True to his own prediction months ago, Luke Griffith — the up-and-coming New Wave brown belt who famously left his South African hometown for an opportunity to train under John Danaher — earned an impressive submission victory over a dangerous GrappleFest veteran in Roger Gracie black belt Santeri Lilius.
In video highlights from GrappleFest 15’s main event, Griffith can be seen inverting into a slick leg entanglement, and finding his way to an inside heel hook that forced a reluctant tap from Lilius.
In his post-match interview, Griffith thanked GrappleFest promoters for the opportunity to headline a major show, the likes of which he remembers watching back when he was growing up back in South Africa.
“It was a great experience competing In front of such a lively Liverpool crowd!” enthused Griffith in an Instagram post celebrating his victory. “Congratulations to my teammates who all won via submission in impressive fashion. Hopefully we will be back soon.”
For more on Luke Griffith, read our exclusive interview on his journey from Johannesburg to Texas, and what’s next for the South African giant.
