This weekend at ADCC Finland, two friends will become foes — or at least friendly rivals.
Atos founder Andre Galvao will be taking on his longtime friend and fellow Atos black belt, Claudio Calasans.
This is not the first time the two will face off on the mats. Galvao and Calasans met six years ago at the WJJPC Trials back in 2011. Andre won via advantages.
But in jiu-jitsu, a lot can change in six years. Who has the edge now?
Looking at Galvao’s gorilla-like frame and knowing about his intense training regimen, you might be tempted to believe he is the type of grappler who will muscle through his opponents. While it is true that he prefers wrestling to a takedown, pulling guard is certainly not below him. His 2013 match against Buchecha is a good example.
Galvao is perfectly comfortable in the guard, often using a closed guard or reverse De La Riva to set his opponents up for a sweep if a submission isn’t readily available.
However, when he is on top, Andre Galvao is certainly a pressure passer, often utilizing his superior size and strength to muscle through or around his opponents.
Simply put: Andre is a complete fighter, and whether he is on his back or on top, he is going to give Claudio Calasans a lot of trouble.
Looking at Calasans’ last two fights at World Pro, it is likely that the match will start with Claudio on his back. Calasans, after all, loves to pull guard, and his usual tactic from there is to go to closed guard and isolate an arm for any variety of submissions.
But let’s not forget that Claudio Calasans is a judo black belt, and if pulling guard doesn’t work, he still has plenty of tactics at his disposal to put the game to the ground. Claudio is more than able to take advantage of Andre’s penchant for takedowns and toss his friend onto his back early in the match.
So, who is my pick? I just have to go with Galvao. His strength combined with his well-developed top and bottom game will no doubt help him put the match in his favor. And then, of course, there is the fact that he won their first match.
That’s not to say it’s going to be an easy win for him. Andre is certainly going to have his work cut out. But I do believe he has a slight edge in this fight.
Who’s your pick for the Andre Galvao-Claudio Calasans match?
The post Friend To Foe: A Breakdown Of Andre Galvao Vs Claudio Calasans At ADCC Finland appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.