The Craig Jones Invitational saw an intense semifinal matchup in the over 80kg division between Fellipe Andrew and Inacio Santos. Felipe Andrew put on a display of technical guard prowess that kept the packed crowd on the edge of their seats.
The opening round saw a strategic battle, with both men looking to gain the upper hand. Andrew, the 2024 IBJJF World Champion, showcased his fluid movement and excellent timing, consistently putting pressure on the larger Santos. The Brazilian grappler, a ADCC South American Trials winner, demonstrated his formidable strength and tenacity, but struggled to find an answer to Andrew’s relentless attack. In the first minute, Santos tried to go for 2 take downs which were both easily repelled. Andrew however decided to sit 90 seconds in, to avoid further wrestling exchanges.
Almost right off the pull, Andrew’s mastery of guard and leg attacks began to pay dividends. He worked his way off a kiss of the dragon inversion between the legs into a straight leg lock attempt. From there he got a calf slicer as Santos turned to flee, and ultimately was riding his back from Santos’ turtle. Santos tried to stand with Andrew hugging his waist from behind, but was in for more trouble. Andrew dropped into 50-50 from his feet and immediately inverted into a knee bar. Santos was forced to roll through and eventually managed to escape back to his feet. Andrew again pulled guard with Santos left to fish for some kind of offense in the closing 30 seconds. Despite Santos’ best efforts to stifle the onslaught, Andrew’s superior technique and ring generalship earned him a clear 10-9 score in the first round.
The second round saw Santos immediately shoot for a double which resutled in him getting stuck in a front headlock. Andrew continued his aggressive pursuit, going around to the back and then trying to sink hooks before finally ending up in mount. All in the first 90 seoconds. Santos showcased his defensive prowess, refusing to give up his back easily and tried to turtle to make back to his feet. But off the scramble Andrew locked on a reverse triangle quickly. Santos managed to power out of the submission and put Andrew back on his back.
Trapped against the wall in his guard, Andrew dug deep and unleashed a beautiful combination, inverting into K guard and getting to 50/50 and straight into a devastating inside heel hook. The lightning-fast submission left Santos no time to react, and the referee was forced to stop the contest with just 21 seconds remaining in the round.
In his post fight speech Andrew reminded the crowd he was a gi guy and hoped that his performance at CJI would help make gi great again.
Fellipe Andrew’s impressive performance earned him a well-deserved spot in the $1 million championship finale against the formidable Nick Rodriguez. The Brazilian grappler’s blend of technical mastery, lightning-fast transitions, and game-changing submissions made him a clear favorite to capture the coveted CJI title and the life-changing prize that comes with it.
