Two of the best featherweights in the world met in the finals at the 2020 IBJJF No-Gi Pans as Gabriel Sousa and Kennedy Maciel faced off for the featherweight title.
A double guard-pull started the action, and though Sousa stood up to pass, Maciel stayed down for just a moment longer, ultimately coming up with a leg and taking Sousa to the ground for two points in the first fifteen seconds of the match. Sousa worked to attack Maciel’s right leg, and Maciel worked for a leg attack of his own on Sousa. It didn’t take long for it to work in Maciel’s favor — Sousa tapped quickly and stayed down on the mat with an apparently injured knee, and Maciel was declared the champion.
This was Maciel’s first win at an IBJJF Pan American tournament as a black belt, though he won in the gi as a brown belt in 2018. His victory at this year’s No-Gi Pans comes after defeating Orlando Castillo in the semifinals with a choke from the back.
You can see this match and many more as this year’s No-Gi Pans stream live on FloGrappling.
