The New Year is expected to offer yet another set of exciting additions to the legacy of competitive grappling. As promotions work to hold more events with the top names in the industry, Fight to Win Pro continues to host nearly an endless stream of matches for the grappling connoisseur. The organization already has ten events announced for 2018, featuring some of the top local and the biggest names in the sport.
January kicks off the F2W 2018 campaign with three events on the slate. Fight to Win Pro 58, 59 and 60 are scheduled for January 12, 19 and 26 respectively. Each one features main events that should not be missed.
At Fight to Win Pro 58, ADCC medalist, CJJ champion and UFC veteran, Vagner Rocha is set to face off against Dustin Akbari.
2017 was a big year for Rocha as he saw success across the grappling space. He earned a bronze medal at the 2017 edition of ADCC, defeating Garry Tonon, DJ Jackson and Tero Pyylampi. He would then defeat Nathan Orchard to become the first CJJ lightweight champion in November. This will be Rocha’s second appearance for the F2W promotion.
He faces a very game and experienced opponent in Dustin Akbari. Akbari has competed for major organizations such as EBI and has multiple appearances for F2W. He is a very aggressive attacker who can finish from multiple positions. It will be interesting to see how his game threatens Rocha.
Fight to Win Pro 59 promises a match that was originally announced back in 2017 between JT Torres and Benson Henderson. Injury derailed the first contest, but both men are back to compete against each other in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Torres is coming off of a 2017 which saw him take home a gold medal at ADCC in the 77 kilograms division. He defeated favorite Lucas Lepri in the finals and also picked up wins over Tonon, Celso Vinicius and Lachlan Giles during the run. Torres is widely considered one of the top competitors in grappling today and has performed for multiple organizations included FIVE Super League, IBJJF, and Metamoris.
Henderson is best known for his time in MMA where he has been a UFC champion and Bellator title challenger. Henderson has also been active on the grappling scene as he’s competed in ADCC in the past. He competed at Fight to Win Pro 37 where he was defeated by AJ Agazarm. Henderson received his BJJ black belt back in 2013 from his head coach, John Crouch.
Fight to Win Pro 60 is set in Reno, Nevada and features a black belt gi matchup between Cassio Werneck and Jeff Messina. Werneck is a veteran of the game as he’s earned titles at Worlds, Pan Ams and other events in the early 00s. Messina is another tough competitor that may not have the name cache as some, but has found success in smaller organizations.
Fight to Win Pro continues to lead the charge in competitive grappling by staying active with events week after week. Their cards are featured on FloGrappling.com for on demand viewing.
Scheduled Fight to Win Pro Cards:
F2W PRO 58: 01-12-18 Sacramento, Ca
F2W PRO 59: 01-19-18 Scottsdale, AZ
F2W PRO 60: 01-26-18 Reno, NV
F2W PRO 61: 02-03-18 Orange County, CA
F2W PRO 62: 02-10-18 Oakland, CA
F2W PRO 63: 02-16-18 Oklahoma City, OK
F2W PRO 64: 02-23-18 Denver, CO
F2W PRO 65: 03-02-18 Dallas, TX
F2W PRO 66: 03-17-18 Houston, TX
F2W PRO 67: 03-24-18 Miami, FL