Felipe Pena’s Run At The 2016 Grand Slam Rio

By Corey Kuropas, December 08, 2016

Just a little earlier this year, the Grand Slam Rio tournament was one to watch. Some of the best in the world were competing. While some talented black belts were competing, everyone had a feeling that it would come down to two of the world’s best practitioners in the 94KG category. And those two black belts were Felipe Pena and Xande Ribeiro. Both are modern legends of the Jiu Jitsu scene. They both had great matches on their way to the final match. Xande beat two opponents by kimura, and beat Romulo Barral by an advantage. Pena beat all three of his opponent’s by chokes. The stage was set. Who would overcome and become the 2016 Grand Slam Rio champion?

The match started quickly enough. Xande pulled guard and looked to play off of his back. Pena was not looking to play from his opponent’s guard. He worked aggressively for a pass. Even attempting a cartwheel pass at one point. Both men worked at a furious pace, trying to get one up on another. As they stood back up, they both went for double guard pulls, with Xande getting the better of it, and getting on top. Though Felipe was able to stave off attacks from his half guard.

From Felipe’s half guard, Xande worked relentlessly. He used his pressure and weight to really work a tight pass. But soon a scramble ensued. As both scrambled on the mat, they eventually made it to their feet, where Pena took Xande down and took his back. He was able to attack Ribeiro’s back till the end of the match. When the dust cleared, Felipe beat Xande 2 points to 0. And with those two points, he became the Grand Slam Rio champ! Truly a battle of technique and will.

Felipe Pena is one of the best BJJ practitioners in the world. Especially at the higher weight classes, Pena is a strong, dominant force that is rarely seen to be beat. Luckily for all of us, he has put out some great instructional DVD’s. One great DVD set he has out is The 50/50 Guard. It is a comprehensive instructional on how to win from the 50/50 position.

Click here to see The 50/50 Guard by Felipe Pena for only $47!