The 2025 season has come to an end for Who’s Number One. The 31st edition of the no-gi Jiu-Jitsu event, which featured a card packed with the sport’s stars, delivered top-level matches in Austin, Texas, last Friday. There were two titles on the line at the last WNO of the year. In the night’s biggest match, Luke Griffith faced Brazil’s Felipe ‘Preguiça’, the Kingsway athlete’s true nemesis. Griffith stepped onto the mat carrying the weight of seeking redemption, and he got it.
His history against Felipe Pena was not a good one, since Luke had suffered two bitter losses to his rival, both by submission: in the final of the ADCC World Championship in 2024, and at CJI 2 in August this year. With the heavyweight belt on the line, previously held by his teammate Gordon Ryan, Luke finally got the better of him, also by submission, with a crossface. At the end of the match, things heated up. The Brazilian, who had tapped, claimed Luke did not release the hold even after the tap.
The women’s featherweight belt stays with the same owner. In her first title defense at Who’s Number One, Helena Crevar went head to head with Julia Boscher. A relentless foot hunter, with nonstop leg attacks, Helena relied on her trademark to secure the win and another stint at the top of WNO. She submitted Julia Boscher with a foot lock.
‘FARADINHO’ DOESN’T BACK DOWN IN FRONT OF XANDE RIBEIRO’S FANS AT WNO 31 AND BEATS THE LEGEND ON THE JUDGES’ DECISION
The matchup between Faris Ben-Lamkadem and Xande Ribeiro got the biggest pre-fight hype, thanks to Faris’ readiness when it comes to trash-talking opponents. The reigning No-Gi European champion, who accepted the match on short notice, was not intimidated in his strategy against an opponent with a legendary résumé. More offensive on the feet, Faris won the judges’ decision.
In her debut night in the promotion, Gabi Pessanha lived up to her favorite status and left WNO 31 with her hand raised. In the 15-minute match against Paige Ivette, Gabi stood out with the more dangerous movements, with a lot of top pressure. Paige was left to take a more defensive stance, and the match went to a decision. The win went to the multiple-time Brazilian champion on the judges’ scorecards.
The matchup between Chris Wojcik and Oliver Taza hastily filled the gap left by the title fight between Diego ‘Pato’ and Deandre Corbe. On the eve of the event, the Brazilian, current holder of the featherweight and lightweight belts, had to withdraw from the competition. In another match that went the distance, Chris performed better, efficiently taking Taza to the ground with the intent of controlling him in a top-pressure strategy, with smart use of his hips.
FELIPE COSTA IS IN GREAT GRAPPLING FORM AND SECURES A SUBMISSION WIN AT THE EVENT
Felipe Costa, Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu’s ‘Laranjinha’, delivered a flawless performance at WNO 31 in Texas. Facing Abraham La Montagne, he showed he is sharp in his back-control game. That’s how he took the lead in the match and, after shutting down his opponent’s responses, he got the finish with a reverse triangle, continuing the trend of submissions that began in the prelims.
In the night’s first match, Nick Fritz eliminated Sean Magnus with a heel hook. The same happened in the matchup between Grayson Henley and Michael Bannach. With a precise attack in just over 30 seconds, Grayson finished his opponent with a heel hook. Joslyn Molina, just 13 years old, is a phenomenon. In her match against Katie Bochenek, the youngster kept attacking the arm-triangle choke until she got the finish, with impressive technical maturity, for her second submission win at Who’s Number One.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
