Join us today (Saturday, 7th August) for live updates on Polaris Squads 3. The latest in team grappling innovation, Polaris Squads 3 features two teams of eight grapplers competing against each other and they will be representing Team USA and Team UK & Ireland. These sixteen men will come from both the under 75kg and under 95kg weight-classes and will all do battle over two sixty-minute halves, the full rules for Polaris Squads can be found here. For those interested in taking a look back, the full play-by-play and live results from the first Polaris Squads can be found here, and the full play-by-play and live results from the second Polaris Squads can be found here.
There will also be a superfight during the half-time break and after a last-minute change to the match, fan-favorite Nastasa Silviu Georgian will be taking on 10th Planet’s Kyle Boehm under traditional Polaris rules for the promotion’s Heavyweight championship. Before the main card, there will also be four preliminary fights between young up-and-coming grapplers who are being given their first opportunity on the Polaris mats. We’ll be keeping you up to date with the main card and all relevant matches below.
Alongside this excellent Polaris superfight and preliminary matches, the full lineup for both squads is as follows:
Team USA Team UK & Ireland
-75kg
Geo Martinez Jed Hue
Nick Ronan Ross Nicholls
Adam Benayoun Ellis Younger
Nathan Orchard Darragh O’Connaill
-95kg
Roberto Jimenez Kieran Davern
Hunter Colvin Ben Dyson
Jon Blank Dan Strauss
Richie Martinez Bradley Hill
Polaris Squads 3 First Half
First up for Team USA is Jon ‘Thor’ Blank and he meets Polaris fan-favorite Dan Strauss, sitting to guard immediately. Strauss tries to dive onto a Guillotine but isn’t able to get it to work, so starts to pass kneeling instead. Blank is able to switch to half-butterfly and almost sweeps Strauss before the pair go out of bounds and are reset in the middle. He wrestles up from the bottom nicely and takes top position to start working his passing game against Strauss’ half-guard. Strauss manages to create space and stand, but Blank starts working to enter a leg-entanglement before coming up on a single-leg as the pair go out of bounds again. Strauss takes top position again but Blank inverts and wrestles up, forcing Strauss to defend the double-leg and the pair are reset in the middle for the third time. Blank sits down again and the pair are handfighting furiously as Strauss snatches a Guillotine and dives over the top but the time runs out just after he lands.
Jon ‘Thor’ Blank v Dan Strauss – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Adam Benayoun is up next again Kieran Davern and Davern immediately takes top position. He sits back for a lovely saddle entry and works to expose the heel but isn’t able to before Benayoun escapes. Benayoun takes top position now but Davern is working his butterfly hooks beautifully and getting a lot of elevation, nearly entering the saddle for the second time. Benayoun starts working his butterfly guard now before standing up as Davern switches position and sits down. As Benayoun steps in, Davern takes X-guard quickly, elevates and nearly enters the saddle again but Benayoun escapes and locks up full guard. Davern increases the pace now and gets to side control for a brief second but isn’t able to solidify it, while Benayoun eventually recovers half-guard. Davern retreats and stands up, diving forward into a rolling Kimura but isn’t quite able to keep hold of his grip as the pair go out of bounds. As they reset, Davern dives on a straight foot-lock immediately but isn’t able to finish it before the buzzer sounds.
Adam Benayoun v Kieran Davern – Draw and Double-Elimination.
An exciting match is up next as Roberto Jimenez comes out to meet Jed Hue, who sits to guard straight away. As Jimenez engages, Hue almost hits a quick butterfly sweep but he recovers with relative ease. Jimenez works a really strong passing game but isn’t quite able to solidify the position as Hue switches between butterfly and half-guard, briefly threatening the violin armbar on a few occasions. Jimenez executes a lovely blast knee-slice and makes Hue turn to briefly expose his back for a moment but he’s able to invert and recover guard again. As the pair keep working, Jimenez dives on a leg but opens himself up to a counter-heelhook by Hue and is forced to work hard to escape instead. Jimenez manages to finally get the pass he’s been hunting and goes to north-south before transitioning to the saddle, but Hue manages to work his way free and attempts a counter-berimbolo to come within seconds of taking Jimenez’s back as the time runs out.
Roberto Jimenez v Jed Hue – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Nick Ronan steps on the mats with Ross Nicholls next and the pair are gripfighting furiously once Nicholls sits to guard. Nicholls manages to get a grip on Ronan’s ankle but he steps back to defend and they go out of bounds when Nicholls pushes forward. When they reset Nicholls sits again and Ronan is shutting down every attempt at a leg-entry pretty comfortably but isn’t able to advance his position for some time. Ronan lulls him into a false sense of security by slowing down before exploding past his guard and immediately exposing the back. He starts working to trap an arm but Nicholls is able to escape and recover guard, he then quickly starts wrestling up from the bottom as the time runs out.
Nick Ronan v Ross Nicholls – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Team USA Co-captain Richie Martinez steps up against Ben Dyson and both men are happy to stay standing at first before Martinez pulls guard. He manages to get to rubber guard very quickly and attacks the trapped arm but Dyson rolls free and returns to standing, a little more cautious this time around. As Dyson kneels to pass he finds himself quickly stuck in closed guard, maintaining a strong posture to prevent further rubber guard entries. He does manage to break the guard but chooses to stand and disengage instead. He steps back in to pass but Martinez elevates with a single butterfly hook to prevent him from getting to mount, with Dyson disengaging again. After trying to pass from a distance Dyson returns to kneeling again and works his way through to half-guard but Martinez uses a strong knee-shield to prevent the pass fully. The pair then spend the rest of their time here before the time expires.
Richie Martinez v Ben Dyson – Draw and Double-Elimination.
It’s Team USA & Ireland’s captain Darragh O’Connaill up next against Nathan Orchard and he sits to guard early on. Orchard steps in but O’Connaill works hard to try and get a leg-entry going before he disengages. He dives on a rolling Kimura now and maintains his grip but isn’t quite able to finish it before O’Connaill escapes. O’Connaill stays seated so Orchard sits back for a leglock and manages to force O’Connaill to recognize the threat and escape to standing instead. He sits once again and Orchard is moving left and right to threaten the pass but O’Connail keeps his distance before they get reset in the center. As he sits up, Orchard manages to secure a front headlock and starts threatening a choke but has to give it up and quickly switch to a berimbolo instead but O’Connaill keeps his back from being exposed as the time runs out.
Darragh O’Connaill v Nathan Orchard – Draw and Double-Elimination.
USA’s other Co-captain Geo Martinez comes up bigger man in Bradley Hill and sits to guard. Hill steps in but Martinez inverts immediately and tries to go underneath Hill and expose his back. Hill counters by exposing Martinez’s back instead and gets the seatbelt grip but isn’t able to get both hooks in before he escapes. Martinez takes top position and sits back for a leglock with Hill attempting a counter too, but they both roll out of bounds. Hill steps in and Martinez inverts again, this time getting a leg-entry and working on a toehold before he manages to escape. Martinez inverts as Hill steps in again but gets shut down a lot quicker this time. Another inversion by Martinez but Hill dives over to attack the legs, only to expose himself to a kneebar attempt. Hill escapes comfortably and sits back for a heelhook but Martinez is able to free his knee-line and counter with a calf-slicer attempt that Hill shuts down quickly. As Hill pressures in, he opens himself up to a lightning-quick Gogoplata but is able to posture up and out, diving on Martinez’s legs as the time runs out.
Geo Martinez v Bradley Hill – Draw and Double-Elimination.
The final competitors are up as Hunter Colvin meets Ellis Younger. Younger sits to guard and Colvin tries to start passing with pressure before Younger inverts, forcing him to disengage. Colvin steps in again but gets swept from butterfly guard this time. Younger attacks the heelhook immediately after the sweep and although Colvin stands, he maintains single-leg x and continues attacking the leg. Colvin extracts himself and continues passing but gets swept with butterfly hooks again. He pops back up on top quickly but Younger seems happy to stay there unless he can start attacking the legs. Younger hits the sweep again and comes up on top but opens himself up to a tripod sweep by Colvin, who quickly follows up with a tight guillotine. Younger passes to side control but isn’t able to to break free as Colvin works with the Diesel Squeezel grip and applies immense pressure. Younger is stuck deeply in the choke but manages to scramble free and comes up on top, he’s swept by Colvin and stays on bottom for what little time is left.
Hunter Colvin v Ellis Younger – Draw and Double-Elimination.
With all men now available again, Nathan Orchard returns against Kieran Davern. Davern sits to guard and Orchard goes to combat base to pass but Davern creates space and stands. The pair wrestle for a little while before Davern sits again with Orchard diving onto a rolling Kimura straight away but isn’t able to secure it. They stand again and start gripfighting but Davern sits to try and elevate his opponent, with Orchard maintaining top position. Davern stands again and attempts an uchi-mata but isn’t successful, choosing to sit to guard once more. He elevates Orchard with butterfly hooks but he springs clean over instead. They stand again and Orchard hits a beautiful arm-drag to take the back, switching to the truck when he can’t get the second hook in. Davern turns to escape but gives up a clear path for the second hook in doing so, with Orchard quickly switching to a body triangle instead. Davern turns again but Orchard keeps the triangle in place and locks up a firm grip of his neck, he bridges into him from the side to apply a brutal neck crank and force the tap!
Nathan Orchard submits Kieran Davern with a neck crank – Team USA score first to lead 3-0.
Team USA call a timeout and replace Orchard with Roberto Jimenez, who takes on Ben Dyson and starts by putting some immense pressure on him from the feet. Jimenez drives him out of bounds twice with Dyson scrambling to stay on his feet both times, before shooting in for a double and finishing the takedown. Dyson disengages and the pair get reset in the center, where he manages to hit a lovely harai goshi and take top position but Jimenez works his way back to his feet. Jimenez launches into a power double-leg, driving Dyson clean off the mat to get reset again. He keeps putting on the pace and the pair are fighting in the clinch for a dominant position, but Jimenez jumps to guard once he gets a firm underhook. Dyson stays standing and starts to put pressure on his hips but Jimenez drops his legs down to stand, with them fighting for grips again. Dyson gets an overhook and launches another harai goshi even bigger than the first, but Jimenez scrambles back to standing. From there he lands another double-leg and stays on top for the dying seconds.
Roberto Jimenez v Ben Dyson – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Team USA sends out Jon Blank for a rematch with Dan Strauss and the pair start wrestling in the clinch. Blank gets a verbal warning for potential strikes as he fights for a collar-tie and opts to sit to guard once the match resumes. Strauss starts working a knee-slice pass and gets elevated with a low butterfly hook briefly but he stands to keep top position before re-engaging on his knees. Blank taunts him by willingly turning his legs away to offer up north-south position but Strauss doesn’t take the bait and stays patient to continue working to pass guard. Blank pushes forward and hugs the calf tight but Strauss stands and turns away to break free as the timer sounds for the end of the round.
Jon ‘Thor’ Blank v Dan Strauss – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Hunter Colvin steps onto the mats and meets Jed Hue, who sits to guard early on. Colvin attempts a rolling kimura but can’t keep the grip, before wrapping a body lock around Hue and driving him into the mat. Colvin uses the pressure to start working his knee-slice pass and Hue clings on to quarter-guard at first, before Colvin completes the pass. Colvin works to mount but quickly gives up quarter-guard on the other side and manages to fight his way free. They’re both exchanging head-pressure and heated words as the referee advises them to keep calm. Hue works for a violin armbar but can’t quite finish it and Colvin dives on another rolling Kimura, unable to keep the grip again. As the round is nearly over, both men start shouting at each other while rolling, to the amusement of the crowd.
Hunter Colvin v Jed Hue – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Another rematch occurs in a 35-second match as Geo Martinez comes out against Bradley Hill. Martinez dives on a guillotine and Hill puts him to the ground, quickly diving on the legs before being shut down. Martinez is frantic in trying to take the back but Hill attacks an Anaconda choke, unable to secure his grips he stands and the rounds ends with Martinez climbing over the top of him to his back.
Geo Martinez v Bradley Hill – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Superfight: Nastasa Silviu Georgian v Kyle Boehm
Boehm sits to guard within seconds of the match starting and scoots forward to enter reverse de la riva. He wrestles up quickly and takes top position against Georgian before sitting back for a heelhook. Georgian rolls but Boehm goes belly-down and maintains his grip to force his opponent to tap from there!
Kyle Boehm submits Nastasa Silviu Georgian via Heelhook
Kyle Boehm becomes the new Polaris Heavyweight Champion!
Polaris Squads 3 Second Half – Team USA Are Leading 3-0
Nathan Orchard steps up for Team USA against Ross Nicholls in his third match. Nicholls sits to guard and manages to use an ankle-grip to come up on top but chooses to return to a seated position when Orchard refuses to take bottom position. Nicholls sweeps him again and this time secures the body-lock, using it to pass almost immediately to mount. Orchard turns and exposes his back for a second but recovers half-guard as soon as Nicholls commits to a hook. The pair get reset in the center and Nicholls sits again, trying to work off a reverse de la riva hook. Orchard rolls over the top of him and tries to hold on to a chinstrap but can’t keep it, turning back to face Nicholls and stepping in to his guard again. Nicholls uses the reverse de la riva hook to sweep and take hold of a body-lock again, with the match ending just as he finishes his pass.
Nathan Orchard v Ross Nicholls – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Nick Ronan takes to the mats against Ellis Younger, who sits to guard and takes reverse de la riva. Younger attempts an inversion and forces Ronan to sit to prevent it, allowing him to get deep in on the legs but he isn’t able to do anything with it. Ronan drops rapidly to attempt a legdrag and manages to get past Younger’s hips to secure a tight side-control. He tries to slide his knee through to mount but Younger catches him on the way in and manages to escape to standing. The pair start wrestling and Younger tries an armdrag but can’t finish it, he tries another shortly after but gets hit with a counter-drag by Ronan for his troubles, but they go out of bounds in doing so. They work from standing and Ronan hits an arm-drag that makes Younger react to protect his back and open up an opportunity for him to sit back into the saddle. Ronan traps the free leg and manages to expose the heel, bridging as much as he can into it in the dying seconds but Younger handfights to stay alive until the buzzer sounds.
Nick Ronan v Ellis Younger – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Adam Benayoun takes to the mats against Bradley Hill and pulls guard against the bigger man. Hill tries to sit back for a leglock but Benayoun stands and the pair wrestle briefly. Benayoun sits again and Hill starts working on a legdrag but he inverts to safety and stands. Hill uses a throw-by to start working his takedown game but Benayoun attacks the legs immediately, with Hill countering and diving over to try and take the back. Benayoun scrambles free and works from seated guard for a little while before standing again. Benayoun jumps to guard but Hill steps clean over and locks up a reverse triangle choke, attacking a kimura on the free arm. Benayoun works his way free and takes top position but Hill takes x-guard and hits a perfect saddle entry on the far leg. Hill works hard to trap the free leg and manages to do so, attacking a straight ankle-lock on that leg but Benayoun handfights his way free. Hill attacks a heelhook on the trapped leg but Benayoun rolls to relieve the pressure as the time runs out.
Adam Benayoun v Bradley Hill – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Richie Martinez is up next against Dan Strauss and the pair start some really physical wrestling, both men using heavy collar ties. Strauss attempts an armdrag but Martinez steps free, choosing to sit down once he gets some space. Strauss tries a double-under stack pass but can’t get Martinez’s hips far enough off the mat to finish it. He tries another but Martinez works his way free again and scoots back to the center of the mat. Strauss kneels to pass and tries to use a leg-weave this time but has no luck from there. He gets close on a quick knee-slice pass but can’t quite finish it and attacks another stack pass immediately, getting to knee-on-belly this time but he still can’t hold the position. He gets close again with another two knee-slice passes in quick succession but Martinez is able to retain or recover guard every single time. Strauss dives over Martinez but ends up giving up top position, only to sweep him to his back and finally get to side control just in time for the round to end.
Richie Martinez v Dan Strauss – Draw and Double-Elimination.
It’s a battle between two captains as Geo Martinez comes up against Darragh O’Connaill. They wrestle for a little while before O’Connaill sits to guard and gets to work with a reverse de la riva hook. Martinez starts to work his passing game and manages to staple a leg and use it to slowly edge through his guard. He latches onto a tight guillotine and switches to a necktie to use it to break O’Connaill down while he holds on to half-guard. O’Connaill manages to escape but exposes his back in doing so and Martinez attempts an unusual choke that looks to trouble O’Connaill for a moment before he spins free and comes up on top. O’Connaill starts to pass from standing and thinks about sitting back for a leglock for a moment, but the time runs out a few seconds later.
Geo Martinez v Darragh O’Connail – Draw and Double-Elimination.
There’s another rematch taking place as Hunter Colvin and Jed Hue take to the mats. Something looks very familiar as Hue sits down and starts talking to Colvin as he tries to start passing. Colvin overcommits a little and gets elevated with Hue quickly exposing his heel and trying to force the tap as the crowd gets behind him. Colvin escapes after a little trouble and wags a finger at the crowd to tell them he wasn’t in trouble. Colvin continues passing and dives over the top to expose Hue’s back for a brief second but can’t quite finish it and has to return to standing again. He dives over the top with a chinstrap but can’t keep a hold of it and has to return to handfighting as Hue starts goading him again. Hue attacks a violin armbar and gets a good grip on it but Colvin stays calm and manages to post off his head to create enough space to escape. Colvin tries another rolling backtake but Hue counters with a quick leg-entry that he doesn’t have enough time to do anything with before the round ends.
Hunter Colvin v Jed Hue – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Kieran Davern starts off his match with Roberto Jimenez with an immediate Iminari roll but Jimenez stays on top. He gets swept quickly though and Davern tries to attack a front headlock, only to see Jimenez scramble free and take top position. Davern hits another sweep but can’t quite solidify top position and ends up working open guard again. Jimenez hits a beautiful pass in one motion and holds side control, switching to north south before driving Davern over to expose his back. He can’t get both hooks in before Davern escapes, although he manages to stay on top and eventually pass again. He stays in knee-on-belly for a moment before attempting a rolling backtake that he can’t quite finish. As Davern tries to reset, Jimenez keeps the pressure on and passes again, this time managing to secure the back. He switches to a body triangle and works frantically for the choke but the pair go out of bounds. When they get reset, Jimenez switches to mount and attacks an arm-triangle before switching to the back one last time as the round ends.
Roberto Jimenez v Kieran Davern – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Jon Blank steps up for what will likely be his final match against Ben Dyson and sits to guard to face him. Dyson attempts a rolling kimura but can’t free his leg from half-guard and has to return to passing at a slower pace instead. Blank attacks a wristlock to keep Dyson’s hands off him and manages to get underneath him to attack a heelhook, even trying to scoot further into the center to avoid going out of bounds. Dyson does manage to kick his foot free and accidentally hits Blank’s groin, requiring a short break in the action. The pair get reset and Dyson works hard to get an upper-body control as he’s passing but Blank is using a knee-shield to keep his opponent off him. Blank ends up standing once he’s given some space and attempts a flying armbar but Dyson slips free, with Blank slamming himself to the mat as a result. The remaining seconds go by with Blank on his back waiting for Dyson to commit to a pass.
Jon Blank v Ben Dyson – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Nick Ronan meets Ross Nicholls in the center for the second time tonight, with Nicholls sitting to guard immediately. Nicholls is working at a fast pace from the bottom though as he tries to force his opponent to make an error. He comes up on a single-leg and switches to attacking the ankle of the free leg when Ronan defends. There’s a rip in his shorts as a result so the action pauses for a few seconds as he quickly changes into a new pair. They continue and Nicholls attempts to come up again but forces Ronan out of bounds instead. Immediately after the reset, Nicholls inverts and tries to get a leg entry with Ronan quickly reacting and stepping free. Ronan attempts a diving kimura but can’t finish it and Nicholls returns to playing guard, coming up on a single-leg and driving him out of bounds again. Nicholls inverts once again when they reset and comes up on top as Ronan defends, diving on a guillotine within half a second. He gets a deep grip and definitely troubles Ronan but the round ends before he can finish it.
Nick Ronan v Ross Nicholls – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Roberto Jimenez comes up against Bradley Hill and he shoots in quickly but gets shut down. Hill lands a clean throw-by and tries to attack the back but gets countered and thrown to the mat by Jimenez. He attempts to scramble free but Jimenez manages to sink in both hooks before trapping an arm with a body triangle. From there he sinks in the choke almost immediately and gets the tap within a minute.
Roberto Jimenez defeats Bradley Hill by Rear-Naked Choke – Team USA go 4-0 up!
Ellis Younger comes on to face Jimenez and sits to guard once the match starts. Jimenez starts passing before sitting back and turning to lock up a kneebar but Younger works his way free in the end. Jimenez gets to double-under position and comes within inches of finishing the stack pass but Younger creates space and forces Jimenez back. Younger starts working really hard for a leg entry but can’t quite get there against the bigger man, so Jimenez resumes his crushing guard-passes. Younger turns his hips for an armbar but Jimenez rips free and attacks the back straight away, causing Younger to create space to stay safe. Younger starts working from reverse de la riva and nearly hits a sweep before accidentally exposing his back going for another. Jimenez gets perfect back control and switches to an armbar, fully extending Younger’s arm for a moment before he manages a hitchhiker escape just a second before the time runs out.
Roberto Jimenez v Ellis Younger – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Co-captain Geo Martinez is up again, taking on Dan Strauss this time around. He attempts a kani basami takedown early but can’t secure the position and Strauss chooses to sit to guard instead of wrestle him. Martinez starts working to pass and attacking the far-side arm to do so from half-guard. As Martinez starts working frantically to pass, Strauss starts tapping out of nowhere! He stands up holding his chest/shoulder-area and looks visibly concerned, indicating that he’s injured and unable to continue.
Geo Martinez submits Dan Strauss via Injury – Team USA extend their lead to 7-0!
Team USA call a time out to replace Martinez with Adam Benayoun who will take on Jed Hue. Benayoun sits to guard and Hue takes a shot to the face as he steps in, causing a brief pause in the action. Hue sits back to enter the saddle but Benayoun manages to work his way free, with Hue attacking the back immediately. In doing so, Hue exposes himself to a 50/50 entry but manages to recognize the danger and escape immediately. Benayoun stays on the bottom and tries to elevate Hue but is shut down before Hue sits back for a heelhook again. Benayoun escapes again and comes up on top with Hue transitioning to X-guard in the process. He sweeps Benayoun and tries to berimbolo to take the back but can’t quite keep control of his legs while doing so. Hue comes up on top with Benayoun moving to X-guard this time around, he elevates and sweeps him but Hue manages to get a bite on the ankle in the transition. He can’t get the finish as Benayoun turns and escapes, both men scramble frantically in the dying seconds but it’s too late for either one to make anything happen.
Adam Benayoun v Jed Hue – Draw and Double-Elimination.
The final match of the night sees Team USA Co-captain Richie Martinez step against Ben Dyson for a two-and-a-half minute match. Dyson pulls guard early and takes an overhook but Martinez takes a body-lock and is content to stay there as Dyson tries to switch to a guillotine. Martinez stays tight to Dyson’s body and attempts a step over that encourages Dyson to hip-bump sweep hip. In doing so, Dyson opens his guard that allows Martinez to use that reaping leg to attack a heelhook but Dyson rolls to defend as they go out of bounds. The pair get reset in the center and Dyson takes top position but there’s only a few seconds left before the whole squads match ends.
Richie Martinez v Ben Dyson – Draw and Double-Elimination.
Full-Time – Team USA Wins 7-0!
The event was actually a lot closer than the scoreline portrays, with there only being two submissions and one injury. With Nathan Orchard and Roberto Jimenez both managing to submit an opponent, Orchard takes home man of the match honors for his unique neck crank attack and the fact that he did so against a bigger man. It was him putting the first points on the board that clearly spurred Team USA on and made the difference in the energy that they were bringing into their fights. All-in-all, Polaris Squads 3 has shown once again that the promotion has hit on to a winning formula with these events.
The full Polaris Squads 3 event will be streamed live and available for replay on UFC FightPass, click here to subscribe and watch.
