After a quick break following their first all-female event at F2W 162, Fight 2 Win is back in Dallas for F2W 163, and they’ve released some of the electrifying matches for their lineup.
The main event for F2W 163 will be for the lightweight gi title, which Kennedy Maciel first claimed from Osvaldo “Queixinho” Moizinho back in September at F2W 151. This time around, Maciel will be defending his title against Diego “Pato” Oliveira, who’s making a quick turnaround following his last promotional appearance at F2W 161.
Maciel managed to have a busy and successful 2020 despite the pandemic, taking home featherweight gold at No-Gi Pans against Gabriel Sousa. His most recent F2W appearance saw him tap out Junny Ocasio in a no-gi match in the main event of F2W 156, and he’ll be riding that momentum (plus that of his most recent victory — a referee decision against Geo Martinez at Who’s Number One 5) as he readies himself for his title defense.
Oliveira, however, is deep in the win column himself, with a split-decision victory against Gabriel Sousa being the most recent of his many triumphs. He was also active last year, taking home a series of wins at events like the Rio Challenge, the European Pro, and BJJ Bet. This will be a can’t-miss title match between two of the best in the division.
Another big match that evening will take place between Max Gimenis and Aaron “Tex” Johnson. Though Johnson was submitted by Kaynan Duarte in the finals of No-Gi Pans this year, he’s currently on a two-match winning streak for F2W. His most recent promotional appearance saw him submit Arnaldo Maidana at F2W 161, and he was eager to come back as quickly as possible for another opportunity on the stage. He’ll certainly have his hands full against Gimenis, who took home a dominant win against Luiz Panza to claim gold at Pans last year. This won’t be the first match these two have had — Gimenis defeated Johnson at No-Gi Worlds in 2018, then again in the finals of No-Gi Pans in 2019. Will he pull off a third win against Johnson, or will Johnson get his first black belt win against Gimenis?
Finally, Pedro Marinho will be facing off against Matheus Luna in a no-gi match earlier in the evening. Both competitors are F2W veterans, and Luna took home silver at last year’s Pans. Marinho most recently took home a win over Gabriel Almeida at F2W 160, and he’ll be hoping to have similar success at F2W 163.
As always, the rest of the card will packed with local talent, and we can expect some exciting finishes with the submission-only format on the famous stage.
F2W 163 will take place on Saturday, February 13 in Dallas, Texas, and can be streamed live on FloGrappling.
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