This article is part of our week of ADCC 2022 coverage. To get live results, play by play, and commentary, we’ll have a live updates article running all weekend.
Mateusz Szczecinski has just received the opportunity of a lifetime on less than week’s notice as he’s been called up to compete in the 77kg division of ADCC 2022 in place of former ADCC world champion and UFC veteran Davi Ramos. While the news that Szczecinski is competing at ADCC has arrived on his doorstep at the very last minute, the Polish leglocker will have been preparing for the opportunity for quite some time regardless. Szczecinski was part of the official alternate list for ADCC 2022 and he knew that he was first in line to compete in the 77kg division should any athletes be forced to withdraw for any reason.
While Davi Ramos is certainly a fan-favorite and he will be sorely missed at ADCC 2022, Szczecinski will also be well-received at the event and he will present an incredibly tough challenge to anyone who wants to win the 77kg division. Ramos was forced to withdraw from the event due to visa issues, the same fate that Luccas Lira Costa suffered in the under 99kg division. Szczecinski is known for his lethal leglock game and probably demonstrated this the best back at Polaris 17 when he finished top UK talent Ellis Younger with a heelhook that earned him ‘submission of the night’ honours.
Szczecinski will be no stranger to the level of competition he’s facing either as he actually recently fought one of the top contenders in the 77kg division at Grapplefest 11 when he challenged Canadian phenom Dante Leon for the promotions 80kg title. Although he was submitted with a beautiful armbar by Leon, he’s also only 27 years old and has no doubt improved greatly since that match.
The news that Mateusz Szczecinski is replacing Davi Ramos in the 77kg division of ADCC 2022 was announced in a post to the promotion’s official Instagram account:
