Polaris 31: Full card lineup and preview
View a preview and main card lineup for Polaris 31, which goes down this Saturday, February 8, 2025, in Doncaster, England.
UK-based submission grappling promotion Polaris will return to action this Saturday with Polaris 31. The card features a team-versus-team matchup between North America and Europe, as well as a title match between Polaris champion Helena Crevar and IBJJF no-gi world champion Anabel Lopez-Beard.
Polaris Squads: How it works
Polaris 31 will see the return of the organization’s popular “Squads” format. Two teams, each consisting of six grapplers, will battle head-to-head in individual matches, with the winner of each match staying on the mat until he’s defeated.
Each individual match is slated for five minutes, and in the event no submission occurs, mat-side judges will determine the winner. These matches will continue for two 45-minute halves. The team with the most points at the end of 90 total minutes will be the winner.
View more details about the Polaris Squads format below.
Polaris 31: Team North America
Both the North American and European teams are filled with elite no-gi competitors.
Leading the charge for the North American squad will be ADCC semifinalists PJ Barch and Chris Wojcik. A talented wrestler who has evolved into one of the sport’s most dangerous leg lockers, Barch is perhaps the most experienced competitor on either team. He’ll undoubtedly lean on that well-rounded game and veteran savvy to hunt for quick submissions.
Wojcik enjoyed a breakout year in 2024 that saw him finish in the top four in the 88kg division at the ADCC World Championships, as well as making it to the final of the PGF Season 7. Like Barch, he is a skilled wrestler, but undoubtedly at his most dangerous when he’s attacking leg locks – particularly the Aoki lock and his trademark Woj lock – from the open guard.
Joining them on Team North America will be 2021 no-gi world champion Devhonte “Bones” Johnson, who has proven to be an incredibly difficult grappler to submit – a skill set that will serve him well in this format.
Also, Canadian standout Kieran Kichuk will bring his submission-oriented game to his Polaris debut as he aims to make waves against more established international competitors.
Finally, Team North America is rounded out by Polaris veterans Julian Espinosa and Atos representative Mike Perez, both of whom have the skills and experience to pick up some wins.
Polaris 31: Team Europe
On paper, Team Europe looks to be the early favorite.
Leading the charge will be young phenom Jozef Chen. The 20-year-old is an ADCC Trials champion and a CJI veteran who has been touted as the most talented rising star the sport of grappling has seen in years. Chen is skilled in all areas but tends to do his best work when he’s employing his trademark high-tripod guard passing and working toward the back.
He’s joined by fellow CJI veteran Eoghan O’Flanagan, who has long been considered one of Europe’s best overall grapplers, renowned for his dangerous leg lock game.
Also on Team Europe will be multiple-time ADCC and Polaris veteran Mateusz Szczecinski. The Polish star possesses arguably the planet’s most powerful straight ankle lock and will undoubtedly be motivated to avenge a close points loss to Barch from the 2024 ADCC World Championships.
The UK’s Taylor Pearman is another top-flight leg locker on Team Europe. He is an ADCC European Trials champion who could further assert himself as an elite talent if he’s able to pick up some victories in Doncaster.
Rounding out Team Europe will be two-time ADCC Trials winner Santeri Lilius and Pawel Jaworski, who steps up on short notice to replace Owen Jones.
Crevar vs. Bear-Lopez
In addition to the Squads competition, Polaris 31 will see Polaris 70kg champion Helena Crevar defend her belt against the surging Anabel Lopez-Beard.
New Wave’s Crevar has long been regarded as one of grappling’s most promising young talents, and so far, she seems to be living up to that hype. The teen prodigy won gold at the ADCC West Coast Trials and second in the 65kg division at the ADCC World Championships in 2024, and claimed the Polaris 70kg title. In her most recent Polaris appearance, she scored a hard-fought decision win over fellow young star Nia Blackman.
The champion is in for another serious test against Lopez-Beard. After a decorated juvenile and colored belt career, the Checkmat representative burst onto the black belt scene in 2024, claiming gold at the IBJJF European Championships and No-Gi Worlds.
Lopez-Beard will likely be the larger grappler at Polaris 31 and is undeniably an elite talent, but with the vast majority of her experience coming under the IBJJF ruleset, she’ll come into this contest at an experience disadvantage against Crevar, who is no stranger to the world-class no-gi and submission-only world.
How to watch: Polaris 31 takes place on Saturday, February 8, 2025, in Doncaster, England, and will air live on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required) beginning at 2:00 PM EST.
