No-Gi Grappling Weekly Roundup | Ruotolo Retains, UFC BJJ 6 Crowns Moura, Polaris 36 Delivers

The second week of March 2026 packed more high-level no-gi grappling action into seven days than most months deliver in their entirety. From London to Las Vegas to Amazon Prime, elite submission grapplers competed across multiple promotions, with title fights and star performances dominating the headlines.

Here is everything that went down across the no-gi grappling world between March 7 and March 14, 2026.

Tye Ruotolo Retains ONE Welterweight Title Against Pawel Jaworski

The co-main event of ONE Fight Night 41 on March 13 lived up to the hype as Tye Ruotolo defended his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Championship against Polish standout Pawel Jaworski.

Ruotolo maintained his trademark relentless pace throughout the match, constantly pushing forward and looking to create scrambles. Jaworski answered with world-class guard work and leglock entries, catching Ruotolo’s leg for a kneebar in the final 90 seconds that briefly put the champion in danger.

The decisive moment came when Ruotolo escaped and immediately worked his way to top position, where he attempted an unorthodox Ezekiel-style choke before switching to a smothering grip that scored a catch and put him back in the lead with seconds remaining. The judges awarded Ruotolo the unanimous decision, extending his reign as the most decorated grappler in ONE Championship history.

For no-gi enthusiasts, the match highlighted how elite-level scrambles and catch-and-release exchanges create the kind of dynamic action that casual fans can follow without understanding every positional nuance.

UFC BJJ 6: Mason Fowler Defends, Cassia Moura Makes History

The Meta APEX in Las Vegas hosted UFC BJJ 6 on March 12, delivering two championship bouts on an eight-match card that showcased the UFC’s growing investment in pure grappling.

In the main event, light heavyweight champion Mason Fowler dominated Pedro Machado with relentless wrestling pressure and positional control. Fowler used takedowns and top pressure throughout all three rounds, shutting down every submission attempt from the Brazilian to earn a unanimous decision.

The bigger story came in the co-main event, where Cassia Moura edged out Welsh grappling star Ffion Davies via split decision to claim the inaugural UFC BJJ women’s bantamweight championship. Moura’s superior takedowns and top pressure proved decisive, though Davies had her own moments of positional dominance. The razor-thin split decision underscored how closely matched these two elite competitors are.

The card also featured Nicky Rodriguez making his UFC BJJ debut against Elder Cruz, and matches including Meyram Maquine vs. Marco Mendes and Devhonte Johnson vs. Lucas Norat, continuing the promotion’s strategy of blending ADCC-caliber grapplers with MMA crossover athletes.

Polaris 36: Crelinsten Submits, Reusing Returns, Jones Claims Gold

Polaris 36 on March 7 in London featured three title fights that all delivered finishes or decisive outcomes. The event showcased Europe’s growing role as a hub for world-class no-gi competition.

Ethan Crelinsten defended his lightweight title with a first-round rear-naked choke finish over Shai Gerena, who had earned his shot by submitting every opponent in the contenders tournament just two weeks earlier. Crelinsten’s back-take and finish demonstrated why he remains one of the most dangerous submission hunters at 155 pounds.

Kendall Reusing made a triumphant return after nearly two years away from competition, submitting Anabel Lopez with an armbar in the first round to retain her openweight championship. Her performance showed no rust despite the extended layoff, a testament to the quality of her training leading into the event.

Owen Jones claimed the vacant featherweight title with a unanimous decision over veteran Gianni Grippo, capping what Jits Magazine called one of the best performances of his career.

The undercard also produced action, with Sarah Galvao submitting Libby Genge with a triangle-kimura combination and two separate Scottish twister finishes opening the show from Michael Tomlinson and Archer Colaco.

PGF Season 9 Heats Up Through Week 2

The Professional Grappling Federation continued its ninth season with Week 2 airing on March 11, and the standings are already starting to take shape. The Las Vegas Kings maintained their lead at the top of the table, but the Alabama Twisters surged upward with a dominant performance that closed the gap to just seven points and overtook the Philadelphia Phenoms for second place.

The Colorado Wolverines struggled again in Week 2, and the growing points gap is making their path to the playoffs increasingly difficult with four weeks of regular season remaining.

Kevin Beuhring emerged as the Week 2 MVP with a perfect record that included ankle-lock and rear-naked choke finishes. Chuy Magana matched him with three ankle-lock submissions, while Elijah Carlton contributed a heel hook and two armbars for the Twisters.

The PGF’s league-based format, co-founded by Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory and 10th Planet black belt Brandon McCaghren, continues to grow as a weekly content product streamed live on Kick, YouTube, and pgf.world.

Polaris Announces Cross-Promotional Squads Match

In a move that could set a precedent for inter-promotional collaboration in grappling, Polaris announced that their next event will feature a cross-promotional squads match pitting Polaris all-stars against BJJ Stars all-stars in 90 minutes of grappling action.

This format could create compelling narrative-driven matchups that appeal to both hardcore and casual fans, similar to how team-based competitions like the PGF have generated viewer engagement through storylines and rivalries.

Gamrot Accepts ADCC 2026 Invitation

UFC lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot confirmed his acceptance of an invitation to compete at the 2026 ADCC World Championship in Kraków, Poland this September. Gamrot, who previously competed at ADCC in 2019, will enter the -77kg division in front of a home crowd.

The Polish fighter is scheduled to face Esteban Ribovics at UFC 327 on April 11 before turning his attention to the grappling super-fight. His participation adds another high-profile MMA crossover name to an ADCC card that already has the grappling community buzzing.

More Headlines From the Week

Max Holloway Receives BJJ Black Belt: Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was promoted to black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by Pedro Sauer, a Rickson Gracie lineage holder, following his performance at UFC 326. The promotion recognized Holloway’s submission defense against Charles Oliveira, though it generated debate in the community about the criteria for belt promotions.

Bella Mir Wins Historic NCAA Title: IBJJF purple belt world no-gi champion Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, won the 145-pound national championship at the inaugural NCAA women’s wrestling championships. The crossover success between grappling and wrestling highlights the growing pipeline of athletes competing across multiple disciplines.

WNO 32 Adds Teen Bracket: Who’s Number One announced a four-man 145-pound teen feature bracket for their March 31 event, featuring JP Tran, Matthew Velez, Jay Ortiz, and Chingy Sainz. The card will also include WNO’s first-ever teen girls match between Bebe Junco and Zoe Freeman, investing in the next generation of no-gi talent.

Hype Brazil Announces Silva vs. Mitchell Grappling Match: UFC fighters Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell will face off in a grappling match at Hype Brazil after their previous MMA bout. The event also recently featured Arman Tsarukyan submitting Muhammad Mokaev, continuing the trend of UFC fighters crossing into competitive grappling.

What to Watch This Week

The no-gi calendar stays busy heading into mid-March:

• PGF Season 9 Week 3 continues on Kick, YouTube, and pgf.world
• WNO 32 on March 31 builds anticipation with its teen bracket announcement
• ADCC 2026 invite reveals continue to trickle out ahead of the September event in Kraków

The volume of high-level no-gi competition happening simultaneously across multiple promotions signals that submission grappling has never been more accessible or entertaining for fans. Whether you follow the league-based drama of the PGF, the championship pedigree of Polaris and ONE, or the crossover appeal of UFC BJJ, there is no shortage of world-class mat action to keep up with.