Vinicius ‘Trator’ Ferreira defeats Haisam Rida amid controversy at Grapple in the Temple 3
In the main event of Grapple in the Temple 3, Vinicius “Trator” Ferreira defeated Haisam Rida.
Grapple in the Temple 3 took place on Friday, January 27, live from Detroit, Michigan, and featured a number of local and elite competitors. In the main event, ADCC silver medalist Vinicius “Trator” Ferreira submitted Assembly Jiu-Jitsu’s Haisam Rida, although the match and its finish weren’t without controversy.
Throughout most of the submission-only affair, Rida attacked from his guard while Ferreira looked to pass, with neither man able to mount any serious attacks. At several points, though, Rida aggressively and explosively created space with his legs and feet, prompting Ferreira to complain to the referee that Rida was kicking him in the face.
The tension between the two competitors only grew as the match progressed. In the final minutes, the pair briefly returned to their feet to engage in a takedown battle. Ferreira shot a double leg, driving Rida to the edge of the mat. Rida countered this takedown attempt with a throw of his own, and as they tumbled off the mat, both men appeared to continue grappling, causing tempers to flare as a minor scuffle ensued.
In the waning seconds of the match, Ferreira latched onto a guillotine choke on the edge of the mat as he backed into Rida’s coach, David Garmo, sitting mat-side. The referee stood inches away from the grapplers, appearing to even touch them at one point, presumably to call a stop to the action. Rida seemed to stop defending the choke, but the referee never officially stopped the bout. Ferreira continued to apply the choke and secured the tap with less than five seconds remaining.
After the match was over, pandemonium ensued. Garmo, Ferreira, and Ferreira’s coach Matheus Diniz all engaged in a heated discussion for several minutes as each party argued their side. And while there was discussion of adding seconds back onto the clock, that never happened and Ferreira was ultimately awarded the victory.
Ferreira is a two-time ADCC veteran, having earned second in the 99kg. division at the 2019 ADCC World Championships. He also competed at the 2022 ADCC World Championships where he defeated Paul Ardilla before losing to Rafael Lovato Jr. and, in the absolute division, Nicholas Meregali.
Rida has been a fixture of the elite no-gi scene for the past couple of years, racking up notable wins at Who’s Number One. He too competed at the 2022 ADCC World Championships, picking up an upset submission victory over Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu in the opening round before losing to Roosevelt Sousa and Giancarlo Bodoni.
Lower on the card, Mikey Musumeci black belt Daniel Maira secured a decision victory over Alex Hodi, and David Garmo earned a heel hook win against Daniel Leith.
