Who's Number One (WNO) is quickly becoming the premier superfight event in the sport, and the next event on October 2nd will be the biggest WNO yet! WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Matheus Diniz has three matches announced so far, with the latest announcement being a can't miss showdown between two of the most exciting grapplers in the game - Craig Jones and Roberto Jimenez.

The fan reaction to this match has been predictably great, neither of these athletes understands what stalling is and they are both always hunting for the finish. While Craig is probably viewed as a heavy favorite in most peoples eyes, especially no-gi, Roberto has been improving rapidly and has some serious no-gi success as of late.

This match will be submission only and 15 minutes long, with a referee decision should it go the entire 15 minutes. This match is not only going to surely be exciting, but contains two top five ranked grapplers and should have big rankings as well. Here is why you need to tune in on October 2nd to see Craig Jones take on Roberto Jimenez - 

Craig Jones

Craig has gradually worked his way to superstardom since bursting onto the scene at ADCC 2017, where he submitted Leandro Lo, Murilo Santana and Chael Sonnen. He finished with a silver medal at ADCC 2019, submitting three opponents on his way to the finals.

Craig is beloved for his submission hunting style, always pushing the pace and going for the finish. I've compiled all 15 of his submission victories from our archives into this 25 minute video - 

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It doesn't matter how much you win if it's not exciting, and Craig is the personification of this rule as he has quickly risen to superstardom in the sport. Since relocating to New York to train under John Danaher, we have seen a rapid rise in his competition results as well, with Craig being one of favorites to take down the 88kg division at ADCC 2021.

Craig is coming off a two match losing streak in EBI OT, but here are some of his biggest victories since 2019 -

Polaris vs Keenan Cornelius referee decision

Grapplefest vs Gabriel Arges RNC

KASAI vs Jackson Souza ankle lock

Grapplefest vs Adam Wardzinski reverse triangle

SUG vs Gilbert Burns outside heelhook

SUG vs Vinny Magalhaes verbal tap

SUG vs Vagner Rocha EBI OT

Roberto Jimenez

Roberto Jimenez first caught fans attention as a teenager, where he earned the nickname "Bluechecha" while dominating the juvenile divisions. Roberto won the Royal Invitational against the sports best prospects, before going on to submit 10 opponents to take double gold at Worlds as a purple belt.

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Roberto has been on a tear at black belt, and at only 20 years old has a 19-6 record against only top flight competition. He is 10-3-1 in no-gi over the last couple of months, with the no contest being the final against Tye Ruotolo at the 3CG Kumite. Here are some of Roberto's big no-gi wins so far this year - 

Jitz King vs William Tackett points

3CG vs Tye Ruotolo points

3CG vs John Combs kimura

3CG vs Vagner Rocha referee decision

3CG vs Nick Rodriguez referee decision

3CG vs Hugo Marques RNC

3CG vs Kade Ruotolo RNC

Ranking Implications

While the top ranked athlete in this division, Matheus Diniz, will be competing in the main event against Gordon, both Craig and Roberto are currently top five in the 88kg division.

Official FloGrappling No-Gi Rankings

Mason Fowler should be expected to move up before WNO after his win over Craig at SUG, but a conclusive victory from either Craig or Roberto here should set them up as the next challenger for Diniz and the top spot at 88kg. With Josh Hinger inactive, this is a legit number one contender match in a stacked weight class.

Craig and Roberto are also both currently 7th and 10th in the P4P rankings, and the winner here could possibly move into the top five P4P with several athletes being removed from that list late September due to being inactive since ADCC.

Watch WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Matheus Diniz Live On Demand On FloGrappling