DDS member Nicky Ryan and 10th Planet standout PJ Barch had a close match at tonight’s Who’s Number One: Lovato Jr. vs. Burns prior to the co-main event of the evening.
Ryan immediately pulled guard and came up chasing a single-leg. Barch countered with a kimura attempt, which Ryan scrambled to escape before pulling guard again. Ryan searched for an opportunity to come up with a leg again, while Barch stayed low in his passing attempts. Ryan pulled Barch forward by the shoulder and briefly tried to trap the arm, though Barch quickly escaped.
With a little under nine minutes to go, Ryan came up with a single-leg, and Barch again countered with a kimura hold, bringing the match to the ground. Barch quickly transitioned to a leg lock attempt, but Ryan escaped, and the match returned to the feet momentarily before Ryan pulled guard again.
The competitors continued with their familiar battle as the clock wound down to the five-minute mark, with Barch staying low and keeping the pressure on Ryan as he tried to pass. Though Barch tried to pick up the pace in his passing attempts and shut down Ryan’s sporadic attempts to grab onto a leg, Ryan’s guard held fast, and time ran out without either competitor making any other significant submission attempts.
Nicky Ryan was declared the winner via split decision.
