There was a lot of cool stuff that happened at ADCC this year, one of which was then-blue-belt Nick Rodriguez getting wins over multiple big-time black belts to make it to the finals, and another of which was the fact that former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum was in attendance.
Werdum was clearly paying attention, because now, 3rd Coast Grappling promoter Ryan McGuire has announced that Werdum has agreed to take a fight with Rodriguez at 3rd Coast Grappling III, which will take place on December 7.
Werdum himself is a highly accomplished grappler, having won ADCC and IBJJF Worlds twice each as a black belt. Putting him up against Rodriguez, who was promoted to purple belt on the podium over the weekend, might have seemed like a crazy idea a few months ago, but now, it’s a logical matchup that will test both athletes. Werdum has already proven that he’s one of the best grapplers of his generation, but then, Rodriguez proved over the weekend that he can beat grapplers of Werdum’s caliber by defeating Orlando Sanchez and Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu.
Also announced for the October 26 qualifier card is a match reminiscent of Lachlan Giles’ absolute matches at ADCC this year: Jordan Holy vs. Pedro Marinho. This match is a shake-up from the norm because it’s an intentional mismatch in terms of weight. Holy is a 145lb black belt, while Marinho is about 190lbs. Don’t count Holy out of this one, though — he’s made a name for himself in the sub-only scene with his leg locks, and Giles himself proved at ADCC that even an opponent as large as Marinho can be brought down with a properly executed heel hook despite his opponent being significantly smaller than him. McGuire intends for this match to be a challenge for both competitiors, and we’ll see if Holy can pull off an upset like Giles and become another “people’s champion” at 3CG III.
3CG III and 3CG: The Qualifiers will stream live on December 7 on Sub TV. The Jiu-Jitsu Times will continue to provide updates on the card as they become available.
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