The main card for Polaris 7 got off to an impressive start when the welterweight championship contestants were announced last week, and it looks like it’s only going to continue on its upward trajectory from here.
A featherweight championship eliminator has been announced between four competitors. The first match will feature Nicky Ryan vs. Phil Harris, and the second will see Masakazu Imanari go up against Ash Williams.
Ryan is a Renzo Gracie standout and part of the Danaher Death Squad. He’s been making headlines for years as a jiu-jitsu prodigy, having competed at ADCC last year and defeating 10th Planet star Geovanny Martinez by unanimous decision at Kasai Pro 2 in April.
Harris is a UK-based grappler who’s known for his extensive MMA career, in which he has 13 submission-based victories. He’s a UFC and Polaris veteran who competed to a draw at Polaris 3 against Adam Adshead and then a split-decision victory against Brad Pickett at Polaris 5.
Imanari is a Polaris regular and ONE FC fighter from Japan. His most recent match at Polaris 5 ended with him heel hooking Valmyr Neto, and 25 of his 36 wins in MMA happened via submission. He’s also the namesake of the now-famous Imanari roll.
Williams is the UK’s youngest black belt and trains under Chris Rees. He’s an EBI veteran and Euros champion who’s made a name for himself as one of the UK’s top grapplers.
The winner of each match will face each other at a future Polaris event that will determine who will be the featherweight champion.
Polaris 7 will be held in London on July 14, 2018.
