Weekend Recap: Slaughter Squad Lives Up to the Name, Beatrice Jin Goes Big & More
Finishers Sub-Only Survivor Series leads the way on another great weekend of action in BJJ
Finishers Sub-Only was pegged as can’t-miss action by anyone who knew anything about the competitive grappling scene and it lived up to the hype and more this Sunday with 35 women coming together to deliver match after match of exciting BJJ. While there’s no shortage of standout performances to rave about from the day, it was the top-seeded Slaughter Squad who stood atop the pile after 37 matches of non-stop action.
Led by Finishers 155-lbs. Champion Marissa Pacelli, whose title saw the team earn the bracket’s lone valuable bye, Slaughter Squad took out a talented Team Turnpike in the semifinals to earn a match with Team Wildcard for the title. The final was a back-and-forth affair with Slaughter Squad taking the lead early when Pacelli eliminated Wildcard’s Ally Wolski, only for the runaway elimination leader Sheliah Lindsey to come on for Wildcard and take out both Pacelli and Sharon Meguira to put the Wildcard side ahead.
Peyton Letcher got her first match of the day next for Slaughter Squad and stole the momentum right back, ending Lindsey’s 6-0 run with a kneebar to level things up before a hard-fought draw with Wildcard’s Maka Vickers left things all knotted up at two grapplers remaining per team.
Slaughter Squad brought in Vanessa Comeau who got the championship push across the line, first securing a head & arm choke in the late stages against Randi Miley to avoid a winner-take-all final match should both team’s have found themselves on their last grappler at the same time. Next, facing off against Wildcard’s anchor Lauren Sears, Comeau saw out a fun back-and-forth bout that went the distance, eliminating both grapplers but handing the title to Slaughter Squad who still had Michelle Estrada in reserve.
While Slaughter Squad won the big prize, the day was littered with amazing performances from grapplers up and down the final finish order. From the opening match, where Zania Walker took everything that Lauren Sears could throw at her but held on for the double-elimination, to a pair of semifinal rounds that showed a draw-heavy match-up doesn’t have to mean a boring one, there was hardly a moment to catch your breath before the next awesome match was underway.
With so many young grapplers and lower belts putting on stellar showings on the mats in matches they were outmatched on-paper I could be here all day singing the praises of the competitors. I will take one small moment to again shout-out Lindsey for a truly dominant run which saw her on her sixth match of the day before even accruing enough mat time for one draw. With a 6-1 record she was the MVP on the day even with Team Wildcard coming up one grappler short on their quest for 15 eliminations to the title.
Finishers continues to put on some of the best shows in the sport while showing outstanding support to the women’s divisions. I’ll be looking forward to my next chance to get out there and take in a day of fun grappling from an organization that’s putting their booking where the mouth is when it comes to representation on BJJ cards.
Four Pick Up Wins on the Superfight Circuit
While it was a quieter weekend outside of Survivor Series when it came to women’s matches there were still some promotions in action with a couple matches apiece. At Spokane Submission Series Rana Willink picked up her second superfight win of the year when she caught a second-minute heel hook on April Mclain. Elsewhere on the card, standout Jaine Fragoso kept Sarah Paul on the defensive for the majority of their bout but the judges were ultimately required as neither secured a finish, leading to a decision victory for Fragoso. Earlier in the day and across an ocean, RAW Grappling Championship featured a pair of women’s undercard bouts with both going to points in overtime as Chloe Roberts topped Matylda Czurejno and Annica von Mantripp got the best of Emma Hitchman.
Virginia and Los Angeles Welcome IBJJF to Town
After a hectic four-event weekend for IBJJF last weekend, this weekend saw just a pair of coastal options for grapplers. Lightweight Beatrice Jin stole the show in Virginia with her showings against larger opponents in No-Gi, first moving up to Medium Heavyweight and capturing gold before jumping into the open division and doing likewise, wracking up four leg locks against her larger foes throughout the two runs. Across the country in Los Angeles, Maca Vicentini and Melissa Stricker took each other in on both the Heavyweight and Open finals, with Vicentini capturing the division crown before Stricker got it back in Absolute.
Full BJJ Event Results - March 1 & 2
Here’s the full rundown of this weekend’s action. Links to replays of matches included where available. Links to Survivor Series and Spokane Submission Series require an active Flo subscription.
Finishers Sub-Only Survivor Series 3 Results
Quarterfinal 1: Team Wildcard defeats Purple Reign (5-0)
Lauren Sears (WC) and Zania Walker (PR) Draw (8:00)
Sheliah Lindsey (WC) defeats Aaremey Cathey (PR) by Rear Naked Choke (0:59)
Sheliah Lindsey (WC) defeats Amy-Lynn Camilli (PR) by Guillotine Choke (0:54)
Sheliah Lindsey (WC) defeats Angelina Hernandez (PR) by Rear Naked Choke (0:26)
Sheliah Lindsey (WC) defeats Sydney Lehman (PR) by Head & Arm Choke (4:07)
Quarterfinal 2: Team Drakaina defeats Supernatural Survival Squad (5-2)
Terah Hieber (TD) defeats Willow Crawford (SSS) by Armbar (0:36)
Terah Hieber (TD) defeats Rachel Yang (SSS) by Armbar (4:04)
Skyler Munson (SSS) defeats Terah Hieber (TD) by Triangle-Armbar (4:31)
Jessica Collette (TD) defeats Skyler Munson (SSS) by Rear Naked Choke (2:23)
Jessica Collette (TD) defeats Addison Decker (SSS) by Head & Arm Choke (6:53)
Nichelle Johnson (SSS) defeats Jessica Collette (TD) by Guillotine (0:29)
Taylor Sausser (TD) defeats Nichelle Johnson (SSS) by Foot Lock (7:06)
Quarterfinal 3: Turnpike Terrors defeat Arm Barbies (5-3)
Maiah Yankello (TT) and Justice Stanford (AB) Draw (8:00)
Ansley Cox (TT) defeats Angelina Kilhefner (AB) by Rear Naked Choke (0:27) (Match at 1:25:30)
Ansley Cox (TT) defeats Ina Alivio (AB) by Head & Arm Choke (5:16)
Gabby Best (AB) defeats Ansley Cox (TT) by Armbar (0:53)
Monica Au-Yeung (TT) defeats Gabby Best (AB) by Footlock (0:16)
Adelina Alvarez (AB) defeats Monica Au-Yeung (TT) by Guillotine Choke (2:36)
Kelly Zaccheo (TT) defeats Adelina Alvarez (AB) by Head & Arm Choke (1:43)
Semifinal 1: Team Wildcard defeats Team Drakaina (5-3)
Randi Miley (WC) and Katie Laablalli Beiirut-Kloth (TD) Draw (8:00)
Maka Vickers (WC) defeats Maria Cannon (TD) by Rear Naked Choke (5:54)
Maka Vickers (WC) and Terah Hieber (TD) Draw (8:00)
Ally Wolski (WC) defeats Jessica Collette (TD) by Armbar (2:03)
Ally Wolski (WC) and Taylor Sausser (TD) Draw (8:00)
Semifinal 2: Slaughter Squad defeats Turnpike Terrors (5-3)
Sharon Meguira (SlS) defeats Cindy Ung (TT) by D'Arce Choke (1:56)
Sharon Meguira (SlS) and Maiah Yankello (TT) Draw (8:00)
Vanessa Comeau (SlS) defeats Monica Au-Yeung (TT) by Kneebar (6:27)
Vanessa Comeau (SlS) and Kelly Zaccheo (TT) Draw (8:00)
Ansley Cox (TT) defeats Michelle Estrada (SlS) by Rear Naked Choke (4:35)
Marissa Pacelli (SlS) defeats Ansley Cox (TT) by Armbar (0:36)
Final: Slaughter Squad defeats Team Wildcard (5-4)
Marissa Pacelli (SlS) defeats Ally Wolski (WC) by Footlock (0:45)
Sheliah Lindsey (WC) defeats Marissa Pacelli (SlS) by Rear Naked Choke (1:21)
Sheliah Lindsey (WC) defeats Sharon Meguira (SlS) by Kneebar (4:49)
Peyton Letcher (SlS) defeats Sheliah Lindsey (WC) by Triangle-Kimura (0:23)
Peyton Letcher (SlS) and Maka Vickers (WC) Draw (8:00)
Vanessa Comeau (SlS) defeats Randi Miley (WC) by Head & Arm Choke (6:18)
Vanessa Comeau (SlS) and Lauren Sears (WC) Draw (8:00)
Spokane Submission Series Results
Rana Willink defeats April Mclain by Heel Hook (1:14)
Jaine Fragoso defeats Sarah Paul by Decision (8:00)
RAW Grappling Challenge Results
Chloe Roberts defeats Matylda Czurejno by Points in Overtime
Annica Mantripp defeats Emma Hitchman by Points in Overtime
IBJJF Virginia Open Results
IBJJF Virginia Open Gi Results
152 Semifinal: Graciele del Fava defeats Gabrielle Czernik by Points (2-0, 1-1, 0-0)
152 Semifinal: Vanessa Griffin defeats Graciele del Fava by Points (9-0, 2-1, 0-0)
152 Final: Vanessa Griffin defeats Gabrielle Czernik by Kimura (3:45)
152 M2 Final: Adriana Rascon defeats Kaitlin Wonder by Points (2-0, 2-1, 0-0)
181.5+ Final: Jamie Pan Leland defeats Suzanne Beall by Wristlock (3:02)
167.5 M2 Semifinal: Vedha Toscano defeats Marcia Karina Figueieredo by Triangle (3:12)
167.5 M2 Semifinal: Glaucia Braga defeats Marcia Karina Figueieredo by Rear Collar Choke (1:26)
167.5 M2 Final: Vedha Toscano defeats Glaucia Braga by Triangle (4:47)
Absolute M1 Semifinal: Glaucia Braga defeats Jill Schnitzler by Points (13-0, 0-0, 0-0)
Absolute M1 Semifinal: Marcia Karina Figueieredo defeats Jill Schnitzler by Points (6-0, 4-0, 1-1)
Absolute M1 Final: Glaucia Braga defeats Marcia Karina Figueieredo by Points (2-0, 1-0, 0-0)
Absolute Quarterfinal: Giulia Frederica Chen-Dardani defeats Colleen Sorey by Armbar (8:09)
Absolute Semifinal: Vanessa Griffin defeats Beatrice Jin by Points (3-2, 3-0, 0-0)
Absolute Semifinal: Maria Malyjasiak defeats Giulia Frederica Chen-Dardani by Armbar (1:13)
Absolute Final: Maria Malyjasiak defeats Vanessa Griffin by Points (4-2, 0-0, 1-1)
Absolute M2 Semifinal: Adriana Rascon defeats Charlene Dixon by Bow & Arrow (2:29)
Absolute M3 Semifinal: Jeileen Alvarez defeats Kaitlin Wonder by Advantages (0-0, 2-0, 0-0)
IBJJF Virginia Open No-Gi Results
167.5 Semifinal: Beatrice Jin defeats Marcia Karina Figueiredo by Kneebar (5:08)
167.5 Semifinal: Marcia Karina Figueieredo defeats Graciele del Fava by Advantages (0-0, 1-0, 0-0)
167.5 Final: Beatrice Jin defeats Marcia Karina Figueiredo by Heel Hook (Inside) (2:09)
Absolute Semifinal: Colleen Sorey defeats Marcia Karina Figueiredo by Points (4-2, 0-1, 0-0)
Absolute Semifinal: Beatrice Jin defeats Marcia Karina Figueiredo by Heel Hook (Inside) (2:07)
Absolute Final: Beatrice Jin defeats Colleen Sorey by Heel Hook (Outside) (0:49)
IBJJF Los Angeles Open Results
IBJJF Los Angeles Open Gi Results
107 Semifinal: Mariana Rolszt defeats Melody Won
107 Final: Mariana Rolszt defeats Gabby Etzel
181.5 Final: Maca Vicentini defeats Melissa Stricker
125.5 Final: Emily Nicholson defeats Esther Garwood
181.5+ Final: Michelle Nicole defeats Kylie Lasater
167.5 M4 Final: Jill Baker defeats Vanessa Lozano
125.5 M2 Semifinal: Celeste Cronin defeats Claudia Henriquez
125.5 M2 Semifinal: Mylene Engle defeats Melissa Campanella
125.5 M2 Final: Celeste Cronin defeats Celeste Cronin
152 M2 Final: Jessica Sanchez defeats Sarah Cunningham
138.5 Final: Amy Fidelis defeats Amy Alonso
138.5 M1 Semifinal: Lillian Tran defeats Barbara Welle
138.5 M1 Semifinal: Karolina Vorgeas defeats Pamela Rocha
138.5 M1 Final: Lillian Tran defeats Karolina Vorgeas
115 M2 Final: Marne Chiccarelli defeats Evelyn Song
181.5 M4 Final: Megan Tidgewell defeats Melissa Silva
Absolute Quarterfinal: Amanda Bruse defeats Emily Nicholson
Absolute Quarterfinal: Maca Vicentini defeats Kylie Lasater
Absolute Quarterfinal: Nadia Frankland defeats Luciane dos Santos Silva
Absolute Semifinal: Melissa Stricker defeats Amanda Bruse
Absolute Semifinal: Maca Vicentini defeats Nadia Frankland
Absolute Final: Melissa Stricker defeats Maca Vicentini
Absolute M1 Semifinal: Mayra Mazza defeats Barbara Welle
Absolute M1 Semifinal: Maria Dulce von Rosenthal defeats Barbara Welle
Absolute M1 Final: Maria Dulce von Rosenthal defeats Mayra Mazza
Absolute M2 Quarterfinal: Mylene Engle defeats Sarah Cunningham
Absolute M2 Quarterfinal: Ashley Nazareno defeats Jessica Jean Sanchez Camarillo
Absolute M2 Semifinal: Mylene Engle defeats Ashley Nazareno
Absolute M2 Semifinal: Leah Stumpf defeats Celeste Cronin
Absolute M2 Final: Leah Stumpf defeats Mylene Engle
Absolute M4 Semifinal: Vanessa Lozano defeats Melissa K Silva
Absolute M4 Semifinal: Amy Fidelis defeats Melissa K Silva
Absolute M4 Final: Vanessa Lozano defeats Amy Fidelis
IBJJF Los Angeles Open No-Gi Results
125.5 M2 Final: Celeste Cronin defeats Claudia Henriquez
138.5 M4 Final: Amy Alonso defeats Yi Liu-Williams