The time is finally here as the Team UK and Ireland lineup has now been announced for Polaris Squads. When the rules for the groundbreaking event were first announced, the only competitor to be revealed was Polaris double champ and the only Welsh representative, Ashley Williams. Since then, the team has slowly grown to include two men who are no stranger to the bright lights under the Polaris banner, Jed Hue and Bradley Hill. Now the brains behind Polaris have truly spoilt us by announcing the remaining five members of the team in one go.
As was to be expected, England is the most heavily represented country in Team UK and Ireland. Dominic Dillon is the only other Englishman to weigh in under 75kg and the 32 year-old representative of Checkmat and Elements BJJ is a regular on the British competition scene. In the 95kg weight-class for Polaris Squads, Taylor Pearman joins the team shortly after he featured on the opposite side of the bracket as Bradley Hill in the Polaris UK Grand Prix. The remaining three competitors all hail from Ireland to round out the team.
Ireland’s sole 75kg competitor is Tom Halpin, the current Combat Jiu-Jitsu Featherweight World Champion and a master of attacking the back. His two fellow countrymen in the heavier category are Darragh O’Conaill and Kieran Davern. O’Conaill being one of the main men behind the huge development of BJJ in Ireland over the last decade or so and 2018 IBJJF European Champion. Davern meanwhile might not be as well-known on the competitive scene but the leglock expert has featured on regular Polaris events in the past and is no easy fight.
To date, only one competitor has been announced for the opposing team: Marcin Held being one of the lighter competitors representing Team Europe in what will no doubt be an action-packed event.
The full event will be streamed live on 27th September on UFC FightPass, click here to subscribe and watch.
