Jed Hue spoke to Grappling Insider about his recent run at the Polaris Middleweight Grand Prix, why he wants a match with Ash Williams, and much more.
Over the past couple of years, Jed Hue has quietly established himself as one of the UK’s top competitors on the no-gi scene.
Earlier this month at Polaris 22, the London-based black belt solidified his status as an elite talent when he competed in the Polaris Middleweight Grand Prix, defeating EBI champion Alan Sanchez and ADCC veteran Oliver Taza before losing to Roberto Jimenez in the final.
Hue recently sat down with Grappling Insider to break down his matches at Polaris 22, talk about why he wants a match with Ash Williams and a rematch with Jimenez, discuss who the UK’s top grappler is, and much more.
Check out the full interview below and highlights after.
During Hue’s semifinal match at Polaris 22 against Taza, the two grapplers shared a conversation:
“More and more people are starting to study my game… I was talking to Taza during the match. We had a little conversation during the match. And even at one point, he said to me that ‘I’ve been studying your game so I know what you’re gonna do’… I’ve been studying Taza for years anyway, but it was really cool for him to say that he studies me.”
Hue suffered a hard-fought defeat to Jimenez in the final of the Polaris Middleweight Grand Prix. Despite that loss, he’s confident the outcome would be different in a rematch:
“Overall, I’m not too disappointed in my performance. I feel like I had some good points but I am disappointed that I didn’t win because I know I can beat these guys. I can beat Roberto, I know I can beat him. Don’t get me wrong, he is good. He is very, very, very good, obviously. But I know I can beat him.
“And next year I hope we have a rematch because I’m telling you the result is going to be very different, I’m gonna submit him the next time we roll.”
Hue has been angling for a match against ADCC veteran and multiple-division Polaris champion Ash Williams, considered to be one of the UK’s top black belts. According to Hue, Williams continues to decline the challenge:
“I’m not much heavier than Ashley. When we walk around, I’m maybe 3 or 4 kilos heavier than him. That’s not actually that much weight, right? So obviously I wanted to get a match with him.
“The first excuse was I’m not a big enough name, I haven’t done anything. No problem. Give me a year and I’m gonna come back. After that year I had beaten some big names, I was like ‘are you ready now?’ I’ve got a bigger name now. ‘Oh no, you’re too heavy, you’re too big.’…
“I’ve been wanting that match for a while because one, he’s good. Two… he is one of the best guys in the country and I want to show that I am better than him. That’s all it is.”
Hue is known for his dangerous leg locks and practically impassable guard, while Williams is a tenacious and skilled guard passer. Hue believes that these stylistic differences favor him in a match-up against Williams:
The post ‘Stylistically I would wreck him’ – Jed Hue explains why he wants to face Ash Williams appeared first on Grappling Insider.“I feel like stylistically I would wreck him. I don’t think his style is built to beat me. What’s he gonna do, pass my guard? Not gonna happen…
“I don’t think he can pass my guard. I don’t think he’ll out-cardio me. I don’t think he’ll be stronger than me and I think certain skills that I am good at, he is very weak against. So I feel like I have an edge in pretty much every area of our match and I think he knows this too, that’s why he just won’t accept the match.”
The post ‘Stylistically I would wreck him’ – Jed Hue explains why he wants to face Ash Williams appeared first on Grappling Insider.