Wednesday night, May 15th was full of grappling excitement at the UFC Invitational 7 held at the Ultimate facilities in Las Vegas, USA. The event delivered one of the biggest surprises of the year as Kaynan Duarte, a multi-time ADCC champion, was submitted by brown belt Luke Griffith. The South African grappler secured the victory by taking the Brazilian’s back and locking in a rear-naked choke.
Griffith stated:
This match was a huge test for me, my opponent was one of the most established names in this sport. Last night not only did I prove to the whole world that I will be the best but I proved to myself that I deserve to be in to be in the top 5. In a complete shutout performance I was able to dictate the pace of the entire match and easily submit a 2 time ADCC gold medalist.
In the main event, Nick Rodriguez emerged victorious over Mason Fowler in an absolute division match, winning by overtime points. Without a submission during regular time, the B-Team athlete dominated with a 6-0 lead on points. In the co-main event, UFC’s MMA squad member Renato Moicano showcased his grappling prowess, defeating Cristian Guzman 7-1 on points.
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2022 ADCC champion Giancarlo Bodoni continued to impress by submitting Brazilian Gabriel Arges with a rear-naked choke. Grappling showman Renato Canuto delivered a spectacular heel hook submission against Aaron Wilson during a single leg defense.
Four more Brazilian athletes competed at UFC Invitational 7. Jonnatas Gracie defeated Jay Rodriguez 8-2 on points, while in a green-yellow duel, Piter Frank submitted Rafael Domingos with an armbar. However, Pedro Rocha fell to Oliver Taza on points.
Results:
UFC Invitational 7 Las Vegas, United States Wednesday, May 15, 2024
- Nick Rodriguez defeated Mason Fowler 6-0 on points
- Renato Moicano defeated Cristian Guzman 7-1 on points
- Luke Griffith submitted Kaynan Duarte with a rear-naked choke
- Giancarlo Bodoni submitted Gabriel Arges with a rear-naked choke
- Renato Canuto submitted Aaron Wilson with a heel hook
- Jonnatas Gracie defeated Jay Rodriguez 8-2 on points
- Raquel Canuto defeated Aislinn O’ Connell on points
- Piter Frank submitted Rafael Domingos with an armbar
- Oliver Taza defeated Pedro Rocha on points
- Helena Crevar defeated Auélie Le Vern by judges’ decision
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