The Lightweight Pro Invitational presented by Five Grappling will certainly be a heated battle that you do not want to miss. The competition, which is set to take place in San Diego on July 15th, consists of fights between eight of the world’s best grapplers under 155 pounds. In order to get a feel for the event, let’s take a look at some of the competitors.
Wallace Santos
Wallace Santos fights out of Soul Fighters Las Vegas, Nevada. Prior to living in Vegas, Santos resided in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Francisco Iturralde
Francisco Iturralde, a.k.a. “Sinestro,” is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. His most successful strategy for submission has been the rear naked choke, and he may use this strategy during the invitational. Sinestro is an IBJJF World Champion in the blue and purple belt divisions.
Shane Hill-Taylor
Shane Hill-Taylor is an American jiu-jitsu black belt who was born in Maryland. Hill-Taylor trains under Team Lloyd Irvin. Shane is an IBJJF World Champion in the blue, purple, and brown belt divisions.
Brandon Walensky
Brandon Walensky is an American-born grappler who earned his black belt in Brazillian jiu-jitsu at age 19. His accomplishments include coming in first at the IBJJF Worlds NoGi in 2015.
Lucas Pinheiro
Lucas Pinheiro, a.k.a. “Bad Boy,” is an accomplished fighter from Amazonas, Brazil. Pinheiro’s loves guard passing, and he’ll almost certainly be doing plenty of that on July 15. Lucas Pinheiro is an IBJJF Pan American silver medalist in 2016 and 2017.
Samuel Braga
Samuel Braga is yet another Brazilian-born grappler. Braga’s best technique is the berimbolo, which he’ll probably utilize during the competition. Samuel Braga is a three-time IBJJF Black Belt World Champion.
Gianni Grippo
Gianni Grippo a New York-born fighter and grappler who is commonly cited as one of the best of his generation. Grippo seems to favor submission wins via chokes from the back. He is a IBJJF World Champion at blue, purple, and brown belt.
Leonardo Saggiora
Leonardo Saggiora is a Brazilian grappler and five-time IBJJF Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Champion.
Watch Live!
This tournament is surely going to be one to remember. You can watch the invitational live on FloGrappling’s website.
