This article and the accompanying footage of Declan Moody vs Anton Minenko from M-16 Open 11: Collision is part of Free Fight Friday, our ongoing project to bring the best in professional Jiu-Jitsu competition to everyone. To avoid spoilers for the match, scroll directly to the footage below.
M-16 Open has been going from strength to strength in recent years and as the BJJ scene in Australia has grown, they have been able to book matches with all of the country’s biggest stars. Their main event matches are some of the best that you could possibly make in the country and nowhere is that more obvious than in the rise of Declan Moody. Through his appearances on M-16 Open events, Moody has had the opportunity to compete against several of the best competitors in his weight class and the promotion is undoubtedly a big part in his development over the years.
He already beat Lachlan Giles black belt Daniel Schuardt in a hard-fought decision in the main event of M-16 Open 10, and he was invited to return at their very next event to headline once again. It was at M-16 Open 11 that Declan Moody got the chance to compete against another of the top Australian grapplers in the heavier divisions, Anton Minenko. It was another grueling match with both men leaving everything on the mat to try and come away with the win, but it was another decision win for Moody as well. They actually met in a rematch just months later in the final of the under 99kg division at the ADCC Asia and Oceania Trials 2023, and Moody won again to earn an invite to ADCC 2024.
Subscribe to the official JitsMagazine YouTube channel for more Free Fight Friday footage, and the full match between Declan Moody and Anton Minenko can be found below:
