The first matches of the day at ADCC have already left the crowd screaming, “Holy s***” at the top of their lungs.
Nick Rodriguez, a BJJ blue belt with a wrestling background and about a year’s worth of jiu-jitsu experience, had already been on a tear at ADCC so far, stunning everyone by defeating Mahamed Aly in round one and then Orlando Sanchez in the quarter-finals. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu was next in line, and their battle was both impressive and terrifying.
Most of the match saw Rodriguez trying to pass Cyborg’s guard, and although there were a few scrambles that saw Rodriguez nearly take his opponent’s back or pass his guard, the match ultimately went into overtime. Both competitors battled it out with their wrestling, and there was a moment in which Cyborg seemed to nearly have Rodriguez in an armbar, but Rodriguez managed to escape. As the clock ran out, both competitors were exhausted, and Cyborg worked his guard while Rodriguez attempted a few cartwheel passes.
The referee awarded the decision to Rodriguez — a move that infuriated Cyborg, who shouted in protest.
Rodriguez will now advance to the finals, where he’ll be facing Kaynan Duarte. He took a moment to talk about his match and his upcoming battle against Duarte:
