The Combat Jiu-Jitsu Middleweight World Championship 2023 took place on December 22nd, 2023 and the results saw another champion crowned under the ruleset. The lineup booked for the event featured a number of fantastic competitors and it was bound to produce some exciting matches. There was a little hiccup during the build-up though, as one of the top contenders William Tackett was forced to withdraw from the event just days before it took place. There was still plenty of action on the mats regardless though, as each of the sixteen men in the bracket were eager to take home the title.
One of the most notable moments happened in the opening round when Travis Thomas managed to cause a huge upset by beating Calon Sabino. Unfortunately Thomas suffered an injury during this match and couldn’t make it to the mats for the quarter-final, so he was replaced in the bracket. Fedor Nikolov also impressed in his appearances and although he lost in the semi-final, he had two of the best submission finishes of the night in his first two matches. It was Ryan Aitken who emerged as the champion though, defending the title he won for the first time in 2021 by beating all four of his opponents.
Interestingly, there was actually a pair of rematches that came his way during his journey through the bracket and he shut down both of them. He won his first two matches against tough competitors before meeting up with the man he beat in the final in 2021, Derek Rayfield, in the semi-final. He submitted Rayfield to book his place in the final opposite Kyle Chambers, the man he beat in the semi-final last time round. Aitken won that match in EBI overtime though and he remained the Combat Jiu-Jitsu Middleweight World Champion.
Combat Jiu-Jitsu Middleweight World Championship 2023 Full Results
Ryan Aitken defeats Sean Fallon via Submission – Triangle Kimura
Chris Wojcik defeats Caleb Crump via Submission – Heel Hook
Derek Rayfield defeats Pierpaolo Chiappe via Submission – Dead Orchard
Princeton Jackson defeats Ty Freeman via Submission – Rear-naked Choke in EBI Overtime
Travis Thomas defeats Calon Sabino via Submission – Rear-naked Choke in EBI Overtime
Fedor Nikolov defeats Gabriel De Los Santos via Submission – Dead Orchard
Joe Kropschot defeats Javier Torres via Submission – Rear-naked Choke
Kyle Chambers defeats Chris Dempsey via Submission – Heel Hook
Quarter-Finals
Ryan Aitken defeats Chris Wojcik via Decision – Ride-time in EBI Overtime
Derek Rayfield defeats Princeton Jackson via Submission – Anaconda Choke
Fedor Nikolov defeats Caleb Crump via Submission – Rear-naked Choke
Kyle Chambers defeats Joe Kropschot via Submission – Dead Orchard
Semi-Finals
Ryan Aitken defeats Derek Rayfield via Submission – Heel Hook
Kyle Chambers defeats Fedor Nikolov via Submission – Heel Hook
Final
Ryan Aitken defeats Kyle Chambers via Decision – Ride-time in EBI Overtime
Superfights
Oscar De Los Santos defeats Charles Rials via Submission – Rear-naked Choke
Pierpaolo Chiappe defeats Daryn Horner via Submission – Armbar in EBI Overtime
The full Combat Jiu-Jitsu Middleweight World Championship 2023 event replay, including all of the above results, is available to watch on UFC Fight Pass.
