Polaris Squads 3 is right around the corner and the promotion has just finished revealing the full team lineups for the event. The exciting team grappling format has been a resounding success for the UK-based promotion as their unique ruleset encourages plenty of action over the eighty minute time-period. Previously, their first two events saw Team UK & Ireland take on Team Europe firstly in no gi and then secondly in the gi, with the two teams splitting the victories between them. The grappling community was overjoyed when this third event was initially announced however, as the inclusion of Team USA created opportunities for elite American grapplers to represent their country.
First to be announced was the respective Team Captains, Darragh O’Connaill who returned to lead Team UK & Ireland after winning the first event, and two-time ADCC World Champion JT Torres who will direct Team USA. Elsewhere in the under 75kg half of the team, Polaris Triple Champion Ashley Williams is also returning as is the man he beat for the promotion’s Featherweight title, Tom Halpin. The final member of the lighter portion is Ross Nicholls, one of the brightest prodigies to come out of England and the man who was knocked out of ADCC 2019 by the opposing Team Captain, Torres.
Their counterparts are fellow ADCC 2019 veteran Edwin Najmi, 10th Planet veteran PJ Barch, Danaher Death Squad member Nick Ronan, and one half of the teenage prodigy Ruotolo brothers, Kade. In the under 95kg half of the team, they are joined by another two 10th Planet representatives in Jon ‘Thor’ Blank and Richie ‘Boogieman’ Martinez. The final member of Team USA is another impressive young talent who comes from the Brazilian Fight Factory in Texas, William Tackett.
Opposite them is the only man to have represented Team UK & Ireland in all three Polaris Squads events so far, Bradley Hill. He will be joined by Irish leglock specialist Kieran Davern and one of the most experienced team grappling competitors available in the UK, Dan Strauss. Strauss is perhaps most well-known for his time spent leading Team Polaris to victory at the very first Quintet event to ever take place. The final member of Team UK & Ireland is Ben Dyson, an experienced competitor with a lethal front headlock game that includes his patented Dorset Necktie.
Polaris Squads 3 Full Team Lineups
Team UK & Ireland Team USA
-75kg
Ashley Williams Edwin Najmi
Tom Halpin Kade Ruotolo
Ross Nicholls PJ Barch
Darragh O’Connaill Nick Ronan
-95kg
Kieran Davern Jon ‘Thor’ Blank
Bradley Hill William Tackett
Dan Strauss Richie ‘Boogieman’ Martinez
Ben Dyson JT Torres
The full play-by-play and live results for the first Polaris Squads can be found here, along with the full play-by-play and live results for the second Polaris Squads event here. Rest assured, we’ll be on hand again to provide the same for Polaris Squads 3.
Polaris Squads 3 featuring Team USA v Team UK & Ireland will be streamed live on 17th July on UFC FightPass, click here to subscribe and watch.
