This weekend, the premier grappling event in the world goes down.The Abu Dhabi Combat Club’s Submission Wrestling World Championships has been the proving ground for grapplers around the world since its inception in 1998. This year, the tournament takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil and will be available on pay-per-view at Budo Videos. Over the course of the next few days Bloody Elbow will be previewing each of the competitive divisions. Here, we take a combined look at the two female divisions.
In previous years some have seen the female divisions as foregone conclusions. Dominant champions have ruled the roost but this year it may well be different, especially in the -60 KG division which is extremely stacked. Here, we will talk you through who should be considered the favourite to take home gold.
-60KG Division:
Michelle Nicolini
Michelle Nicolini is one of the most technical grapplers in the world right now. Nicolini is an extremely dominant returning champion and her success would be seen as somewhat of a formality if it wasn’t for the participation of Mackenzie Dern, who we will get to later. Nicolini is a 8-time world champion with an amazing guard (which T.P Grant breaks down here) and has an exceptional leg lock game which has seen her tap out an array of opponents. Nicolini is a black belt under Robert Drysdale and will make it to the latter portions of this tournament where she will hope to exact revenge on Dern, who defeated her at the World Championships earlier this year.
Mackenzie Dern
Mackenzie Dern was born to be a grappler – after all, her father is one of the biggest characters in the sport. Dern was born to grappling impresario Wellington “Megaton” Dias and began her jiu-jitsu journey as a child. Since the age of 14, Dern has been competing as an adult and had immediate success, winning a world championship at every belt grade before finally receiving her black belt at the age of 19. Like Nicolini, Dern is an aggressive guard player with great killer instincts. Earlier this year, Dern pulled off a massive upset by defeating the much heavier, 2-time ADCC champ, Gabi Garcia.
+60 KG Division:
Gabi Garcia
Gabi Garcia is the most dominant female grappler of her generation. Garcia’s physical attributes are amazing but they are matched equally by her technique which is downright scary.Garcia’s go-to attack on the mat is the Americana and she has used it to submit multiple opponents. Gabi Garcia is a two-time champion at the ADCC and quite honestly it is her title to lose this year.
Ana Cordeiro
Ana Cordeiro is a 4-time world champion in the GI and a 2-time no GI champ that has previously defeated Gabi Garcia and Michelle Nicolini, so she should be a sure thing favourite right? Well, it’s not so straightforward. Cordeiro suffered a brutal back injury in 2009 and this weekends event well act as her return to the sport. Cordeiro is dangerous from everywhere and if she has retained half the skills she had before her injury she has the chance to get the victory.
Check out a list of all the female competitors below:
Female -60 kg
1. Michelle Nicolini – Brazil (ADCC 2013 Winner)
2. Kethe Marie Elgesem Engen – Norway (European Trials Winner)
3. Rikako Yuasa – Japan (Asia & Oceania Trials Winner)
4. Tammi Musumeci – USA (North American Trials Winner)
5. Ana Michelle Tavares Dantas – Brazil (1st South American Trials Winner)
6. Mayra Mello Mazza – Brazil (2nd South American Trials Winner)
7. Mackenzie Dern – USA (Invited)
8. Beatriz Mesquita – Brazil (Invited)
Female +60 kg
1. Gabrielle Garcia – Brazil (ADCC 2013 Winner)
2. Sophia Nordenö – Sweden (European Trials Winner)
3. Amanda Santana – USA (North American Trials Winner)
4. Fernanda Mazzelli Almeida Maio – Brazil (1st South American Trials Winner)
5. Jéssica Da Silva Oliveira – Brazil (2nd South American Trials Winner)
6. Marysia Malyjasiak – Poland (Invited)
7. Ana Laura Cordeiro – Brazil (Invited)
8. Alison Tremblay – Canada (Invited)
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