Ffion Davies defends title against Jasmine Rocha, Pena meets Rida at WNO
Ffion Davies will defend her WNO title against Jasmine Rocha, and Felipe Pena will clash with Haisam Rida.
FloGrappling’s August Who’s Number One (WNO) card is taking shape and recently added a pair of intriguing matchups featuring some of the sport’s biggest names.
Earlier this month, WNO announced a main event clash between two-time ADCC champion Kaynan Duarte and multiple-time IBJJF world champion Nicholas Meregali.
The organization has now added a co-main event in which reigning WNO flyweight champion Ffion Davies will defend her belt against the surging Jasmine Rocha.
And before that, ADCC absolute champion Felipe Pena will square off with the B-Team’s Haisam Rida.
Ffion Davies vs. Jasmine Rocha
After enjoying an incredible 2022 that saw her winning gold at both the ADCC World Championships and the IBJJF Worlds, Essential Jiu-Jitsu’s Ffion Davies firmly established herself as the world’s top female pound-for-pound competitor. And while she may have stumbled a bit earlier this year, she looked to be back in top form with her second consecutive gold medal at the 2023 IBJJF Worlds.
Davies will face a stiff test in her return to no-gi competition. The daughter of multiple-time ADCC medalist Vagner Rocha, Jasmine Rocha is a talented all-arounder with a knack for finding the submission. She’s been active on the high-level no-gi scene lately, taking home double gold at the ADCC Dallas Open and, in her most recent WNO appearance, submitting Amanda Bruse.
Fans can expect this to be a scrappy, high-paced encounter. Davies possesses arguably the best top game in all of jiu-jitsu. Her guard passing is relentless and technical, and she’s proven to be an excellent finisher once she achieves dominant position. Rocha will be one of the few grapplers that’s able to match Davies’ torrid pacing and, if her match with Bruse is any indication, will remain a significant submission threat late into the match.
Felipe Pena vs. Haisam Rida
Before that, Haisam Rida will look to pick up the biggest win of his career against Felipe Pena.
A relatively recent addition to The B-Team, Rida is an impressive athlete with a dangerous all-around submission game. He is a mutlipe-time WNO veteran with notable victories over Giancarlo Bodoni and Elder Cruz. At the 2022 ADCC World Championships, Rida picked up a memorable armbar finish over former absolute champion Roberto “Cybrog” Abreu, proving he belongs among the very best in the world.
Pena is one of the top jiu-jitsu competitors of the bast decade. A 2017 ADCC absolute champion, he owns an incredibly tricky guard game and some of the sport’s best back-takes. In his most recent WNO outing, he earned a very close decision win over Rida’s teammate Nick Rodriguez.
How to watch: WNO: Duarte vs. Meregali takes place on Thursday, August 10, and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required).
