WNO 22: Nick Rodriguez vs. Victor Hugo full card line-up and preview
Check out the full card line-up and preview for WNO 22: Rodriguez vs Hugo, set for Friday, February 9.
FloGrappling’s Who’s Number One (WNO) returns to action this Friday, February 9, with a stacked card headlined by top heavyweight contenders. The co-main event features a welterweight title bout between fan favorite Mica Galvão and Kenta Iwamoto. Dante Leon will defend his lightweight championship against WNO featherweight champion Diego “Pato” Oliveira.
WNO 22: Rodriguez vs Hugo full card line-up
Main Card
- Men’s Heavyweight Match – Nick Rodriguez vs Victor Hugo
- WNO Men’s Welterweight Championship – Mica Galvão vs Kenta Iwamoto
- WNO Men’s Lightweight Championship – Dante Leon vs Diego “Pato” Oliveira
- Men’s Middleweight Match – Tainan Dalpra vs Oliver Taza
- Women’s Flyweight Match – Amanda “Tubby” Alequin vs Adele Fornarino
- Men’s Middleweight Match – Jacob “The Hillbilly Hammer” Couch vs Sebastian Rodriguez
Preliminary Card
- Men’s Welterweight Match – Elijah Dorsey vs Ivan Herrera
- Men’s Lightweight Match – Max Hanson vs Daniel Sathler
- Women’s Strawweight Match – Ashlee Funegra vs Marilyn Cruz
- Men’s Middleweight Match – Dory Aoun vs Kyle Chambers
Nick Rodriguez vs. Victor Hugo
Top heavyweight contenders take center stage at WNO 22 in what should be an epic battle. This will mark Rodriguez’s first match at black belt as he toes the line against the 2023 IBJJF Worlds open class champion Hugo.
Rodriguez is coming off a decision win over Yuri Simoes at UFC FPI 5. The two-time ADCC silver medalist is known for his punishing wrestle-jitsu style. Big slams, brutal body lock passing, and smothering top pressure highlight his game.
Victor Hugo is coming off a very successful 2023 which saw him win an IBJJF open class title. He was last in action at UFC FPI 5 winning by Americana against Dan Manasoiu.
Hugo is extremely well-rounded. Like Rodriguez, he is able to put an immense amount of pressure on opponents. Hugo also has a very tricky guard for such a massive man.
The two have faced each other in competition three times with Hugo winning every bout by referee’s decision. The pair last met at Third Coast Grappling (3CG) 6 in 2021. Both of their games have evolved since their last meeting. Wrestling should be the deciding factor in this bout as neither is going to want to be underneath the other’s pressure.
Mica Galvão vs. Kenta Iwamoto
The co-main event for the WNO Welterweight title has fireworks written all over it as Champion Mica Galvão looks to defend his title against B-Team product Kenta Iwamoto.
Galvão is coming off a successful title defense at WNO 21 in what was a Fight of the Year contender against Kody Steele. Galvão is known for having some of the sport’s most dynamic submissions. He pushes a relentless pace as he hunts for the finish.
Iwamoto is a 3-time ADCC trials champion and ADCC World Championships veteran. Iwamoto poses an interesting style matchup against Galvão as he is a very strong wrestler with elite scrambling ability. He likes to take his opponents down, grind them down, and hunt for the back.
Fans can expect a high-paced, scrambly affair. Iwamoto is notoriously hard to submit. It will be interesting to see if the dynamic finisher Galvão can find his way to a match-ending submission.
Dante Leon vs. Diego “Pato” Oliveira
Two of the sport’s top pound-for-pound grapplers will lock horns for the WNO Lightweight championship as Dante Leon battles Featherweight champion Diego “Pato”.
Leon captured the Lightweight championship with an amazing submission victory over Ethan Crelinsten at WNO 19. Leon is one of the most active competitors on the circuit always looking to test himself against the biggest names. He is as well-rounded as they come, blending an effective wrestling game with relentless passing and the ability to snatch a submission from any position.
“Pato” is coming off an incredible 2023 that saw him win IBJJF titles in both gi and no-gi. He would go on to submit Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis to become the WNO featherweight champion. “Pato” is looking to become WNO’s first champ-champ with a win over Leon.
It doesn’t get much better than seeing two champions go to war. This match should be an incredible display of jiu-jitsu for however long it lasts.
The rest of the card at WNO 22
WNO 22 is littered with interesting bouts from top to bottom. Tainan Dalpra continues his foray into the realm of no-gi jiu-jitsu as he takes on battle-tested veteran Oliver Taza. Look for Taza to test Dalpra’s leg defense early and often. It will be interesting to see Dalpra’s development as he faces the crafty specialist Taza.
Fan favorite Jacob “The Hillbilly Hammer” Couch looks to build on his incredible 2023 as he takes on WNO veteran Sebastian Rodrigez. This should be one of the most exciting bouts on the card.
Rounding out the main card, Amanda “Tubby” Alequin takes on 2023 IBJJF no-gi brown belt open class champion Adele Fornarino on short notice. Both ladies are scrappy and hunt for submissions.
The preliminary card is a wonderful appetizer for the main attractions as it features some of the sport’s most exciting prospects such as Elijah Dorsey, Max Hanson, and Kyle Chambers. Look for the aforementioned Chambers to open up the card with a bang.
How to watch: WNO: Rodriguez vs Hugo takes place on Friday, February 9, and will air live on FloGrappling beginning at 9:00 PM ET. The undercard will air on FloGrappling’s YouTube channel for free, and the main card will air exclusively on FloGrappling (subscription required).
