Polaris Squads 3: Team USA Takes Win by Storm

Last Saturday was another glorious day for American fans of Jiu Jitsu as Team USA triumphs against Team UK and Ireland at Polaris Squads 3. The card was packed with highly skilled grapplers from Ireland, UK, and the USA. It was an action-packed night of high-speed matches between top competitors, to the absolute delight of fans watching live in Southampton and the UFC Fight Pass broadcast.

The event featured four Phalanx Pro Team athletes as part of team USA. Initially, the lineup included Richie Martinez, Geo Martinez, and PJ Barch. Unfortunately, Barch had to pull out at the eleventh hour due to an injury. Nathan Orchard rose to the occasion and stepped in as a last-minute replacement.

Both Team USA and Team UK-IRL had several big names in their lineups, but while all of them lived up to expectations with their spectacular performances, only one team can emerge victorious. Under the leadership of brothers and co-captains Richie and Geo Martinez, it was Team USA that bagged the trophy, ending the night with a score of 7-0 against Team UK-IRL.

The first half of the event featured tense stand-offs and safe plays, and it wasn’t until the third match that the pace picked up. UK’s Jed Hue displayed aggression on the mats that forced the rest to catch up. It was late in the first half, however, that things really got exciting.

Nathan Orchard ended his match against Ireland’s Kieran Davern with a twister/neck crank. Since Orchard is under 75 kg and Davern is under 95 kg, this submission earned Team USA a three points advantage over the opposing team. This submission also earned him the title of MVG of the night.

With Team USA ahead in the game, the second half became much more intense. Dan Strauss (under 95kg) tapped out against Geo Martinez (under 75kg) due to an injury, awarding Team USA another three points. The final point came from Roberto Jimenez, who got Bradley Hill in a rear-naked choke.

Team UK+IRL fought valiantly, but the night ultimately ended with a score of 7-0 in favor of the USA.

Polaris Squads 3 was originally slated for July 17th but was postponed to August 7th due to government restrictions.