The UFC announced that it is adding grappling matches to the UFC 129 Expo in Toronto. UFC fighter Diego Sanchez will be featured in a match against number-one ranked Canadian grappler Andrew McInnes.
Via press release:
Diego “The Dream” Sanchez is already a force in the UFC® welterweight division and has his sights set on the title currently held by Canadian superstar Georges St-Pierre. Now, the red-hot contender is out to prove that he is among the world’s most elite grapplers. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that Sanchez will be among four competitors vying for the UFC® Fan Expo grappling tournament title at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto on April 29 and 30.
Sanchez will meet number-one ranked Canadian grappler Andrew McInnes in the opening round, while world-renowned jiu jitsu ace Ryan Hall, who defeated Hermes Franca at the UFC Fan Expo in Boston last August, will take on Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Jorge Britto. Britto has trained under the likes of Helio Gracie, Royler Gracie, Saulo Ribeiro and Xande Ribeiro.
The tournament will be presented by Grappler’s Quest. It is the third grappling tournament held at a UFC expo.
Payout Perspective:
The rise in popularity of MMA has seen an indirect rise in its core disciplines including grappling. Regular people have enrolled in Jiu Jitsu schools and taken submission wrestling classes based on watching the UFC. The grappling tournament at UFC 129 adds to the list of things to do at the UFC 129 Expo in Toronto. It is a good way to promote the sport as well as giving grappling practitioners a chance to compete in front of people not exposed to the sport.
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