Fabricio Bicudo is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Photo: IBJJF/Facebook

Fabricio “Bicudo”, 47 years old, is a true Jiu-Jitsu employee. In addition to teaching Jiu-Jitsu in Florida, the black belt also competes on the IBJJF international circuit. Recently, he was the Pan-American champion in the master 4 division, beating Robert Schuster (Wisconsin 360 Jiu-Jitsu).

Despite having a vast collection of gold medals and a lot of experience with Jiu-Jitsu, Fabricio details that the mind can be a competitor’s biggest challenge.

“Our mind can be what harms us the most in a Jiu-Jitsu competition and, at the same time, it can be what will make you win. It depends on how you handle your thoughts. Despite competing a lot, this was the biggest lesson I learned from this gold medal”, highlights Fabricio, a black belt since 2001.

To get the gold, the champion had to win four fights in a row. In the final dispute, Fabricio had to handle Robert’s guard masterfully.

“The opponent in the final had a very dangerous guard, but I also managed to do well there. I was able to nullify all of his attacks, I really performed nicely. I was very good for this championship. I was good physically and with my weight, plus I ended up being much more aggressive in this competition because of my confidence!”, says Fabricio.

The popular Bicudo says that recent achievements make him excited to take another important gold medal in the Federation.

“When you come from accomplishments like this one, you get confident and excited. You go to the World Masters with good confidence. It’s always good to fight in a big championship after winning. But I handle it all well and I have the experience to deal with these moments. I really like the World Championship because I meet my friends again and it’s great to share the mat with the legends!”, says Fabricio, who will fight the Orlando Open before the Worlds and will also accompany his son in the Pan Kids, the biggest children’s tournament in the world.

Former MMA athlete, Fabricio welcomes the investment of the One Championship in grappling. In recent weeks, the Asian organization has signed Renato Canuto and Tainan Dalpra.

“It’s amazing what One is doing for grappling and Jiu-Jitsu in general. If I get an opportunity of course I would take it, it would be great. But now it’s one goal at a time. I’m happy to see the sport growing and reaching higher levels”, concludes the professor.

The venue for the Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi. Photo: GRACIEMAG

In 2008, Vinicius ‘Draculino’ Magalhaes entered the Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship and won his division at the age of thirty-seven. The black belt leader is the coach of current champions such as Romulo Barral and Samuel Braga and continues to pass on his knowledge to students at his GMA academy Gracie Barra Texas in Houston.

That was the first year of the annual event. The 2013 edition of the event is set for Saturday, September 28 at its New York City location in the Nat Holman Gymnasium of the City College of New York.

Registration is open however the athlete list has now reached 60% capacity.

So, register now and make your travel arrangements to confirm your presence at the Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship before it’s too late.

Go to www.ibjjf.org to register now.

Manuel Diaz will compete at the Copa Podio Middleweight GP. Photo: Copa Podio

The Copa Podio Middleweight GP has undergone many changes since its first announcement however the roster is now set for the September 8 event. Manuel Diaz, a Mexican-American, will take on the spot that fellow competitor Keenan Cornelius left when he chose to opt out recently.

Manuel Diaz is a brown belt under Caio Terra who received his most recent belt rank on the podium of the 2012 World Championship at the hands of Caio. The Bay Area native has only been training since 2009 but already accumulated World and Pan American titles as well as a spot at the 2012 Abu Dhabi WPJJC after winning double gold at a trial event in which he severely injured his ankle half-way into his matches.

Known as a hard worker with a severe obsession towards what he loves (he played golf avidly for years) he takes his heart of gold to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September to take on some of the best in the world.

GRACIEMAG asked Manny some quick questions during a break in his schedule, see what he says about his invitation:

GRACIEMAG: How did you feel when you were invited to a prestigious tournament on such late notice?

I was honored to be invited, honored to be considered even though I’m still a brown belt.

What is your training routine and are you making changes to accomodate this tournament?

Right now evening training is the only training I have due to a full time job, unfortunately. Although it was short notice I still feel I have plenty of time to prepare. I started training at 5 a.m. to adjust my body to the time change. I think this is the biggest change I’ve made for the event but other than that it’s still the same training at Institute of Martial Arts.

Who do you feel is your biggest threat?

Everyone in the tournament is very skilled and I feel that each of them are equally dangerous. They were invited because of this fact and I feel honored to be on the same card.

Do you feel that you are already a force at the black belt level despite still having a brown belt around your waist?

As far as me being a force on the black belt level I still feel I have a ton to learn. The only thing I can do is give it my all and leave it all on the mat; time will tell.

The Copa Podio Middleweight Grand Prix will be on Sunday, September 8; more information and a livestream feed available at: www.copapodio.com

Check out his preparation from the 2013 Worlds Camp at GMA Institute of Martial Arts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EVZqb_F9Xs

The registration is now open for the 1st Annual Inspire All Female Open Mat in the Bay Area. Founder and organizer Kristina Barlaan is bringing her creation from Arizona back to her own roots in Northern California.

The brown belt grew up outside San Francisco and also began her Jiu-Jitsu journey there but later moved to Arizona and only furthered her skills. Now she is an international competitor having won the Pan Ams and entered the Abu Dhabi WPJJC via her trial-winning ticket less than a month later. In October she will be heading to Beijing, China to compete in the prestigious ADCC for which was personally invited.

The Inspire events began in February of 2011 and have grown in size and popularity since the inception into the Jiu-Jitsu community.

“It is the goal of Inspire to continue the growth of women’s Jiu-Jitsu with not only opportunities to train, but to allow women to create camaraderie within the sport, allowing them to learn from each other’s life experiences, successes, and hardships,” Kristina says via their facebook page.

The next event will be the first of its kind and the first beyond the Arizona state lines. It will be held for all females over thirteen years of age on Saturday, September 14 at Caio Terra’s GMA Institute of Martial Arts from 1 to 4 p.m.

The address is 855 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126.

The cost is free but registration is still mandatory as no walk-ins will be welcome and space is limited to 60 participants.

The event will hold a Q&A with Kristina as well as a raffle with many prizes from sponsors. All raffle tickets are $5 and will go towards breast cancer research.

To register please click here.

Caio Terra vs. Laercio Fernandes. Photo: Ivan Trindade

The thirteenth reasons for supporting the 2013 World Championships is mostly for the spectators. Of course we can always learn from watching, the matches can also be pure entertainment. In this case, athletes shifting weight classes has something to do with that.

Reason #13: See new or rare match-ups from top athletes as they move weight classes.

Most of the time, competitors stay at the same weight class. Occasionally you will see athletes moving one or two or even a few as if to say they want a new challenge. But the top champions in one weight class tend to stay within their conquered divisions year after year.

This year one of the bigger moves by a champion is that of Caio Terra. We’ve seen the rooster weight compete as light feather many times before and we’ve seen him win in that category as well. He even competes in open classes and wins as the lightest guy to enter. But at the prestigious world championships he stays in his rooster division where his main opponent has always been Bruno Malfacine. Caio Terra has so far signed up as a light feather and although he mentioned that he could potentially still go back down to his home at rooster, he is competing in the higher division.

In this article he coaxes Bruno Malfacine to follow his footsteps and join the light feather division as well. There hasn’t been any confirmations, but we very well could see Malfacine in the mix as well leaving rooster weight so that others like Fabbio Passos, Felipe Costa, Rafael Freitas, Brandon Mullins and other natives can take their place in the finals. Malfacine is also one to move up to light feather at times, such as Pan Ams 2012 when he won the division.

Light feather has competitors like Guilherme Mendes who has been champion there three times as a black belt in 2009, 2011 and 2012. But he’s not the only threat in the division. Laercio Fernandes, Samuel Braga, Carlos Holanda Vieira, Samir Chantre just to name a few reside in the light feather category who can give both Caio and Bruno a good fight. Although these match-ups have happened before such as Laercio and Caio, Bruno and Guilherme and in both cases the rooster weights have won.

It will be interesting to see the light featherweight division and and what type of wrench this throws in the plans of some of the most dedicated and professional athletes. What do you think about the changes? Let us know!

[highlight]And if you haven’t signed up for yourself, you can click HERE to register and get more information!

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Black belt under Bruno Mamute Paulista and Romulo Barral, Benny Dariush is hosting a local seminar at GMA Chino Hills. The 23-year-old is retired from Jiu-Jitsu competition and working towards his MMA career but his gi training never stops therefore the signature “Dariush guard” is still in full effect.

Benny received his black belt in five years, all of which he spent competing in the highest level tournaments. He has placed at every Pan Ams and World Championship at every belt except for black belt. Known as having a flexible guard with excellent guard retention and recovery, you can expect solid techniques from this Jiu-Jitsu lover.

The seminar on Saturday, April 20 is reserved for a 30-person limit, for $30 each. It will be held at Ralph Gracie Chino Hills located at 14151 Pipeline Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91710 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

You can either visit the Ralph Gracie academy to pay or you can send the money through paypal to benieldariush@gmail.com to reserve your spot.

For information, please contact Benny at: DariushGuard@gmail.com

Las Vegas (pictured) will host the IBJJF Vegas Spring Open on April 27. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

The summer has always been the time for Las Vegas to host its annual IBJJF Vegas Open Championship since 2011. Growing from a smaller tournament to what is now considered a staple after the World Championships, Vegas tournaments allow for some gold medals and good times.

With the addition of the IBJJF Vegas Spring Open, athletes can now take a trip over to the strip between the Pan Ams and Worlds as a warm-up without dealing with exhausting heat. Tune up your technique in Sin City, but be sure to exercise your discipline as not to wander from tournament mentality!

Win big in Las Vegas on Saturday April 27 by registering today. Make sure you make it official before the higher price deadline nears! Save $15 if you sign up before March 29 and don’t miss the final deadline of April 19.

To register and see more information, click here.

Pan Americans Irvine Venue / Photo by John Cooper

How will the Americans fair at the Pan American Championship this year? How about those who have undergone natural to serious changes within the past year or even the past months, weeks or days? From newly promoted black belts to half-promotions to switching of teams to a loss of training partners, we can only gather that this year will prove a lot.

Mackenzie Dern with her gold medal at the European Championship

Mackenzie Dern fights first year of Pans at black belt

December of 2012 marked the promotion to black belt for daughter of Wellington “Megaton” Dias. Mackenzie Dern has been a favorite in the competition scene for years as her level of dedication and talent has brought her to the top of the podium many times. As a nine-time world champion she has made her mark from juvenile to adult. Having won Pan Ams at both brown belt and purple belt, she is no stranger to this tournament. Her run at black belt so far includes wins over Luiza Monteiro at the Copa Podio and Nyjah Easton at the Europeans who will also be in her division at Pans.

Here is what Mackenzie has to say about her expectations for next week:

“What I think will be different now fighting as a black belt this year is the strategy of the fights. I know my adversaries now at black belt capitalize on mistakes. At the other belts, even though we try to make the least amount of mistakes as possible, when we did make mistakes sometimes you could still win the fight. Black is different. Any mistake, my opponents will take the best of it and it is a bad situation! I also think the pressure is a lot different now as a black belt. We will fight each other so many times throughout the years so I don’t feel the pressure I felt at the other belts! I just have to try my best to not make mistakes and stay one step ahead during the fight. What will be the same is my training and preparation. Of course, to fight against the best in the world you have to train extra hard, but every year I always try to prepare myself the best I can, not thinking about the adversary but about what I need to do to fight my best. Since blue belt and still at black belt I just keep the same preparation and get my self ready for whoever I could fight.

“This title is important to me because it will help me see how my trainings are going for the Worlds. Depending on how I do, I can change and fix the things I need to, to be able and do even better the next tournament. Just to win the Pan Ams at my first year at black belt would be a great feeling and I just hope that I can continue doing well this year!”

Gianni Grippo with new professor, Marcelo Garcia / Photo via Instagram

Gianni Grippo changes teams to Alliance

The first kid to ever train at the Renzo Gracie NYC academy, Gianni Grippo has officially left the team after ten years. The now-twenty-year-old started training Jiu-Jitsu when he was ten years old at the Manhattan academy, taking private lessons under blue belt Magno Gama four days a week. Since there was no kids program at the time, he spent his first three years this way, eventually working his way up the rankings and into the adult classes. By the age of sixteen he had developed into a serious threat, a far cry from his early mascot role he played. On Monday, March 11 Gianni announced his switch to team Alliance as he will now be training at the Marcelo Garcia Academy. He will now be present at the 2013 Pan American Championship fighting under the Alliance banner.

His statement regarding the move:

“I’ve been training at Renzo’s for ten years and since I was ten years old, so the decision to leave was definitely one of the hardest decisions I ever made in my life. But now I’m looking forward to the great opportunities I have at Marcelo’s and in the Alliance family, and I can’t wait to compete with my team at the upcoming Pans.”

Keenan Cornelius training at the Art of Jiu-Jitsu academy with Mendes bros and Miyao brothers before heading to Atos San Diego / Photo via Instagram

Keenan Cornelius gets accustomed to training at Atos

In the beginning of March, Keenan Cornelius made the decision along with other teammates to leave the team at Lloyd Irvin’s and move on. Due to situations that arose within the past months at the camp in Maryland, Keenan decided that the training environment was no longer suitable. On March 1, we broke the news about the switch to Atos along with Keenan’s statement. You can read it here.

At the 2013 IBJJF Boston Winter Open on March 3, only days after announcing he would be moving to Atos under Andre Galvao, Keenan accomplished another double gold. The difference this time was that he had no backing from a team, his Keiko gi had no Lloyd Irvin patches on it, he didn’t throw up the hand gesture that formed the letters “LI” after every win and for once in his Jiu-Jitsu stardom he looked more like a nobody. His matches were mostly quick as usual and despite the present turmoil, his stature remained composed. A day after the tournament he flew to L.A. where he made his way to the San Diego academy before stopping at the Art of Jiu-Jitsu academy in Costa Mesa where the Miyao brothers are currently training.

Will Keenan’s game change with a new set of training partners, new atmosphere and completely different routine? We will see.

Sean Roberts shortly after his brown belt promotion in September of 2010 / Photo via facebook

Sean Roberts set to compete as black belt but still a brown belt

This week Sean Roberts announced that he will be competing at the 2013 Pan Ams as a black belt — the only stipulation is that he still wear his brown belt because he has not been fully promoted. As his first tournament as a black belt, he will no longer be able to compete as a brown belt again thereafter. Knowing this, Ralph Gracie decided to allow him to compete as a black belt, giving him the option over the phone.

The story as told by Sean to GRACIEMAG.com:

“About three weeks before the Pan Americans I received a call from Ralph Gracie. We talked for a little bit and he asked me if I would like to fight the Pan Americans as a brown belt or a black belt. I immediately said black belt because the black belt division has the best fighters and I want to fight the best. After I told him that I would like to fight black belt he told me that I was to still wear my brown belt in the academy which I agreed to. I also told him, ‘if I fight the Pan Americans as a black belt then I can never fight as a brown belt again,’ and he replied, ‘I know.’ He had Eduardo Fraga, the head instructor from his school in Berkeley, sign the documents to declare me a black belt. So I’m a IBJJF black belt but a Ralph Gracie brown belt.

I’m still not quite sure why he is letting me fight as a black belt without promoting me to black belt first. It would have been very disappointing for him to promote me over the phone. I think he is waiting for an upcoming belt ceremony, but really I have no idea.”

Sean will be competing as a black belt but also as a middle weight instead of his usual lightweight.

UPDATE: Sean Roberts received his black belt today, March 12, from his professor Ralph Gracie. Congratulations!

Sean receives his black belt from Ralph Gracie / Photo via facebook

DJ Jackson defeated Gregor Gracie in Boston

DJ Jackson stays on team while others leave

Amidst the situations at Team Lloyd Irvin and the fleeing of team members, DJ Jackson remains with his original team in Camp Springs, Md. The black belt middleweight has kept his loyalty along with black belt Nyjah Easton and newly promoted brown belt Sijara Eubanks. The team has many members who are lesser known but still provide training for the leftover medal chasers. DJ will still be attending the 2013 Pan Ams as a representative of Team Lloyd Irvin as he did in Boston where he won double gold after beating Abmar Barbosa, Gregor Gracie, Rafael Formiga and others.

DJ tells GracieMag.com what his training is like since most of his partners left:

“I train mostly with a purple belt named Greg Howell, Nyjah, Sarj and the teenagers who are coming up. I still train the same routine, the only difference is there are some different people and less JT and Keenan.”

DJ is set for the black belt middleweight division at this year’s Pan Ams where he will have potential matches against names like Clark Gracie, Jake Mackenzie, Otavio Souza, Magid Hage and more.

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Beyond the changes in these Americans present at the Pans, you can make sure that you join in on the success. The changes these athletes have gone through may determine who wins some of the brown and black belt divisions but your division is important for your own legacy. Build it now by signing up TODAY. The deadline is fast approaching, tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Don’t miss registration! Go here to sign up now.

The 2013 Pan American Championship will be held at UC Irvine Brenn Event Center from March 20 to 24.

The location address is: 100 Bren event center Irvine, California 92617 USA

We hope to see you there!

Lower belts wait for their mat assignments at Pan Ams

While the black belts are always the headlining event at the Pan American Championship each year, the colored belts should never be ignored. Often it’s the matches in the lower belts that provide the most action, risk and passion.

Sign up for the 2013 Pan Ams and go ahead, steal the show. Whether you have one year of experience or five, every athlete deserves the opportunity to get on the mat, feel the roar of the Brenn Event Center, be supported by teammates and peers and put Jiu-Jitsu techniques to the test against a viable opponent.

Head over now to the IBJJF website to register today only.

Click here to register now.

The 2013 Pan Ams will be held from Mar 20-24. Be sure to check the pre-schedule to see when you will be competing in order to make your arrangements.

The location is at the UC Irvine Brenn Event Centere 100 Bren Event Center Irvine, California 92617.

Check out some action-packed matches from previous years in the brown and purple belt divisions:

Francisco “Sinistro” Iturralde has competed consistently since a juvenile, winning the best tournaments under the Alliance banner. For him, competing is where he likes to have fun. But in the process, he has won many major titles since the one in this video below including the world championship three times, the Pan Ams three times and the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup in both gi and no-gi.

As a juvenile, you have the advantage of learning about competition before entering the divisions more noted on a resume. If competition results are your aim, you can enter the adults division as a prior champion with much more experience than most of your bracket.

The Pan American Championship is the largest tournament in Jiu-Jitsu, allowing juveniles to join in on the prestige. This year the competition lands along five days extending from Mar 20 to Mar 24.

The location is at the UC Irvine Brenn Event Centere 100 Bren Event Center Irvine, California 92617.

The registration deadline is nearing so don’t wait for your championship resume to bloom or else you may have to wait another year. Register before Mar 12 and you can click here to register.

Make sure you have your membership completed as all juveniles must have an IBJJF ID card to register and compete.

Enjoy the video and allow it to prove that being a champion at juvenile can easily extend into adulthood:

Make history at the Pan Ams like Rafael Lovato Jr. Photo by Mike Poeschl.

Rafael Lovato Jr. is the only adult American black belt to claim gold at the Pan American Championships. In 2008 he claimed his second gold in a match against Roberto Alencar that left him fighting until the very end, coming into the lead from a shaky start.

The Pan American Championships are a place for everyone to put it all on the line. And as the biggest tournament in the world, in sunny California, in the midst of a Jiu-Jitsu mecca, your matches will remain a moment to remember in your jiu-jitsu journey.

As for Lovato, he made history, and in the match below he shows why his first title at the 2007 Pan was not enough to show what he is capable of. Watch how Lovato escapes a tight triangle and comes out for the win.

Don’t miss the registration deadline and the chance to make your own history something to remember as Rafael Lovato Jr. has done for the sport!

Make sure you register before the deadline of March 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT!

Click here to register for the 2013 Pan Ams that will be held from March 20-24!

The Brenn Event Center at UC Irvine is located at 100 Bren Event Center Irvine, California 92617.

Sport Jiu-Jitsu made strides in 2012 as more tournaments were run, more talent was exposed and new techniques were proven. From Keenan Cornelius to Miyao brothers and berimbolos to cash prizes and submission-only, it was a big year.

As 2013 closes in, we know that in its future lies even more evolution. We know that top names will continue to push the pace but it’s the rising talent that will make sure it doesn’t stop.

Here are some top people whom GRACIEMAG.com believes will be solidifying their name in 2013:

Dante Leon

A juvenile blue belt, Dante has two world titles in his age division, three Pan American titles and numerous other accolades. Most notable are his wins in the adult division which first happened shortly after he turned 15. He has defeated many larger adult opponents in the open weight divisions, some with a 70 pound advantage over this juvenile middle weight. He turns 18 in 2013 so we can’t wait to see how the Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu representative does in the adult divisions at Pan Ams and Worlds.

Chad Shaule

A Canadian star at blue belt, he traveled to California three times in 2012 for 3rd at Worlds, 2nd at Pan Ams and double gold at the IBJJF Long Beach Spring Open. Just recently promoted to purple belt, this Gracie Barra team member already won double gold at his first major Canadian tournament as seen in the highlight below. We believe Chad will improve tremendously in the next year and prove his place in the purple belt medium heavy division.

Edwin Najmi

Edwin is known as Romulo Barral’s prodigy as well as a submission addict. Most of his wins from white to purple have been by triangles and ankle locks as seen in the highlight below. Since the beginning he has competed as much as possible, often 14 times a year with some being two in one weekend. In 2012 he won his division at Pan Ams as well as the Abu Dhabi Trials weight and absolute and a grip of others, as he has rarely missed the podium. Most recently he took first place at the American Nationals in September avenging losses to both Isaac Doederlein and Jacob Sandoval in the process.

Isaac Doederlein

Isaac began his journey in the juvenile divisions alongside the likes of Francisco “Sinistro” Iturraldo, Nicholas Schultz and Gianni Grippo winning two world titles back-to-back. In 2009 he won his blue belt juvenile division then in 2010 he won his blue belt adult division. Since then he has won major tournaments going up the ranks including the Abu Dhabi Trials weight division beating Ronaldo Candido, now a new black belt under the Atos banner. At the end of 2011 he moved from his home state of Arizona to Los Angeles to train under Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Maciel where he has been slowly building his skill for the past year, anticipating what we believe will be his time in 2013.

Nicholas Schultz

Part of Team Lloyd Irvin, Nick has come up in the ranks from juvenile divisions much like others mentioned. Medaling at nearly every major tournament, he was stopped twice at the Worlds in 2011 and 2012 by the Miyao brothers as he placed third although he earned gold at the 2011 Pan Ams. While the Miyao brothers have since departed the realm of purple belt, we believe Nick will take over the throne in 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58OhsEIkL0Y

Janni Larsson

Janni is a recently promoted brown belt from Sweden who made her mark this year winning Europeans weight and absolute and then Worlds weight and absolute. She lives, studies and trains in Denmark under the Checkmat team and spends half of her time studying medicine. She is currently training in Brazil and plans to attend the same major tournaments in 2013 where we believe she will have similar results.

Jordan Che Landry

Once considered Caio Terra’s prodigy, Jordan too went up in the ranks by starting on the podiums in juvenile divisions. He had major wins from the start as a 2010 juvenile blue blet World champion. He won Pan Ams at purple in 2011 however tore his LCL at Worlds a few months later and was forced to take the time to recover. He came back this year and won the Worlds, redeeming himself in the purple belt division. He was recently promoted to brown belt and we think the Gracie Fighter will be a force in the rooster weight division next year.

Stephen Martin

This past year Stephen Martin came back on the map since his 2007 blue belt juvenile gold at Worlds. He has placed in nearly every World Championship since then, however he was able to claim gold in 2012 where he beat Jordon Schultz and Ralph Go at the Europeans in January. He placed second at the Pan Ams and third at the Worlds and we believe this UK-based brown belt will serve his Gracie Barra team and the Estima brothers well in 2013.

Tanner Rice

Tanner Rice is a 19-year-old black belt who was recently promoted by Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Maciel after beginning tutelage before Worlds in 2011. He trains and teaches at his family’s school, only finding a couple months total time throughout the year to train under Cobrinha in Los Angeles, hundreds of miles away from his Redding, CA home. After closing out the lightweight division at Worlds this year, he won the IBJJF Long Beach Fall Open this month earning himself a spot in the IBJJ Pro League where he defeated Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes by points as seen in the video below. Not to be considered beginner’s luck, we believe 2013 could hold some more upsets in Tanner’s favor.

Let us know who we missed in the comment section below!