Mica Galvao, Ffion Davies, and Jacob Couch announced for WNO 22
Three pivotal matches have been announced for WNO 22. Mica Galvao, Ffion Davies, and Jacob Couch will all be in action.
The next Who’s Number One (WNO) event is rapidly taking shape, and a pair of intriguing matchups have already been announced for the card, set to go down on February 9 in Costa Mesa, California.
Match announcements at WNO 22
Mica Galvao will defend his WNO welterweight title for the second time since winning the belt in October 2023, as he takes on multiple-time ADCC Trials winner Kenta Iwamoto.
Considered by many to be the sport’s top 170-pounder, Galvao captured the vacant WNO welterweight title on the strength of back-to-back victories over Jay Rodriguez and PJ Barch at WNO 20: Night of Champions. He would successfully defend his title in November at WNO 21 with a dominant submission win over Kody Steele.
After defeating Steele, FloGrappling announced that Galvao’s next match would come against Nicky Ryan. But with Ryan out due to injury, Iwamoto steps in as a replacement.
The Japanese grappler is a three-time ADCC Asian Trials winner, boasting notable victories over Keith Krikorian and Jozef Chen. He will be making his WNO debut against Galvao.
WNO 22 will also feature the return of WNO flyweight champion Ffion Davies, who will put her title on the line against veteran black belt Amanda “Tubby” Alequin.
Davies enjoyed a standout year in 2023, earning Grappling Insider’s Female Grappler of the Year on the strength of her double-gold performance at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds. In her most recent WNO title defense, she dominated respected submission hunter Jasmine Rocha.
Alequin will present a stiff test. A no-gi world champion in her own right, “Tubby” possesses a seemingly endless gas tank and skills in all areas – particularly leg locks – making her a tough opponent for any grappler in the world.
Also in action will be recent ADCC Trials winner Jacob “The Hillbilly Hammer” Couch, who will take on Unity Jiu-Jitsu’s Sebastian Rodriguez in a middleweight tilt. Couch has established himself as one of the planet’s top leg lockers, while Unity Jiu-Jitsu’s Rodriguez is a skilled submission expert in his own right, equally capable of attacking the legs as he is the back.
How to watch: WNO 22 takes place on Friday, February 9 and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required).
