Grapplefest 12: Dante Leon vs. Andy Varela main card line-up

On Saturday, May 21, Grapplefest will return to action with one of the best submission grappling events of the year. The card features a number of elite competitors, including ADCC veterans Dante Leon and Jon Blank, ADCC qualifiers Kieth Krikorian, Ash Williams, and Eoghan O’Flanaghan, and fan-favorite Jacob “The Hillbilly Hammer” Couch.

View the current main card line-up for Grapplefest 12 below:

  • Dante Leon v Andy Varela
  • Ash Williams v Keith Krikorian
  • Jon Blank v Eoghan O’Flanagan
  • Jacob Couch v Tom Breese
  • Micheal Pixley v Owen Livesey
  • Jack Grant v John Hathaway
  • Pierre-Oliver Leclerc v Jack Tyley
  • Shane Fishman v Max Bickerton
  • Rosa Walsh v Sula Mae-Loewenthal
  • Dom Dillon v Dinu Bucalet
  • Tommy Yip v TBC
  • Jorge Valladares v Chris Short
  • Kate Bacik v Julia Scardone
  • Josh Roberts v Tom Barry

Several intriguing match-ups stand out. First, in the main event, Grapplefest champion Dante Leon will put his solid wrestling and guillotine game up against West Coast Trials runner-up Andy Varela. Varela turned heads at the Trials where he put on a number of incredible performances. His high-paced wrestling and front-headlock game should make for an interesting clash against Leon.

The co-main event features a pair of ADCC Trials winners, as 10th Planet black belt Keith Krikorian will take on Ash Williams. Look for Williams to try to implement his top pressure and guard passing game, while Krikorian will likely be hunting leg locks from his back.

Also, a pair of Daisy Fresh grapplers find themselves in interesting matches, as leg locking specialist Jacob Couch will face UFC veteran Tom Breese, and talented wrestler Michael Pixley will face fellow takedown artist Owen Livesey.

How to watch: Grapplefest 12 takes place on May 21 and will air live on Fite TV pay-per-view.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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