Another division for the Who’s Number One Championship has been announced as complete by FloGrappling, with Ana Carolina Vieira joining a stacked heavyweight bracket for the September event.
Vieira, who has claimed a number of world championship titles from blue to black belt, recently competed at the Road to ADCC, going up against — and defeating — fellow WNO Championship competitor Elisabeth Clay. The WNO Championship will take place almost exactly a year after she claimed the $10,000 prize for winning 3CG: Kumite 7.
Clay is a multiple-time WNO veteran, and the only opponent who has defeated her within the promotion is fellow heavyweight division competitor Gabi Garcia. Clay has already achieved a number of big wins this year, including a kneebar victory against Andressa Cintra at Subversiv 5. Clay also claimed double gold at No-Gi Pans this year, winning her division and later the open weight division against Kendall Reusing.
There will be the possibility for a few rematches for Clay at the WNO Championship — Reusing, who also won her division at No-Gi Pans this year, will be competing in the heavyweight bracket as well. Reusing claimed the F2W middleweight no-gi title back in June with a submission over Talita Nogueira, and she’ll be eager to score a similarly impressive victory by moving her way up the bracket at this event.
Both Reusing and Clay will have the potential for a rematch against Garcia, who defeated Reusing at least year’s F2W 142 a few months before claiming victory against Clay at WNO. Garcia, of course, is among the most accomplished grapplers in the world, having claimed not one, but four ADCC championship titles. However, she’s not invincible — Nathiely de Jesus defeated her earlier this year at February’s WNO event. Garcia will likely be the most intimidating challenge for the other competitors in the bracket, but this division is so stacked, her victory is anything but guaranteed.
Another competitor in this bracket who has a target on her back is 2020 No-Gi Pans open weight champion Rafaela Guedes. Multiple competitors in this division will be hoping for a match against Guedes — a fellow WNO veteran who submitted Maggi Grindatti at her most recent promotional appearance. At the beginning of the year, Guedes also defeated Vieira at F2W 162, and she’ll be hoping to repeat these performances on her way to the top of the bracket.
Guedes will have the potential to avenge one of her own losses as well, however. Erin Harpe, who got the decision win over Guedes at WNO: Jones vs. Ruotolo. Harpe, an Invicta fighter as well as a BJJ black belt, also has a win over Maggie Grindatti from F2W 162, and she’s shown that she can hang with (and defeat) some of the best in the sport.
Also on the card is Amanda Loewen — a 10th Planet black belt who is best known for her impressive performances in the Submission Underground cage. Loewen claimed the first women’s absolute championship title after submitting the UFC’s Felicia Spencer at the end of last year and has since defended it. Loewen has certainly earned her place in this star-studded bracket, and fans will be eagerly watching to see what she can do against some of her highly decorated peers in the sport.
Finally, rising sub-only star Amanda Leve will be taking her place among the others in the heavyweight division. Leve has been making her mark on the no-gi scene for a while, winning her division at the Finishers 4 tournament years ago and then qualifying for ADCC in 2019. She shouldn’t be underestimated, even against opponents with this much starpower.
This marks the fourth division completed by the promotion. Days ago, WNO finalized their 185lb division, and prior to that, they announced the competitors for the 115lb bracket and the 155lb bracket.
The WNO Championship will take place on September 25-26 and can be streamed live on FloGrappling.
