Video: Rafael Formiga Wins by Slam at Fight to Win 163

There’s one rule that sets Fight to Win apart from most tournaments and grappling promotions: slams are permitted. At Fight to Win 163 on Saturday, Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa used a slam to finish his match against Johnny Souza. With the win, Formiga retained his Fight to Win middleweight masters championship.

Check out the slam in the video below.

As you can see in the video, there isn’t much technique to break down here. Working from inside Souza’s closed guard, Formiga picks Souza up and slams him to the mat, prompting Souza to go limp. Moments before the slam, Formiga had spent over a minute hunting an ezekiel choke that Souza narrowly escaped.

In addition to his Fight to Win title, Formiga is an incredibly accomplished competitor. He is a three-time IBJJF masters world champion, as well as a masters absolute world champion.

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 holds the rank of black 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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