Polaris 20 saw the USA take on Brazil in the fourth edition of the promotion’s team grappling event, Polaris Squads. Additionally, they managed to put together one of the most incredible superfights in the history of the promotion as UFC veterans Demian Maia and Benson Henderson battled it out in the headline match. Maia put on an incredible display of the grappling ability he has become known for and repeatedly attacked from Henderson’s back before getting close on a tight guillotine attempt. Henderson was no slouch though and the former UFC Lightweight world champion showed top-tier defensive Jiu-Jitsu to survive until the end of the round. Maia ended up winning the decision due to the volume of submission attempts and positional dominance that he enjoyed throughout the fight.
The squads event delivered plenty of action from start to finish as the two teams of eight men representing the USA and Brazil fought relentlessly over two hours. The majority of the matches ended in draws, but naturally it’s incredibly difficult for one elite grappler to finish another in less than five minutes. Mason Fowler led the way for the USA and managed to put the first point on the board by finishing Kywan Gracie after a crazy sequence of back-and-forth action between the pair. In the end though, Mica Galvao rescued Brazil’s chances by submitting Keith Krikorian before winning the event for them by finishing him once again.
Polaris 20 Full Results
Demian Maia defeats Benson Henderson via Unanimous Decision
Squads 4 First Half
Luiz Paulo vs. Nathan Orchard ends in a Draw
Igor Tanabe vs. Hunter Colvin ends in a Draw
Marcelo Fausto vs. Geo Martinez ends in a Draw
Isaque Bahiense vs. Richie Martinez ends in a Draw
Mason Fowler defeats Kywan Gracie via Submission – Armbar
Team USA leads 1-0
Mica Galvao vs. Keith Krikorian ends in a Draw
Diogo Reis vs. Nick Ronan ends in a Draw
Mason Fowler vs. Fabricio Andrey ends in a Draw
Jon Blank vs. Isaque Bahiense ends in a Draw
Mica Galvao vs. Geo Martinez ends in a Draw
Luiz Paulo vs. Nathan Orchard ends in a Draw
Igor Tanabe vs. Nick Ronan ends in a Draw
Keith Krikorian vs. Fabricio Andrey ends in a Draw
Squads 4 Second Half
Richie Martinez vs. Kywan Gracie ends in a Draw
Luiz Paulo vs. Jon Blank ends in a Draw
Diogo Reis vs. Nathan Orchard ends in a Draw
Hunter Colvin vs. Marcelo Fausto ends in a Draw
Mica Galvao def. Keith Krikorian via Submission – Armbar
Brazil pulls back level 1-1
Mason Fowler vs. Igor Tanabe ends in a Draw
Mica Galvao vs. Nick Ronan ends in a Draw
Fabricio Andrey vs. Geo Martinez ends in a Draw
Isaque Bahiense vs. Hunter Colvin ends in a Draw
Luiz Paulo vs. Jon Blank ends in a Draw
Marcelo Fausto vs. Nick Ronan ends in a Draw
Mica Galvao def. Keith Krikorian via Submission – Triangle Choke
Brazil leads 2-1
Mica Galvao vs. Mason Fowler ends in a Draw
Team Brazil finishes the event 2-1 up and defeats Team USA to win Polaris 20!
The man of the match was undoubtedly Mica Galvao, who put on a series of incredibly impressive performances that included both of the only two submissions that Team Brazil registered. Not only did Galvao submit Keith Krikorian twice, but he also came within seconds of submitting him a third time before the time ran out. He also fought against Nick Ronan, Geo Martinez, and Mason Fowler, battling to a draw with all three of them. For those interested in taking a look even further back, the full play-by-play and live results from the first Polaris Squads can be found here, the second Polaris Squads event can be found here, and the third Polaris Squads event can be found here.
The full Polaris 20 event replay will be available to watch on UFC FightPass, click here to subscribe and watch.
