In case you missed it, grapplers, this went down this past weekend. Say what you like about worm guards and lapel guards and the state of competitive BJJ today (e.g., Rickson Gracie’s very public opinion on this subject), these two are at the very pinnacle of the BJJ game. That’s irrefutable.
I look at a match like this as a true display of everything our sport has to offer in this modern day. The complexity of Keenan’s guard; the adaptability, nuance and sheer athleticism of Leandro’s passing skills. Yes. These kinds of matches are close (often down to the advantage), but that’s only because both athletes are so extremely tuned for competition. When you look at it that way, it’s like watching Formula 1 racing or thoroughbred horse racing. Every movement and movement within a movement matters.
