If there were any doubt that we are still in the Heel Hook Era of No Gi jiu-jitsu, then this weekend's FloGrappling Who's Number One event was a stern reminder that, as far as the obsession with this technique goes, the only way out is through.
Three of the event's feature contests: Nicky Ryan vs. Tony Ramos, Craig Jones vs Roberto Jimenez, and Gordon Ryan vs. Matheus Diniz, ended with heel hook submissions. And while only the first two submissions came quickly (within seconds in the case of Ryan "versus" Ramos), the heel hook submission in the Ryan "versus" Diniz headliner was as easy to anticipate as the seasons.
At this point, it is not even worth arguing that it would have been more interesting for both Ryan brothers to forgo heel hooks in their matches to make them more competitive. But while Diniz was a worthy, if overmatched opponent, for the older Ryan, Ramos had no reason whatsoever being on the mat with the younger Ryan. A potential rematch between Nicky and Tye Ruotolo would make for a far more compelling match up for the Danaher Death Squad's youngest superstar.
The most interesting match of the event for me was Geo Martinez taking on Paulo Miyao. I'll confess both to being especially interested in featherweights (being one) and in Geo, whose EBI final against Eddie Cummings is among my favorite contests in years. But it was very impressive to watch Geo avoid Paulo's entanglements, remain aggressive on top, and even attack for what was probably the match-winning guillotine attempt.
What caught my ear in the post-match interview was Geo's emphasis on being familiar with Paulo's game, with the "predictability" of that game, he said. That's no knock on Paulo. To have a "style" is, in a sense, to be "predictable." What was impressive was Geo's ability to not just read the predictions, but to run them down relentlessly, en route to an impressive victory against a top opponent.
