The first installment of Evolve Ur Game delivered on its promise to put on a serious show, with some of the best athletes in the world going head to head to determine who would win the $10,000 grand prize. The event finished off with a highly technical superfight between Mayssa Bastos and Jessa Khan and then the finals of the eight-man tournament, where Atos’ Andy Murasaki made a statement in his black belt debut against fellow finalist Matheus Gabriel.
Prelims:
- Ashlee Funegra def. Amara Sofia via points
- Jalen Fonacier def. Desmond Rubio via choke
- Jhenifer Aquino def. Julia Balmante via points
Round 1:
- Matheus Gabriel def. Johnatha Alves via points
- Andy Murasaki def. Kennedy Macial via referee decision
- Marcio Andre def. Isaac Doederlein via referee decision
- Gianni Grippo def. Johnny Tama via points
Semifinals:
- Mateus Gabriel def. Marcio Andre via referee decision
- Andy Murasaki def. Gianni Grippo via triangle choke
Superfight
Jessa Khan vs. Mayssa Bastos
Bastos immediately sat guard and worked in lasso grips. Khan worked her way on top of Bastos’ legs, trying to pass as Bastos worked to find an advantageous angle from beneath her opponent. Khan then sat back in 50/50, trying to control Bastos’ leg while Bastos worked to separate Khan’s feet and establish sleeve grips. Bastos then came up for two points, stacking Khan for a pass attempt. Though she managed briefly to get Khan’s legs to the side, Khan capitalized on the sudden allotment of space and came up for a sweep of her own, evening up the scoreboard. Bastos’ attempt to regain the top position led to a scramble, and though Khan went for a solid kneebar attempt, it was Bastos who emerged victorious with a pass and then back take and then mount, bringing the score to 12-2 in Bastos’ favor with a minute and thirty seconds left to go. Khan managed to buck herself into top position, but she was still trapped inside Bastos’ closed guard. Bastos opened her guard as Khan stood up. Bastos used her DLR guard to get the sweep, pass, and mount, bringing the score to 21-2. With just a few seconds left, she tried to put an exclamation point on a dominant match with an armbar, but Khan escaped the submission attempt.
Mayssa Bastos was declared the winner via points.
Finals
Mateus Gabriel vs. Andy Murasaki
Gabriel immediately sat guard, and Murasaki nearly managed to score a quick pass with a leg drag attempt. When that failed, he briefly switched to pressure passing, with Gabriel working to control his opponent’s leg with the help of a lapel. Murasaki stayed relentless with his passing attempts, and Gabriel kept himself safe with that lapel/belt grip around Murasaki’s leg. Murasaki then pinned his opponent’s leg to the ground and came very close to a pass, but Gabriel slipped a knee in and reestablished his guard before Murasaki could get points. The battle between passing and retention went strong until the final thirty seconds of the match, when Gabriel used his DLR guard to try to sweep Murasaki. With ten seconds left, a desperate scramble ensued as Gabriel tried to take the back as Murasaki resisted. The competitors tumbled to the edge of the stage and were reset on the feet with four seconds to go. Both athletes charged forward as time resumed, with Gabriel trying unsuccessfully to score a takedown before time ran out with no points on the board.
Andy Murasaki was declared the winner via referee decision, taking home the $10,000 prize for the inaugural Evolve Ur Game event.
