Who’s Number One 29 is scheduled for July 25th, 2025 and we’ve put together a full preview of every match on the card. The main event is a battle between two veteran black belts, as Vagner Rocha returns from health issues to face resurgent Australian legend Kit Dale. The co-main event actually features another member of the Rocha family and an elite Australian competitor, as Jasmine Rocha takes on Adele Fornarino. Both of those matches should produce some great moments and there’s plenty of other action-packed matchups leading up to that, but unfortunately there’s no title-fights on the card this time around.
Who’s Number One 29 Full Card Preview
Kit Dale vs Vagner Rocha
If this match was booked more than 6 months ago then pretty much everybody would have bet the house on Vagner Rocha. He’s had consistent performances against the best in the world over the last few years and he had a particularly impressive run at ADCC 2024 that saw him win a silver medal. Kit Dale on the other hand hadn’t even competed in 4 years. Since then Dale has been on an absolute tear and even earned one of the biggest wins of his career when he beat Xande Ribeiro at WNO 28, while Rocha was sadly hospitalised with heart failure. This is Rocha’s first match back and it’s impossible to predict how much of a toll that might have taken so even though he should be the favorite on paper, Dale is definitely good enough to win this one.
Adele Fornarino vs Jasmine Rocha
Adele Fornarino has quickly become one of the top female no gi competitors in the world and as if winning her weight class wasn’t enough, she also won the absolute division at ADCC 2024 too. This is actually a rematch stemming from Fornarino’s run at under 55kg, as she came up against Jasmine Rocha in the semi-final and submitted her with an armbar. It was a fairly short match and there’s not a lot that can be learned from it, but Fornarino ran through that event as a whole and should be able to get the win here again.
Roberto Jimenez vs Ryan Aitken
Roberto Jimenez is one of the most exciting competitors around and his matches are always fun anyway, but this one might be a contender for Fight of the Night. Jimenez is excellent and forcing and then winning scrambles, usually because he finds the back and the submission shortly after. Ryan Aitken on the other hand is an excellent leglocker and he’s really improved his top-game and arm-triangle chokes to become a serious threat from all angles. Jimenez will have to keep a high pace to outwork Aitken and their strengths should actually play against each other beautifully, giving both men opportunities to win. Aitken is riding a great wave of momentum recently though, so he’s our pick to win here.
Gianni Grippo vs Max Hanson
Max Hanson stepped in on just a little over a week’s notice after Owen Jones pulled out, but he’s used to competing almost every weekend and that won’t phase him. Hanson is a very well-rounded grappler, but so is Gianni Grippo. Both men have good leglocks but Hanson might have an advantage in that area, whereas Grippo will make up for it with an excellent ability to take the back. Grippo has much more experience at the highest level too, but Hanson’s been the highlight of several smaller shows for a while now. Grippo would likely be the favorite for most people but we’re actually predicting that Hanson will get the upset.
Luccas Lira vs Sean Yadimarco
Sean Yadimarco is a solid competitor and he’s capable of giving Luccas Lira a run for his money for sure, but Lira has managed to deliver results at a higher level in the past. Lira has beaten several ADCC veterans over the past two years and would have competed at the big show himself, if not for experiencing visa issues. Lira also holds a win over Yadimarco from the Blue Collar FC: American Dream Conference, but that was almost two years ago now. Things may well play out differently this time around, but Lira is still going to be the favorite to win.
Roosevelt Sousa vs Igor Tanabe
This is another tough match to predict because of the different levels in recent activity, because Igor Tanabe has been focusing much more on his professional MMA career in the last few years. He’s obviously still been somewhat active though and it seems like he’s going to be doing more Jiu-Jitsu this year based on his appearance at the IBJJF Asian Championship. Tanabe is up against Roosevelt Sousa, who’s one of the most consistent heavyweights out there with a pretty high finishing-rate and great back-attacks. Sousa is the favorite but if Tanabe can find the same form he had prior to transitioning to MMA then he could come away with the win.
Michael Sainz vs Natan Chueng
Michael Sainz has been one of the top prospects in the no gi scene for a while now and he’s right in the middle of making the transition to fully-fledged contender. He’s had some great performances on the ADCC Open circuit but his last appearance here at WNO 26 saw him get a massive win. Sainz faces another tough test here to open the main card of Who’s Number One 29, as he’s up against veteran black belt Natan Chueng. Chueng might have the advantage in experience but Sainz puts on a relentless pace and should be able to wear him down for the decision win even if he can’t find the finish.
Preliminary Card
Jake O’Driscoll vs Gesias Cavalcante
The headline match of the preliminary card is an interesting one, as Gesias Cavalcante is an MMA veteran who was known for his slick grappling as far back as two decades ago. He’s been competing in grappling much more frequently in recent years, as his MMA career has wound down. The 41 year-old has been matched up against Jake O’Driscoll, Adele Fornarino’s primary coach and a fellow veteran black belt. Although Cavalcante is more well-known, O’Driscoll has shown himself to be an excellent coach and competitor. O’Driscoll should be able to get the win and his most likely path to success is through his leg-attacks.
Joslyn Molina vs Amy Grande
Amy Grande is a 10th Planet brown belt and a great grappler in her own right, but she’s up against a true prodigy in Joslyn Molina. Molina will be breaking the WNO record for youngest competitor not in a kids’ match, as she is just 13 years old. The Checkmat yellow belt is used to competing against grown women twice her age through, as she’s been winning several ADCC Opens against them over the past year or so. It’s entirely possible that this type of event might be too much and too soon, but Molina is an incredible talent and we’re predicting her to win.
Linus von Schrenk vs Andre Porfirio
Linus von Schrenk is training under Dima Murovanni and anyone who’s been paying attention will have heard his name, as Murovanni has sung his praises multiple times over. He has a ton of potential and could easily earn bigger opportunities thanks to his fast-paced and aggressive style. This is a really tough matchup for Von Schrenk though, as Andre Porfirio has seen and done it all already. He’s medalled at ADCC Trials and beaten multiple ADCC veterans throughout his career, often with his elite leglock-game. Porfirio should get the win here but his equally-aggressive style could be his downfall, as von Schrenk is more than capable of capitalizing on any mistakes he makes.
Matias Jimenez vs Tristan Sainz
The first match of the night actually fits in nicely with the family-theme later on in the card, as both of these men have older brothers competing later on. 19 year-old Matias Jimenez is very talented and just as exciting as his older brother Roberto, but he hasn’t really been tested at this level yet. Tristain Sainz is the 18 year-old brother of Michael and although he too hasn’t been on a show as big as this, he has shared the mats with some top guys through his frequent appearances on the ADCC Open circuit. Sainz should have the advantage on paper but technical development at this age is rapid and Jimenez could easily have made some strides that tip him over the edge recently.
The full Who’s Number One 29 live event, including the full card in the above preview, is available to watch on July 25th, 2025 on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
