fashion. We almost never see this. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I really saw Vagner in a bad position– it’s been years. 

Torres hadn’t competed in any no-gi comps since winning ADCC in 2017, and who can blame him? After winning ADCC he was obviously intent on getting the big gi title which has eluded him, that of IBJJF World champion. His best result has been a silver, which was way back in 2014. He took bronze in 2015 and 2016, skipped Worlds in 2017 (the year he won ADCC), and failed to make the podium at IBJJF Worlds the last two years running. 

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from JT after he went nearly two years without taking off the gi. Especially against Rocha, who is one of the most active guys on the superfight circuit. He racked up eight high profile matches this year alone, and has taken his trademark violent jiu-jitsu onto the biggest stages in grappling. 

There was no “mat rust” for Torres, who used a powerful shot and incredible top pressure to shut down everything Rocha had to offer. He was unfazed by Vagner’s aggressive framing, driving forward from top in search of top position. 

I’ve listened to stories about how JT’s pressure and relentlessness can destroy even the best of guards, and this was a perfect example of that. Torres came incredibly close to securing the back late in the match and Rocha was forced to dig deep to escape, somehow spinning out at the last possible microsecond to get up to his feet. The one-sided match gave Torres a unanimous decision, and gave us a look at what kind of shape he is in for ADCC. The answer is “scary”. 

We have talked a lot about how this match could affect ADCC in September. With JT the returning champ and Vagner the bronze medalist in 2017, this match acted as a preview of what to expect and a warm-up for Torres. Any questions about JT’s time away were answered completely and unequivocally. He looked in beastly shape and sharp as ever. September can’t come quick enough. 

WATCH: JT Torres vs Vagner Rocha Fight 2 Win 119

ADCC Musical Chairs is Underway, and It Won’t Stop Until The Day of The Event

There were some significant changes to the ADCC line-up over the weekend, with division changes, dropouts and replacements hitting three out of five male weight divisions. We listed the reasons behind the changes here, but let’s recap quickly: 

• Dillon Danis moved from 77kg up to -99kg
• Dante Leon came in at -77kg 
• European Trials winner Zaur Akhmedov is out of 66kg, replaced by Matheus Gabriel 
• Asian Trials winner Jacob Malkoun has withdrawn from 99kg, replaced by Fellipe Andrew of Zenith (just confirmed on Sunday).

Dillon on the attack vs Gordon at 88kg. Will we see it again at 99kg? 

With competitors dropping out due to assorted issues such as injury and visa issues, we’re expecting the roster to keep changing right up until the last minute. Just look at what happened in 2017, when Justin Rader got sick on the day of weigh-ins and was dramatically replaced by Nicky Ryan.

We’ve had a sneak preview of what the reserve list looks like, as ADCC always make sure they have replacements on hand ready to go at a moment’s notice should anybody drop out. There is no shortage of grapplers dying for a chance to compete at the biggest no-gi event in the world, so the list of alternates looks just as juicy as the main divisions. 

Read more: 

Shake-Ups for ADCC: Danis Switches, Dante Leon & Matheus Gabriel Join

Every Name Invited/Qualified For ADCC 2019 World Championship (Updated)

Word is Spencer Pratt Has Over 200 Shoyoroll Gis

Sources close to the reality TV show star is that his collection is bigger than anything we’ve ever heard of. No, it wasn’t a typo. Jiu-jitsu brown belt Spencer Pratt reportedly has not 20, but 200 Shoyoroll gis. 

One of the biggest celebrity advocates of jiu-jitsu, Pratt made his name on the show The Hills, a reality TV show which aired on MTV from 2006-2010 that was one of the biggest influences in establishing the popularity of the genre. 

Back on TV since last month, Pratt returned to his role of one of the biggest villains on TV. He plays it well, as everybody who’s met him in the jiu-jitsu world has only got good things to say about him. He trains regularly with Gracie Barra darce master Edwin Najmi, who says Pratt is a “gamer” and tougher than people might expect. 

Will we get to see some jiu-jitsu make it into a future episode of The Hills: New Beginnings? Let’s hope so. Pratt, the 2018 Snapchatter of the Year, regularly posts clips from his day-to-day training with Najmi. Hit them both with a follow. 

Everybody Starts Somewhere: Galvao & Hinger’s First Losses 

Thanks to the Matburn Podcast, we learned some incredible information about Andre Galvao and Josh Hinger. They were discussing their first ever submission losses in competition, and the conversation delivered some surprising facts! 

Andre Galvao’s first ever submission loss in a match was via flying armbar back when he was a white belt, while Josh Hinger’s first ever submission loss was a no-arm triangle. Extraordinary starts to extraordinary careers! 

The podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify etc. 

Results Recap:

Roberto Satoshi won his second MMA fight this year with a KO win over Mizuto Hirota on RIZIN. Satoshi is undefeated in MMA, an impressive 9-0 with 6 submissions. We need to update our Jiu-Jitsu in MMA rankings, as we’d neglected to include him on the list. Satoshi fights at around 73kg, which is 163lb. Can you imagine some of the dream matches for him versus other jiu-jitsu guys? Kron Gracie, Garry Tonon and AJ Agazarm all fight around that weight. 

Roberto Satoshi de Souza stops another former Sengoku champion, in Mizuto Hirota. The BJJ ace is still undefeated as an MMA fighter. Sky's the limit for this man. #RIZIN17 pic.twitter.com/rgoQJSwo6p

— Cerebral Vigilante (@Delisketo) July 28, 2019

Isaac Doederlein ran through the lightweight King of Mats in Tokyo. The Alliance black belt beat Thiago Macedo, Diego Batista, Tomoyuki Hashimoto, Cleber Sousa and Gabriel Sousa to take the title of champion. He’ll now go on to face the winner of Paulo Miyao vs Leo Saggioro, a match scheduled for November. Doederlein scored a total of four submissions in five matches including three armbars (tapping out Macedo, Sousa and Hashimoto) and an ankle lock used to submit Gabriel Sousa in the final. 

Grand Slam Tokyo quick results 

• Kennedy Maciel wins 69kg gold with submissions and one points win
• Diego Ramalho beat Levi Jones-Leary 4-2 in the 77kg final. The ZR team black belt hit a takedown, Levi scored back with a sweep, but accumulated penalties against the Aussie made it 4-2 for Ramalho 
• The 94kg and 110kg divisions were claimed by Polish grapplers: Adam Wardinski (Checkmat) and Gerard Labinski (NS Brotherhood), who managed to outscore Victor Hugo in the final 
• Amal Amjahid went 20-2 to go into the 62kg final, but the Belgian lost to Hope Douglass of Australia via three advantages. Douglass had earlier tapped Moscow Grand Slam champ Larissa Paes via leg lock  
• Gabi Pessanha wins two matches by submission in her black belt debut for +90kg gold
• Mayssa Bastos scored another win over Rikako Yuasa, this time in the Japanese black belt’s hometown. She won 4-2. 

The IBJJF Open in Orlando drew a few big names. Most notable was Yago de Souza, at one time one of our hottest prospects at black belt. He was the incredibly talented training partner of Leandro Lo who won Pans in 2016, his breakout year (also the year he put +60 points on an opponent). He broke his collarbone at Pans the following year while fighting off a takedown. In addition to the injury, life events conspired to kill the momentum he had built up: there was the recovery, but he also started a family and now has a young child to care for. Good to see him back. 

Also competing in Orlando was Claudia Do Val, who was with us at FloGrappling HQ. A couple of weeks ago she dislocated her elbow at the NY Open and got it popped back into place at the tournament by another black belt because the paramedics wouldn’t touch it. Then she taught some seminars, came to Texas, worked with us for two straight days filming techniques, breakdowns and interviews, taught some more seminars, refereed for two days at the Austin Open AND had a match with a roll of pink duck tape around her bad elbow. Then she comes back a week later to win gold in the absolute division in Orlando. She needs a nickname to reflect her toughness: maybe we call her the “Iron Lady”. 

Italo Moura, who beat Jamil Hill-Taylor last weekend in his first tournament as a black belt, is busy getting as much experience as he can. He picked up another gold at the IBJJF Open in Boston. The competition wasn’t quite as tough but it is still a sign of things to come. Watch this kid.

Quote of the Day

“For me, the competition is much more mental than physical or technical, it is much more about the mind.” – Paulo Miyao 

In Case You Missed It: 

All 5 parts of Thalison Soares: Path to Black Belt

In the final part of the series we hear from some of the most important people in Thalison's life: Murilo Santana, Cicero Costha and Paulo Miyao. Watch the entire five-part series here. 

Chasing Greatness: Josh Hinger 

Given the fact that Hinger is at the peak of his athletic career – he's currently training for ADCC 2019 and a super fight at KASAI – and his extracurricular projects, we couldn't think of a character more appropriate for an episode of chasing greatness. Listen to the interview here.

Coffee & Chokes: Claudia do Val 

A world traveler and animal lover as well as three-time World champion, Claudia do Val opens up on what it feels like to win a gold medal at the world championships, and how bullying in earlier life affected her self-esteem and influenced how she promotes herself as an internationally-recognized athlete. Get to know Claudia. 

Gordon Ryan extended interview 

Twenty minutes with Gordon Ryan on his plans for ADCC 2019, injury update and so much more! Catch up with Gordon.

Photo of the week:

Tim Spriggs with the classic “Are you not entertained?” 

Upcoming Live Events on FloGrappling:

Fight 2 Win 120: Edwin Najmi vs DJ Jackson

Aug 3 | Pittsburg, PA