In a close match in the open weight finals of Pans 2021, Yara Soares and Ana Carolina Vieira faced off in a match that went the distance. In the end, Soares came away with the hard-fought victory.
This match earned both competitors their second medal of the day — Vieira won the medium-heavyweight title against Elisabeth Clay earlier on, while Soares earned silver in the super heavyweight division after her finals match with Gabrieli Pessanha.
A double guard-pull kicked off the action, with Vieira being the one to come on top to pass. Soares worked in a lasso, keeping her opponent at bay while Vieira tried to free herself from the grip. Vieira stayed low and kept heavy pressure while working to pass, but Soares’ guard retention was strong. With five minutes to go, no points were on the board.
Soares maintained her lasso and a grip on Vieira’s pant leg, attempting a sweep that Vieira successfully defended against. As Vieira worked her way around, Soares found herself in the position for a potential omoplata. She successfully landed the sweep, putting up the first two points of the match, while battling against Vieira’s leg to try to pass the guard. Vieira turtled up and ultimately chose to invert, Soares keeping heavy pressure down and earning an advantage as the clock wound down in the final minute of the match.
In the remaining twenty seconds of the match, Soares went for a bow-and-arrow choke, and though Vieira was able to escape the submission attempt, she wasn’t able to recover the points. The match ended with Soares two points and two advantages ahead, and she and Vieira shared an emotional embrace on the mats.
Yara Soares was declared the open weight champion at IBJJF Pans 2021.
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