Farmasi Arena, which has hosted numerous UFC events in Rio de
Janeiro, will welcome ACBJJ 23 on Nov. 13. The Russian promotion
unveiled the lineup Wednesday, featuring several prominent names
from grappling and the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In the main event, Rousimar
Palhares will face Andre
Galvao in a rematch of their 2011 ADCC under-88-kilogram final,
which Galvao won 9-4 in Nottingham, England. This time, the two
will compete at 100 kilograms under combat jiu-jitsu rules.
In the co-main event, UFC middleweights Kelvin
Gastelum and Rodolfo
Vieira will meet at 88 kilograms under grappling rules. Another
UFC veteran expected to appear on the card, though not yet
officially announced, is Edson
Barboza, according to information obtained by Sherdog.
Rousimar Palhares and Andre Galvao revisit 2011 ADCC final
under combat jiu-jitsu rules at ACBJJ 23
The rematch between Galvao and Palhares brings together two
accomplished Brazilian grapplers. Palhares, known as Toquinho, is
renowned for his heel hooks, with UFC heavyweight Valter
Walker citing him as a major influence.
Palhares competed in the UFC’s middleweight and welterweight
divisions from 2008 to 2013, recording eight wins in 12 fights,
including four by heel hook. The promotion released him after
repeated incidents of holding submissions beyond the referee’s
stoppage. He subsequently struggled to find opponents willing to
face him in high-profile grappling superfights.
Galvao, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the greatest competitors
in Brazilian jiu-jitsu history. A five-time world champion and
six-time ADCC champion, he also had a brief MMA career, compiling a
5-2 record before returning his focus to grappling and coaching the
Atos Jiu-Jitsu team.
Fifteen years after their ADCC final, the two will meet again, this
time with strikes to the body allowed.
“Combat Jiu-Jitsu allows punches and kicks to the body, but strikes
to the head are prohibited. The rounds are scored using the 10-9
system, with three criteria taken into account: impact, fight
control, and aggression,” event promoter and former UFC fighter
Davi
Ramos told Sherdog.
Kelvin Gastelum and Rodolfo Vieira meet in 88-kilogram
grappling match at ACBJJ 23
According to Ramos, the matchup between Gastelum and Vieira will
take place under standard grappling rules.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Vieira brings considerable grappling
credentials to his matchup against Gastelum. He has won five
Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championship titles and one ADCC
title.
Gastelum, a former UFC interim middleweight title challenger, has
faced several of the promotion’s biggest names throughout his MMA
career.
The matchup pits Vieira’s decorated jiu-jitsu background against
Gastelum’s wrestling experience, offering an attraction for both
grappling and MMA fans.