The full lineup for the 8-man absolute grand prix scheduled for Polaris 25 on September 30th, 2023 has just been announced and the bracket is stacked with top talent. There is a grand prize of $30,000 available for the man who manages to beat three opponents on the same night, so it’s no surprise that they’ve managed to attract some incredible grapplers. Leading the charge is a pair of champions from ADCC 2022, both of whom stand out as early favorites to win the tournament. The winner of the under 99kg division and two-time ADCC world champion Kaynan Duarte has entered the division, as has the reigning under 88kg world champion Giancarlo Bodoni.
Alongside them is one of the breakout stars from that edition of the ADCC world championships and semi-finalist from the 88kg division, Eoghan O’Flanagan. He’ll no doubt be eager for a rematch with Bodoni, who submitted him in the semi-final and stopped his meteoric rise. ADCC Trials winner Izaak Michell has also entered the absolute grand prix, as has one of the most popular competitors in Polaris history; Owen Livesey. He isn’t the only person with Polaris experience though, as Roberto Jimenez is in the mix and he’s the promotion’s middleweight champion after a fantastic performance won him the Polaris 22 middleweight grand prix last year.
The lightest competitor in the lineup of the Polaris 25 Absolute Grand Prix is Fabricio Andrey and he’ll be looking at anywhere from a 7kg to 29kg weight disadvantage depending on who he faces in the bracket. The final spot available in the tournament has yet to be confirmed, because Polaris are sticking to their traditional approach of hosting a Contenders tournament. This means that some of the best up-and-coming grapplers from around Europe will be competing in a tough qualifying bracket on August 26th, 2023 in order to secure the final spot in the Polaris 25 Absolute Grand Prix.
Polaris 25 Absolute Grand Prix Lineup
Giancarlo Bodoni
Kaynan Duarte
Eoghan O’Flanagan
Izaak Michell
Fabricio Andrey
Roberto Jimenez
Owen Livesey
Polaris Contenders Tournament Winner
The full lineup for the Polaris 25 Absolute Grand Prix and the Contenders Tournament beforehand was announced in a series of posts to the promotion’s official Instagram account:
