Hasbulla “Officially” Signs For The UFC

Hasbulla Magomedov has signed an actual UFC contract! The 19-year-old Dagestani Russian with Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD), more commonly known as dwarfism, who went viral demanding a UFC contract to find out who the toughest little person is, finally got what he asked for.

Hasbulla Is In The UFC

“Mini Khabib”, as Hasbulla is known after recreating Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘s UFC 229 weigh-in, is an internet sensation, mostly on TikTok and Instagram. Hizbullah’s recreation of the weigh-in, the fact that he is friends with Khabib Nurmagomedov, and his callouts and online trash-talking wars with Abdu Rozik (who also has dwarfism) and Connor McGregor have made the Dagestani an internet celebrity.

Currently, training MMA, Hasbulla asked Dana White for a contract, claiming he was the GOAT. This got Dana to respond and led to Hasbulla becoming even more famous.

It seems, however, that Hasbulla has now finally gotten his UFC contract.

“The rumors are true. I have officially signed a deal to fight in the UFC! Details will be revealed by the end of the year.

Thank you to UFC, Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Surkhay Sungurov, Justin Ozuna, and everyone who helped make this dream become a reality.
All my fans will be able to buy a Hasbulla fight kit soon on UFC.com and hasbulla.com,” wrote Hasbulla on his Instagram account.

Seeing as Magomedov is a known internet troll, everyone is taking his announcement with a large grain of salt. The UFC, however, seems to confirm it by posting “the GOAT has signed, the UFC is not ready” via the UFC on BT Sport Twitter.

The 🐐 has signed!

The UFC is not ready 😳😂

📸: Hasbulla Magomedov pic.twitter.com/nE1aae3vQa

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) October 13, 2022

Who Will Hasbulla Fight?

Given that Hasbulla’s condition leaves him standing at 3 feet 3 inches and weighing in at around 40 pounds, there is no division in the UFC where he could realistically fight.

If a fight for Hasbulla was ever to materialize, it would probably be under special rules, and most likely an exhibition match more geared towards grappling. Even though Hasbulla is rumored to train, it is entirely doubtful he will get a real MMA bout.

We should also keep in mind that this might just be a promotion stunt to help Magomedov sell his Reebok fight kit. It is more likely that he will have a promotional part to play in the UFC. He will be in Islam Mahkachev’s corner this weekend alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The world of MMA took the news as a shock, with many fighters surprised at how Hasbulla’s contract could materialize.

For now, we’ll just have to sit and wait for some more clarity on the subject.

Mikey Musumeci Gets Sambo Match Challenge Answer

Ognen Dzabirski

A couple of weeks ago, Mikey Musumeci issued a “challenge” to the Sambo world champion for a grappling match. Now, there is an answer to Mikey, from the number 1 ranked Sambo competitor, Taylor Weber. We would definitely want to see this match!

The Mikey Musumeci Challenge

Mikey Musumeci is such a nice guy that he made more of a polite request than a challenge if we’re being honest. However, after winning the flyweight ONE Championship submission grappling title, Mikey did issue a challenge to the Sambo world champion (in his weight class) for a potential style vs. style grappling match.

In the video, Mikey quotes Khabib saying “If Sambo was easy it would be called Jiu-Jitsu”. He goes on to say that there should be BJJ vs. Sambo matchups and offers to start himself, by fighting the Sambo world champion in his weight class in order to determine which is superior in the submission grappling format.

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Taylor Weber’s Response

Not long after Mikey’s challenge/request, a Sambo practitioner by the name of Taylor Weber responded via a video. Taylor is the Pan American 64kg sport Sambo Champion and ranked as the number 1 in the world at 64 kg. Curiously, he shares the number 1 ranking with two other people, but that is beside the point.

Taylor’s response would’ve gone largely unnoticed if it wasn’t for Chael Sonne, who pointed out that there is an answer in an episode of “Beyond The Fight“.

In the response video, Taylor quotes his accomplishments and asks Mikey Musumeci for the when and where, after they discuss the ruleset.

BJJ vs. Sambo

The rulesets of Sambo and BJJ are quite different, so Taylor’s request is a legitimate one. Mikey is proficient at both Gi and No-Gi, whereas in Sambo athletes wear only a Gi jacket and shorts. Things like attire, illegal moves, etc would definitely have to be worked out as Sambo, for example, does not allow choke holds.

That said, there is an exciting similar matchup happening in One, with Kade Ruotolo facing Sambo (and Judo) champion Uali Kurzhev in a battle for the inaugural One Championship Lightweight submission grappling title next weekend (October 21).

Another BJJ World Champion Shot And Killed In Brazil

Ognen Dzabirski

Thaynã Higor BJJ World Champion Shot In Brazil

Thaynã Higor, a thee times Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion was shot and killed two days ago in Sao Paolo Brazil, in what seems to be a random assault. He was shot in the head while standing outside a Sao Paolo restaurant. His murderer was later arrested by the police. This is the second time in two months we’re witnessing a BJJ World Champion shot and killed in Brazil.

Who Was Thaynã Higor?

Thaynã Higor was a 25-year-old para-athlete who was very active on the BJJ scene and won the “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation of Parasports” Worlds three times as a black belt. Higor also competed under the “Abu Dhabi World Festival Para Jiu-Jitsu” winning a couple of titles, as well as in regular BJJ tournaments.

His left hand was underdeveloped as a result of a birthing mistake (brachial plexus injury), which left him without the full use of that limb. This, however, did not stop the young champion to excel at grappling, both competing and teaching. HE started training in 2010 and competed in regular tournaments until 2014 when the first para-athlete BJJ tournaments started taking place in Brazil.

Another BJJ World Champion Shot

As per Globo News, on the night of the tragic incident, Thaynã was waiting for his ride in front of a restaurant, standing on the sidewalk. He was approached by the perpetrator and shot in the head from point-blank range without any warning. Higor died on the spot.

The perpetrator then went inside a restaurant and shot and killed another man in what seemed to be a random act of violence.

Locals managed to chase the attacker who turned the entire ordeal into a hostage situation before the military police managed to arrest him. He did not harm anyone else apart from Igor and the man at the restaurant.

The entire incident was caught on the surveillance camera of the restaurant where Higor was standing.

You can see the disturbing video of the incident HERE

Is Brazil Safe?

Brazil was never known for being a particularly safe spot, especially in certain areas in certain towns. However, this is the second time in two months that we saw a BJJ World Champion shot in the head, with the first case being the tragic nightclub shooting and death of the beloved Leandro Lo. What is going on in Brazil?

Kade Ruotolo: Gordon Ryan Can’t Heel Hook Me!

Ognen Dzabirski

Newly crowned ADCC champion Kade Ruotolo recently had an interview about his upcoming match in ONE and declared, among other things, that he does not think that Gordon Ryan will be able to heel hook him if they rolled.

Ruotolo Confident In His Leg Lock Game

The youngest ever ADCC champion (19 years old) who won the -77 kg division is about to have a title shot at the inaugural lightweight ONE submission grappling title. After a flawless performance on the ADCC mats, with four submissions (two chokes and two leg locks) it is safe to say that the young ATOS prodigy is flying high on success.

In an interview with ONE Championship Kade stated “Personally, I’m very confident in my leg locks and my counter abilities, and I don’t think anyone can really leg lock us out there. At least heel hook us out there, for sure. You know, even if I were to roll with Gordon [Ryan], I don’t think he can heel hook me. So mentally, I feel very confident in my heel hook defense. You know, there are other leg locks out there that you can always catch people with. But I’m ready for it. And I think I’ll get the better of it.”

His confidence is going to be put to the test soon, although not by Ryan himself. Kade Ruotolo’s next match is going to be a representation of BJJ vs. Sambo.

Kade Ruotolo vs. Uali Kurzhev

The person Kade Ruotolo will have to overcome in order to win the inaugural ONE submission grappling lightweight title is Uali Kurzhev, a four-time Sambo World Champion and International Judo Federation Grand Slam and Grand Prix Champion.

Apart from a very entertaining clash of styles, the matchup will definitely test young Ruotolo’s skills against a very experienced grappler who is bound to have an unorthodox submission game, at least under BJJ standards. In fact, Kurzhev is famous for being a leg lock specialist in an art that specializes in leg locks, so Kade’s defensive leg lock game will definitely be put to the test.

Kade Ruotolo does not seem phased at all, although he clearly expects his opponent’s background and relishes the new challenge, according to his statement for ONE:

“And, of course, Sambo guys are tricky. They do some things more. A lot more straight ankle locks, toeholds, kneebars, and things like that. Not as many heel hooks, but they do dabble with them. So I’m very excited to see what he throws at me…”

The inaugural ONE lightweight submission grappling world title match between Kade Ruotolo and Uali Kurzhev will take place on ONE on Prime Video 3 on October 21.

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“Tough” Guys Challenge Pro Fighters And Get Beaten Up

Ognen Dzabirski

It is always fun to see how people think that they can fight when they actually can’t Well it is fun for the trained fighters and everyone watching except the idiots who thought they could fight, and not just fight, but challenge professionals. Here are 5 times when guys challenge pro fighters and end up paying for it dearly.

When Guys Think Real Fighting Is Easy

Watching the UFC or ADCC on your screen seems very easy. So does football or baseball, but if you’re out there on the field you’d get crushed.

However, when it comes to fighting, people somehow assume they are competent to fight. This is particularly true for guys, who oftentimes see themselves as unbeatable… when they are daydreaming.

There have been multiple instances of people challenging professional fighters, whether seriously or for the fun of it, and got way more than they bargained for. Looking at some of those “matches” will brighten your da, especially if you are a martial artist.

What Happens When Regular Guys Challenge Pro Fighters

You probably already know what happens, but it is still fun to see these guys challenge pro fighters and think they have a chance in hell of achieving anything against them, let alone beating them.

Street Fighter vs. Lorenzo Trevino (Boxing)

Let’s start with Lorenzo Trevino, a professional boxer and MMA fighter, and the “notorious” street fighter who decided to put gloves on and challenge him to a boxing match.

The street fighter was lucky that Lorenzo did not go all-out on him, although, to be honest, Trevino did not pull many punches when teaching this guy a very valuable lesson as he picked him apart.

Soldier vs. Carlos Condit (MMA)

While this was done in a good-hearted fashion, as part of support for the troops overseas, it still proves that whenever guys challenge pro fighters it does not end well for them. Fighters do that for a living, and a then-in-prime Carlos Condit is a great example.

When overseas to support the troops, a soldier challenged Condit to a match, and Condit gave him a way out, allowing him to “hit as hard as he was ready to get hit”.

The soldier threw a hard right hand quickly, which prompted Condit to respond in a way you’d expect from a pro fighter. Condit methodically destroyed the soldier with body shots, hooks to the head, and a signature high kick that really rocked the poor fellow.

The best part? He sent him to the floor with a right hand, exactly how the soldier started the entire exchange.

Reporter vs. Alastair Overeem (Grappling)

During his prime, even pro fighters were afraid of “The Reem”, let alone your regular Joe. One reporter, however, thought about mock-challenging him to a grappling match, which did not go the way he planned.

He not only lost the grappling portion but also ate some punches, since Alastair already had gloves on and well, you can’t really tell him not to throw punches if he wants to, can you?

The reporter lunged for an Ouchi Gari, which the Reem stuffed easily, before rag-dolling the poor guy a bit and teasing him with a few body shots that led to a front headlock trip for Overeem and a very dazed and confused reporter on the mats.

Fear Factor Guy vs. Joe Rogan (Grappling)

Joe Rogan might not be an MMA fighter, but he was a kickboxing and Taekwondo fighter and is a legit BJJ black belt. When he hosted the Fear Factor, Joe often times came into situations where guys talked smack at him, but only had to physically react once.

It was when an angry husband tried to lunge at him because Joe called him and his wife out for dumb behavior. Rogan simply collar-tied the guy, keeping his posture broken to diffuse the situation. He could’ve (if he wanted to), thrown the guy around, choke him out or just knee him to the face.

Cool move, Joe.

Comedy Store Guy vs. Joe Rogan (Street altercation)

Speaking of Joe Rogan, he features twice in situations where random “tough “ guys challenge pro fighters.

This one is outside the Comedy Store and is a real-life situation. The guy and Joe have a discussion that turns physical when the guy puts his hands on Joe. Joe warns him not to, and the second time he does it, Joe does a lightning-quick snap down into a front headlock and gets the guy to tap to a standing guillotine choke.

They seem to go on with their discussion afterward.

Conclusion

People wouldn’t challenge pro football players to a showdown in most cases, so when guys challenge pro fighters to a match, which is essentially a fight, it makes you wonder what they’re thinking about. Whatever it is, it ends in one way only, which is quite entraining for all of us watching.

What Are The 3 Effective Martial Arts That Really Work?

Ognen Dzabirski

What are the 3 most effective martial arts that will actually save your behind? Well, they are more of fighting styles rather than martial arts but are by far the most effective ones to help you survive: Kickboxing, Wrestling, and Grappling.

The main reason why they can help save you? They work against trained opponents just as well as against non-trained ones.

What Can You Do To Effectively Defend Yourself?

What exactly is self-defense? Let’s define it like this: if you can get out of a potentially violent situation without any harm done to yourself, you’ve excelled at self-defense. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

So when a situation does get violent, which martial arts will actually help you defend with minimal damage and get to safety, rather than hoaxing you in a false sense of security?

These are the arts (or sports if you will) that help you easily dispose of people who have no martial arts experience at all. They are also the ones that help you deal with trained martial artists by using the same principles that you would against non-trained assailants.

The ability to deal with trained people is what makes the difference when we’re deciding whether or not a martial art is effective.

What you want is to get good at fighting quickly, rather than spend years trying to perfect “if this than that” responses to specific attacks.

Naturally, the martial arts that use chaos training (live, unscripted sparring) like kickboxing, wrestling, and grappling are the best choices.

Fighting Styles vs. Martial Arts

There is an argument to be made that the following three are more fighting styles than martial arts. They are, however, sports, that is for certain, with one of them (wrestling) being an established Olympic sport.

So, let’s take a look at the three martial arts you can bet will get you out of a tight spot:

Kickboxing

Most violent encounters begin with striking. Being comfortable in a situation where somebody is throwing punches at the very least, or, more realistically, kicks, elbows, knees, etc as well, is a big advantage in a street fight.

Once you understand that a punch won’t kill you (like in the movies) and you are at ease to trade and control the exchanges (which you do every time you spar), you’ll never panic if you have to use your skills in a real-life situation.

The downside is that you can easily injure your wrists and hands when you punch, particularly without wraps and gloves.

Wrestling

A very, very good option for self-defense is knowing how to wrestle. This involves not just ways to slam somebody on the ground, which most people think of when wrestling is mentioned. In fact, it is more about controlling the distance, and being able to manhandle anyone from a standing clinching position.

Also, knowing how to land safely on the ground makes the world of difference if you’re ever caught off guard. Once again, sparring instincts kick in when you’ve been trained in martial arts that use chaos training.

Grappling

Grappling is the ability to control somebody on the ground, and execute joint locks and/or chokes. BJJ is the best example, as it will prepare you for combat involving any type of attire (Gi/No-Gi).

It doesn’t get more chaotic in training than during grappling, where every round of sparring brings something else. The pressure of being crushed under people and tangled up in weird positions will give you a calm of mind that will help you stay cool in a real-life situation and easily deal even with opponents that are trained in the same art, or other martial arts.

What Makes These The Best Martial Arts?

A great example of what makes an effective martial art is looking at MMA. When you see people pull off flying spinning kicks or flying submissions, you should take a step back and not reach the conclusion as to whether or not a move worked in a specific fight is the same as an entire martial art is effective.

There have been a few capoeira knockouts in MMA, sure, but those do not make capoeira an effective martial art for self-defense. Simply put if at least 80% of the fighters cannot execute the same moves with the same outcome, then it is not an effective move from an effective martial art, but rather a wild card move for a very specific fighter with very sophisticated skills.

What works is not the same as what you can pull off under certain circumstances, so when you’re wondering what are the best martial arts to train for self-defense, don’t look further than Kickboxing, Wrestling, or Grappling.

Conclusion

The ideal scenario here would be that you train in all three equally, which would translate to you doing MMA. However, striking is not for some people, while grappling or wrestling might not be for others. Getting sufficient training (more than3-4 months) in any of these and doing regular sparring will keep you safe regardless of who comes at you in the streets. As long as it is a one-on-one situation. And there are no weapons. And…. well, you get the point.

Don’t Train To Tap People Out says Frank Mir

Filip Zanki

UFC Hall OF Famer Frank Mir shares his take on submission hunting and what you should focus on when training. His main advice is not to train to tap people out, and it has nothing to do with being gentle or considerate.

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Submission Hunting In A Fight

Frank Mir has a simple strategy when it comes to submission – do not look for the taps. The tap is the responsibility of the person being caught in a submission. So, Frank’s take on things is to keep going, assuming that if there is no tap, there is no submission.

INa a fight or a match, this means pushing even if it leads to a break. The concept is that even if the person does not tap, and you break their limb, for example, you keep going. Now they’re in a match with one less limb to work.

As Frank mir very brutally puts it, you break them down limb by limb until you get to switch the brain off via a choke.

Training For Submissions

In the training, room, on the other hand, going all the way is not really an option. However, training to tap people out does not give you a real feel for the submission, says Frank Mir, and he is correct.

I’ve seen this in competitions over and over again, with people falling into the comfort of guaranteed taps from training and not really understanding the proper finishing mechanics of submissions against full-on resistance.

So, the tap should be the responsibility of the person being caught in submission as it represents pain compliance and as such should not be the end aim of training. Go for the breaking mechanics instead, o crouse, giving training partners time to tap, but not looking for the tap, but rather the break/choke.

Apparently, this is a code Frank Mir lives by, and teaches to his students, and even his kids.

And we all know how good he was at submitting people.

The Ricardo Pires BJJ Black belt had quite the career in the UFC, and is responsible for plenty of submissions wins, with knee-baring Brock Lesnar and breaking Minotauro’s arm with a Kimura only a couple of the most notable ones.

Islam Makhachev Viciously Chokes Out Training Partner

Filip Zanki

Islam mahkachev intentionally chokes out training partner

UFC’s rising star Islam Makhachev is one of the toughest people to face in the octagon, and it seems that he is just as vicious and brutal on the mats. In preparation for his upcoming UFC 280 bout with Charles Olveira, Makhachev put his training partner to sleep with an Anaconda choke in what seemed to be a very intentional way.

Islam Makhachev Brutal Anaconda Choke in Training

The -74 kg Sambo World Champion and UFC lightweight contender is just days away from one of the most anticipated matches in recent lightweight UFC history – his bout with Charles Oliveira.

While most bets in terms of submissions are probably on the Brazilian, the Russian is definitely showing off some very aggressive and efficient finishing skills himself.

Namely, in a video that follows Islam Makhachev during his preparations for next weekend’s UFC 280 headliner, did not pull any chokes back in training and brutally put his training partner to sleep.

While the camera angle is not exactly the best, it is absolutely clear that he has an Anaconda choke tightly set up around his training partner’s neck.

As the camera zooms in, there is a motion that suggests the training partner is tapping out, and pretty frantically at that, and Islam just keeps calm and carries on until his partner stops moving.

To be fair, he let’s go immediately when he sees that his training partner is out, and lies there on the spot, his choking arm still under the training partner’s neck, waiting for his partner to wake up. This suggests that he intentionally and deliberately ignored the tap and kept on choking.

His training partner wakes up in the usual post-choke fidgety manner, and the pair start laughing and joking about him falling asleep before they immediately go on with sparring.

We know Russian training camps are tough, but taking chokes all the way can’t be good for the training partners, can it?

Check out the video and judge for yourself!

Who Dominates The Stacked No-Gi Pans 2022 This Weekend?

Filip Zanki

The IBJJF 2022 No-Gi Pans are taking place this upcoming weekend, and they promise to be a highly entertaining affair! Apart from almost 40 black belts registering for the event, we will see some names we’ve missed on the competition mats this year, like Keenan Cornelius, Michel Langhi, Nathiely de Jesus, and Bruno Frazatto!

The Usual No-GI Pans Suspects

The 2022 IBJJF No-Gi Pans are always an exciting affair, far more than their Gi counterpart, if I may say. The event is set for October 14-16 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.

So far, there have been a large number of high-profile names registering for the event, which promises yet another no-gi spectacle only a couple of weeks after the ADCC broke all previous grappling event records.

While I don’t expect that the No-Gi Pans will come close to the ADCC, the black belt roster is still very very impressive.

The men’s lightweight division certainly seems like fireworks. The always entertaining (read: controversial) AJ Agazarm is there, along with fellow No-Gi Pans champions Johnny Tama and Marcio Andre. Rodrigo Francioni, a protege of Cyborg is also in the division, as is Rodrigo Freitas and Alexandre Molinaro.

Another division to keep an eye on are the medium heavyweights. In an 18 men’s division, the likes of Oliver Taza, Gabriel Arges, Manuel Ribamar, Rodrigo Lopes, and Jaime Canuto will welcome an impressive number of prospects and new black belts in what promises to be a very exciting division of Jiu-Jitsu!

Among the ladies, the light featherweight division features some crazy potential matchups, with Alex Nguyen and Mayssa Bastosthe favorites.

Elisabeth Clay enters the middleweight division, with rising stars like Betina Pereira and Jessica Buchman looking to prove themselves at the black belt level. Returning two-time champion Vannessa Griffin will be looking to take them all for a test drive.

A Few Almost Forgotten Superstars

There are also those that have decided to graze the mats with their presence at the No-Gi Pans after a substantial hiatus.

Bruno Frazatto comes back into the featherweight division, in his first competitive outing since 2019 when he faced Tye Ruotolo at the 2019 ADCC. He has been busy with his new academy Atos Atlanta. It seems the academy is thriving which allows Bruno to return to the adult featherweight division this year.

Nathiely de Jesus will return to the women’s super heavyweight division, after a substantial time off due to the birth of her daughter.

Michael Langhi is another name we haven’t seen in the competition brackets for a while. The lightweight three-time world champion is coming back out of retirement, having taken time off since 2019. Primarily a Gi player, it will be fun to see how he fares in one of the most stacked No-Gi Pans divisions.

Keenan Cornelius is arguably the most notable name out of the returning champions. Missing in action since the 202 Euros, Keenan returns to the super heavyweight division after a very difficult couple of years dealing with a back injury and “super pinkeye”. I, for one, can’t wait to see him coming to No-Gi once again.

The Brown Belts

Apart from a hefty roster of almost 40 black belts, there are also some really solid brown belts that are looking to catch the spotlight at the 2022 IBJJF No-Gi Pans.

Jacob Couch of Pedigo Submission Fighting will try to replicate his purple belt efforts from 2020 when he won the title.

New Wave’s Luke Griffith is one that may scupper Couch’s plans, in what we certainly hope will happen as a match-up in this year’s No-Gi Pans.

Rene Sousa, the buggy choke maestro is also on the roster, looking to impress in the medium heavyweight division.

Among the ladies, Sophia Cassella, The EBI queen will keep everyone on the edge of their seats in the area now that she is free to use her intricate heel hook game as a brown belt.

ADCC veteran Giovanna Jara enters the heavyweight division, and at only 19 years of age is looking to prove she is going to be the next big thing in her division.

Another Grappling Weekend

After a successful 2022 ADCC, the No-GI pans provide yet another exciting weekend of grappling. I expect them to shed a light on who we can expect to see battling for places at the next ADCC which is set for 2024 in Las Vegas.

DDS Breakup Due To Family Drama Reveals Danaher

Filip Zanki

John Danaher finally revealed the truth about the much speculated DDS breakup which happened last year, and pinpointed family tensions between Gordon Ryan and Nicky Ryan as the catalyst for the break up that gave birth to two high-level grappling teams: New Wave Jiu-Jitsu and the B-Team.

Danaher Reveals The Truth On The DDS Breakup

John Danaher’s podcasts are always fun, but whenever he is on Lex Freidman, he drops bombs. In the latest Friedman-Danaher conversation, which lasted four and a half hours, Lex managed to pry out of Danaher the truth about the DDS breakup, with lots of previously unknown details.

While the BJJ world speculated that there was a falling out between team members, nobody really thought the Ryan brothers were the main reason behind the split.

The Puerto Rico Feud

The DDS famously abandoned New York City and the legendary blue basement at Renzo Gracie’s during the pandemic for the warm and Covid restriction-free environment of Puerto Rico. ADCC’s Mo Jassim set them up with a gym and a house to live in.

Back then the team featured the who-is-who of the best No-Gi grapplers in existence. Gordon and Nicky Ryan, Nicky Rodriguez, Ethan Crelnistein, Craig Jones, etc.

The Team didn’t manage to stay together long, and Danaher pinpoints the main drama to be a family feud between Nicky and Gordon Ryan.

As he put it, the tension turned into a tragedy, given that it was not just a training room feud but rather a family one.

The moment Ryans’s drama started to affect training and started spreading to the other members of the DDS, John decided to take action.

Danaher’s Peacemaking Attempts

John’s attempt at keeping the peace was to try and get the brother to bury the hatchet until after the ADCC, with the idea of them all performing under the DDS banner.

However, tensions seemed to boil over way before that, eventually making it unbearable for the team to live and train in Puerto Rico, which prompted the move to Austin, which only seemed to drive a bigger rift between the two teams that emerged from the DDS breakup.

Homeless in Austin

As per Danaher, the New Wave portion of the squad, which was essentially John and Gordon, with a few of the junior members, were supposed to train at the gym that the B-team now has upon their move to Austin, Texas.

The two teams moved to the same city, but it was B-team that managed to overthrow Danaher and Gordon Ryan in the race to get to the best gym space in town which, most likely, only raised tensions even more between the two camps.

The Silver Lining

With the move to Austin, Texas, we got two ultra-high-level American grappling teams: New Wave Jiu-Jitsu and the B-Team.

The B-team obviously had a bunch of “killers” already, with their impressive roster expanded further with up-and-compers like Jay Rodriguez and Robert Degele.

Danaher, meanwhile, did not waste any time himself adding to the newly formed New Wave Jiu-Jitsu squad, as we saw at the 2022 ADCC, with the likes of Giancarlo Bodoni and Nicolas Meragali strengthening the squad.

The head-to-head meetings at the ADCC went both ways, with Craig beating Meragali, and Gordon easily submitting Nicky Rodriguez.

While we are bound to witness many more battles between the two, the question still remains of what would have a super squad been able to achieve had the DDS breakup never taken place.

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