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Who's Number One 23: Preview
_{The Least You Should Know This Weekend}

Who’s Fighting on WNO 23

On the WNO 23 Main Card

• Heavyweight Bout - Nicholas Meregali vs Vagner Rocha

• Welterweight Bout - Andrew Tackett vs Tommy Langaker

• Heavyweight Bout - Felipe Pena vs Rafael Lovato Jr.

• Welterweight Bout - JT Torres vs Nicky Ryan

• Bantamweight Bout - Jasmine Rocha vs Emily Ferreira 

• Featherweight Bout - Diogo Reis vs Shay Montague 

On the WNO 23 Prelims

• Achilles Rocha vs Camron Couch

• Cassia Moura vs Jessie Crane

• Luccas Lira vs Husam Alabed

• Evan Leve vs Marlon Tanaka

The Least You Should Know About WNO 23

Heavyweight Bout - Nicholas Meregali vs Vagner Rocha

Say what you want about his longtime reputation as a “dirty” fighter, Vagner Rocha is always game, and–at forty-one years old–is as spry and down to scrap as grapplers half his age–or, in the case of Meregali, against competitors with a significant weight advantage: Rocha typically competes at -88kg, Meregali at -99kg. 

“King of the Gi” Meregali is no longer a no-gi rookie. After his WNO debut in 2022, a formidable performance at his first ADCC, and a stream of no gi wins over the last two years will aim, as always, to impose his game and put on a show of beautiful, fundamental jiu-jitsu. 

From the feet, look for Rocha to wrestle and Meregali to tie up and seek judo-style hip throws. On the mat, prepare to see whether Rocha’s scrappiness can thwart Meregali’s precise submission hunting.

Welterweight Bout - Andrew Tackett vs Tommy Langaker

Andrew Tackett steps up to fill in for an injured Mica Galvão in a matchup against the dangerous Langaker. While not the match fans were expecting, it’s a match that will entertain and delight–and one we might see again in Las Vegas in a few months: both Tackett and Langaker dominated their way through the -77kg divisions at the West Coast Trials and the 2nd European Trials, respectively, to qualify for ADCC. 

Tackett has been successful so far on WNO, making light work of Troy Russell and pulling a decision over 10th Planet representative, PJ Barch. This will be Langaker’s debut on WNO. Look for both grapplers to hunt the back and seek submissions at every turn and transition. Don’t blink. 

Heavyweight Bout - Felipe Pena vs Rafael Lovato, Jr

Despite “retirement” from Adult competition in 2022, Lovato continues to come to play on the WNO stage, with his most notable win in the last year via submission against 2023 No Gi World Champion Elder Cruz

While fans wait for a Ryan v Pena rematch, Pena content to take on other names, with his most recent appearances on WNO including wins over B-Team’s Haisam Rida and Nick Rodriguez. 

Expect a measured approach from “Preguica'' against “the American Legend” with both men looking to inflict heavy pressure. Watch for Pena to use his guard for leg entries, a likely path to victory over Lovato: Lovato’s loss against Craig Jones in March at the UFC Fight Pass Invitationals revealed an exploitable weakness in Lovato’s leglock defense.

Welterweight Bout - JT Torres vs Nicky Ryan

One of the most fun matches on this card pits the king of pressure passing against the wrestle-up wunderkind. Expect a highly-technical bout from one of the most established names in the game in Torres and one of the most prodigious names in the game in Ryan. Don’t be surprised if the two ADCC invitees face each other again in the highly-stacked ADCC -77kg division in August.  

Bantamweight Bout - Jasmine Rocha vs Emily Ferreira 

Despite a few significant similarities between the two competitors–two guard players, both ~2 years into their black belts, both homegrown under their respective instructors–Rocha and Ferreira couldn’t be more different, style-wise, coming into this matchup.

Rocha’s last appearance on WNO was in August 2023 against division queen Ffion Davies: a dominant bout by Davies made contentious by Rocha’s talking smack about Ffion’s “basic knee cut,” which proved to be Rocha’s demise in the match. Where technique or talk failed Rocha against Davies, they could succeed against Ferreira, especially if she performs as strongly (and dare we say as aggressively) as she did in her victorious run at 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials. 

Rocha is the more dynamic, well-rounded competitor, but Ferreira’s path to victory is tested, well-defined, and clear–if she can get to her spots on Rocha: with the exception of Adele Fornarino, Ferreira has the best closed guard game in her weight class, showcased in her WNO debut against Rosa Walsh in November 2022. 

Expect Ferreira to sit to guard to avoid Rocha’s wrestling. Things get more interesting if Rocha gets into Ferreira’s guard or a double guard pull situation leads to some leg attacks from either competitor. Watch out for Rocha’s triangles and back attacks and for Ferreira’s armbars and kimuras, which she uses routinely to finish the fight or improve position. 

Featherweight Bout - Diogo Reis vs Shay Montague 

Diogo Reis returns to the WNO stage after recovering from injuries sustained on WNO 21, when he fought up in weight to take on Diego “Pato” Oliveira. Fully recovered, 2022 ADCC Champion Reis is expected to show that “Baby Shark” is back–no worse for wear and ready to bite at WNO 23. 

Montague’s WNO debut couldn’t come against a harder opponent with the possible exception of Mikey Musumeci. In the biggest match of his career so far, rookie black belt Montague has to rise to the challenge ahead of him in Reis at WNO–and there’s reason to believe that he can, based on his previous performances.

Hardly losing a match since 2022, Montague is one of the most dominant prospects at Roosterweight: a multi-time gi and no gi World Champion at the colored belts, who broke in his black belt in late 2023 with wins at No Gi Brazilian Nationals and No Gi Euros last fall. With nothing to lose, Montague has every reason to come out sub hunting against “Baby Shark.” No matter the outcome, a good performance from Montague would be a win for his rising star and street cred among the lighter weight classes of the sport. 

WNO 23 Prelims

Achilles Rocha vs Camron Couch

Couch, a Greco All-American Wrestler, debuts on WNO as the more experienced grappler, but will be tested by a teenage competitor who hardly seems to have the weak heel his name might otherwise suggest.  

Seventeen-year-old Achilles Rocha completes the history-making “family affair” of this edition of WNO with Achilles, Jasmine, and Vagner all competing on the same card. Like father, like son, expect Achilles to wrestle. Like sister, like brother, expect Achilles to be hunting submissions at any given moment. Odds are heavy that Rocha will repeat a fast finish, reminiscent of his WNO debut in August 2023 against B-Team’s JB Bechtloff.

Cassia Moura vs Jessie Crane

Teammate of Emily Fernandez, rookie brown belt Cassia Moura is another hot prospect under esteemed coach Bruno Bastos. Since coming over from Brazil to train with Bastos in 2023, Moura’s stock has been on the rise, racking up wins in her division and in the Absolute at Pans and Worlds, both in and out of the gi.

2023 No Gi Worlds Bronze Medalist Jessie Crane is no stranger to the WNO stage, but her previous appearances have been lackluster. With a dominant run against Moura, Crane has the chance to wipe memories clean of her heel hook loss to Sophia Casella, one of the fastest submissions in WNO history.

Luccas Lira vs Husam Alabed

Lira, Atos Miami representative and 2023 IBJJF Brown Belt World Champion, continues a respectable rookie season at Black Belt with a debut on WNO. While new to the WNO stage, Lira has already gone against one of WNO’s standby contenders: Dante Leon, beating Leon in the Absolute division of 2023 No Gi Pans. Though Lira is active both in and out of the gi, footage shows a well-rounded, methodical no gi game that suits both the ruleset and time limits of WNO: patient and ever-pressuring. 

No gi specialist Alabed comes in as the underdog in this match, but not one to underestimate–especially if Lira lets him play top position. A former NCAA collegiate wrestler, the “Syrian Mamba’s” biggest weapons against Lira will be his wrestling and his pace. Watch out for Alabed’s explosiveness from the feet and his transitions off of takedowns to chase the back. 

Evan Leve vs Marlon Tanaka

Brother to ADCC Veteran and 2023 East Coast Trials Champion Amanda Leve, Evan Leve won the Finishers WNO Qualifier back in late 2023 to earn his shot on the undercard of WNO 23. Previous matches show Leve comfortable attacking and defending the legs–and fearless in attempting diving kimuras and guillotines on seated opponents. 

Tanaka, a Dallas-based black belt, is a more active competitor in the gi–his most recent competition appearance occurring at the 2024 Pan American Championship two months ago. His style in no gi–and how he will fare against Leve, who is primarily a no gi competitor–will be worth watching on Friday night. 

When and Where to Watch WNO 23

WNO 23 goes down in Arlington, TX on Friday May 10, 2024. Prelims begin at 7PM Central Time.