Polaris returns for it’s 17th event and they’re back to normal ways.
After the huge success of their squads events, which pitted two teams of 8 grapplers against each other in an elimination style matchup, Polaris are back to their original super fight format.
Held on Saturday 9th October 2021, at the Central Hall in Southampton, Polaris 17 looks to bring back Aussie favourite, Craig Jones, to defend his Middleweight title.
Widely regarded as the best submission grappling show in the world, Polaris features 12 matches on the main and prelim card.
Polaris 17 Main Card
Robert Degle vs Kamil Wilk
Our first match on the main card features Danaher student and BJJ black belt Robert Degle go up against Polaris squads veteran Kamil Wilk.
Both men are seasoned grapplers who both favour footlocks as their submission of choice. Expect Degle to pull and enter into some leg entanglement entries that will baffle the casual viewer. This is expected to be a very tecnical, high level game of chess with dangerous consequences.
Fred Greenall vs Tarik Hopstock
After replacing the current European ADCC Trials champion Eogan O’Flanagan, undefeated Fred Greenall is going up against his biggest challenge yet.
Brown belt Tarik Hopstock, is one of Europes standout competitors. Tarik featured on the European Squads team, and while they were defeated, his last Polaris superfight saw him defeat the formidable Sean McDonagh with his patented Tarikoplata.
This match looks to be explosive with Hopstock being the favourite in this matchup, but Greenall has not been on the backfoot on the Polaris stage, so he will be going out all guns blazing, on one week’s notice.
Mateusz Szcecinski vs Ellis Younger
Riding high from his European Trials run, which included submitted Ross Nicholls, Mateusz Szcecinski is back to face off against Squads veteran Ellis Younger.
Both competitors have had excellent outings on the mainstage during squads but how will they perform under the superfight lights?
Both competitors will be out to make a name for themselves, expect some exciting standup and wrestling from both competitors, with Szcecinski having the advantage in the leglock battles.
Kody Steele vs Jed Hue
The new generation is here and it’s exciting. Recently promoted black belt Jed Hue, is no stranger to Polaris, competing on two squads teams and superfights, but Kody Steele is no joke.
Kody is part of the American new wave of jiu-jitsu that have been making huge names for themselves. Kody’s explosive Wrestle-Jitsu has seen him launch opponents such as Edwin Najmi with huge take downs.
Expect Jed to pull, while Kody looks to pass. This is a big match for both players, if Jed can overcome Kody’s pressure, it will increase his stock tenfold.
Venla Luukkonen vs Kendall Reusing
After coming of a fantastic performance at the Who’s Number One championship, Kendall Reusing now makes her Polaris debut!
Venla Luukkonen is a veteran of the Polaris mainstage, however the last time she graced the superfight format was in 2018 with a win over Samantha Cook.
Kendall is known for her agressive wrestling and Venla is looking to shake off the ring rust after no competitions thanks to COVID-19. An interesting matchup for sure.
Craig Jones vs Davi Ramos
Our main event features everyone’s second favourite grappler Craig Jones defending his title against UFC veteran Davi Ramos.
Our honest opinion is will be a repeat of Craig’s matchup against Jake Shields. Ramos’ record in professional grappling is unfortnately poor, but we’re in hope that this match will last longer than that.
The toughest part of this match for Craig will be making weight!
Polaris 17 Prelims
One of the most exciting parts about Polaris are the preliminary bouts, that showcase some of Europe’s top up and comers.
The main one to watch out for will be the headline prelim bout between Jack Sears and Ollie Bates. Both guys are coming off the back of their last Polaris wins and this match will really help decided the question about who is the best up and comer in the UK.
Other prelim matches to watch out for include the first prelim match of the night Abbie O’toole against Maia Holmes, the return of Shane Curtis against the dangerous Ben Hill and UK Grand Prix and Squads veteran Dominic Dillon against Scott Poodley.
Catch Polaris 17 live on UFC Fight Pass, or watch you can buy tickets to watch it live here.