Polaris 30 is scheduled for November 2nd, 2024 and now that the full card has been released, we’ve conducted a preview of the event. Although most people’s focus is always on the main card, there are some excellent matches on the preliminary card as well. There are a few big names competing throughout it, but Rosa Walsh vs Sula-Mae Lowenthal and Pawel Jaworski vs Faris Ben-lamkadem in particular stand out as exciting matchups. The stakes will only get higher the night progresses on to the main card, leading up to Helena Crevar’s first title-defense against Nia Blackman in the co-main event. The final match of the night will then be a battle between two elite MMA veterans, as Michael ‘Venom’ Page faces Carlos Condit.
Polaris 30 Full Card Preview
Michael ‘Venom’ Page vs Carlos Condit
The main event might not have many implications for the wider professional grappling world, but it’s certainly going to be a fun match. Carlos Condit has been retired from MMA for over three years now and although he’s 40, his opponent isn’t much younger than him. Michael ‘Venom’ Page is still active in the UFC at the age of 37 and although he doesn’t have much of an age advantage over Condit, he has some fantastic athleticism that will make him a difficult opponent. The real difference-maker is going be the technical advantage that Condit has though, and his lethal guard will likely get him the win here.
Helena Crevar vs Nia Blackman
Reigning champion Helena Crevar will be attempting to defend her Polaris lightweight title for the first time since winning it back at Polaris 28 earlier this year. She’s been one of the most popular prodigies in the sport for a few years now, but she really broke through to the top level with a silver medal at ADCC 2024. Her opponent, Nia Blackman, is one of the top prospects in the UK and she also made an appearance at the same event in a different weight class. Blackman is no easy opponent and this probably won’t be the last time she faces Crevar, but at this point in their careers Crevar has the edge.
Keith Krikorian vs Jed Hue
Keith Krikorian and Jed Hue normally operate in completely different weight classes on the Polaris mats, but they’ll be meeting in the middle for this match. Krikorian won the featherweight title at Polaris 27 but he’s moving up to lightweight to face Hue, who has actually competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the past. Hue has solid leglock defense and combined with the size advantage, he does have a path to victory here. Krikorian is a well-rounded submission hunter though and with more ways to win the match, he’s also more likely to do so.
Nathaniel Wood vs Cameron Else
This is another fun match between MMA veterans, and both of them have proven to be fantastic grapplers. Cameron Else is a Bellator and UFC veteran with several first-round submission wins throughout his career, the most notable of which came against Paddy Pimblett. Else will be facing Nathaniel Wood, a Polaris veteran who has already earned a wins over one of his fellow MMA fighters. Else has the ability to finish the match in the blink of an eye, but provided Wood can stay disciplined then he should be able to get the win.
Dante Leon vs Ellis Younger
Although this match is lower down on the main card, it’s potentially the most exciting of the whole night. Dante Leon has proven time and time again that he’s both entertaining and incredibly talented, beating elite competitors across multiple weight classes and in absolute divisions. Ellis Younger is one of the top competitors in the UK and he’s been right on the edge of breaking though to the next level for a while now, making this an excellent opportunity for him. You can’t ever count Younger out, but Leon is one of the most well-rounded grapplers in the world and he’s the firm favorite here.
Eoghan O’Flanagan vs Philippe Geyer
Eoghan O’Flanagan made waves when he finished fourth at ADCC 2022 and he’s got some of the best leg-attacks in Europe, so he’s always going to be tough to beat. His opponent is Philippe Geyer, a BJJ brown belt with fantastic wrestling who has been steadily making a name for himself around Europe. The stylistic clash makes this a tough match to predict, as they will both be attempting to force the other man to play their game. If O’Flanagan stands then it could be a long night for him, but one wrong move in his guard and it’s going to be game over for Geyer. O’Flanagan should be the favorite here, although it won’t be easy for him
Preliminary Card
Ben Hodgkinson vs Dave Weston
Pawel Jaworski vs Faris Ben-lamkadem
Jean Maltese vs Harry Loseby
Andy Roberts vs Marco Canha
Tommy Yip vs Reiss Bailey
Norbert Novenyi vs Steve O’Keefe
Rosa Walsh vs Sula-Mae Lowenthal
Christian Ozbek vs Paul Redmond
Francesca Lana vs Martina Zola
Jack Tyley vs Nathan Jones
Dinu Bucalet vs Craig Young
Romao Carvalho vs Muhammed Mustafa
Sam Gibbs vs Hejraat Rashid
Will Nichols vs Ian Butler
Carson Coles vs Kieran Kichuk
Will Stone vs Matt Inman
The full Polaris 30 event, including all of the matches in the above preview, will be available to watch live on November 2nd, 2024 on UFC Fight Pass.
