Mica Galvao vs. Tommy Langaker booked for WNO 23
Mica Galvao is set to defend his WNO welterweight title against no-gi world champion Tommy Langaker at WNO 23 in May.
Reigning Who’s Number One (WNO) welterweight champion Mica Galvao is set for his next title defense.
On May 10, at WNO 23, the Brazilian will put his belt on the line against current IBJJF no-gi world champion Tommy Langaker. That matchup will go down in Arlington, Texas.
Widely recognized as one of the top pound-for-pound competitors in no-gi grappling, Galvao will come into the contest riding an impressive winning streak. He claimed the WNO welterweight strap last October at WNO 20: Night of Champions when he defeated the B-Team’s Jay Rodriguez and 10th Planet veteran PJ Barch in back-to-back appearances.
Since then, the 20-year-old phenom has continued to look dominant, successfully defending his title with rear-naked choke wins over Kody Steele and ADCC veteran Kenta Iwamoto. In between those two matches, Galvao briefly returned to gi competition to take home gold at the IBJJF European Championships with a 100 percent submission rate.
The champion will face a stiff test in the form of Langaker.
After a successful career in the gi that saw him claim an IBJJF European title, Langaker switched to no-gi in 2022 and found immediate success, winning gold at the ADCC European Trials. Despite a first-round exit from the 2022 ADCC World Championships, the Norwegian has picked up a number of notable wins, including victories over the likes of IBJJF no-gi world champion Renato Canuto and ADCC veterans Oliver Taza and Mateusz Szczinski.
In 2023, Langaker reached the top of the sport when he earned gold at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds.
The match between Galvao and Langaker will present an interesting clash of styles. Galvao is perhaps the planet’s most dangerous submission hunter, capable of jumping on an armbar or taking the back from any position in the blink of an eye. He is a supremely talented counter-fighter who prefers to exploit his opponents’ aggression rather than push the pace himself.
For his part, Langaker is one of the sport’s best guard players. He is incredibly flexible and, like Galvao, is an expert at using his opponent’s aggression to his advantage. Look for Langaker to attack with berimbolos and crab ride attempts as he will constantly try to take his foe’s back.
Like other WNO matches, this welterweight tilt will consist of one 15-minute round of submission-only action. In the event no submission occurs, a panel of judges will award the winner.
How to watch: Mica Galvao vs. Tommy Langaker takes place on Friday, May 10, and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required).
