The lineup is finally here for the first ever superfight event that has been arranged in conjunction with the infamous ADCC World Championships, Road To ADCC. The event will be streamed live on FloGrappling on 17th July and will feature some of the biggest names in the sport, several of whom are essentially guaranteed to feature in the eventual ADCC World Championship event in 2022. The headline matchup in particular is an incredibly exciting one as both men involved are champions from the 2019 edition of the event.
Matheus Diniz is the returning champion for the -88kg category and he will be taking on yet another bigger man after losing to Gordon Ryan at a recent Who’s Number One event, here he will face off against the even bigger Kaynan Duarte who won the 99kg+ division in style that same year. The rest of the lineup for the Road to ADCC event is just as exciting, with the second matchup featuring another two men who reached the podium in 2019. Craig Jones will be stepping up from the -88kg division to take on Lucas ‘Hulk’ Barbosa, regardless of the significant weight disadvantage involved.
After narrowly missing out on a medal himself, Dante Leon will represent a big opportunity for another member of the Danaher Death Squad, Nicky Ryan. His older brother Gordon has already revealed that he will be moving up in weight for the next edition of the ADCC World Championships, so it makes sense that he’ll be looking to get used to competing at that weight before the tournament comes around. Mikey Musumeci will also get to test his newfound love for heelhooks against one of 10th Planet’s most successful competitors, Geo Martinez.
The final two matches scheduled for the event will see two men and two women who were absent from the 2019 edition but represent a group of dark horses that are easily capable of finding their way to a podium position in 2022. Roberto Jimenez and Andrew Wiltse are two of the most exciting competitors to burst onto the scene in recent memory and a match between the two of them is guaranteed to produce fireworks. Meanwhile, Three-time IBJJF World Champion Ana Carolina Vieira will be facing off against Elisabeth Clay, the young star who has already proven herself capable of excelling under more open rulesets similar ADCC.
The full Road To ADCC event will available to watch live on 17th July on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
