Was more excited for the slate of competitors with more IBJJF-centric brown/black belts on the roster, but alas, I guess folks get injured, and folks elect to not compete for money, and other various reasons.
Overall, with the advent of more women brown and black belts, the overall JiuJitsu was of a much higher pedigree, that being said, you're behind the times if you're jumping to closed guard in a nogi/sub only format. The leg entanglements were more advanced than the previous women's EBI, but the calf slicer, toe holds, and heel hook finish all show much room for development in the women's division of sub only and leg lock friendly events. Overall, the talent attracted was of a higher level than the previous installment, but the mismatch of black belt world champs versus competitors who are arguably purple belt level or maaaaaybe brown belt level was.....well, made for some mismatches. Anyhow, entertaining due to a high rate of finishes, so I'll end my criticism on a high note.
Mesquita vs Neidrauer
Mesquita jumps guard, gets the arm across the body, threatens the armbar from bottom to get the back take, which Neidrauer defends and does so by giving up mount. Mesquita quickly locks up a kimura from mount, dismounts to begin the attack. 2 min's down and she's transitioned to several grip breaks, and Neidrauer gets caught after a hitchhiker style escape with Mesquita tight on the joysticking of the arm. Mesquita by armbar.
Leve vs Mayo
They spend 2 mins on the feet before Leve gets a foot/ankle and runs Mayo down to the mat. After some efforst to pass, Mayo shoots then sits back to guard. Leve spends nearly 5 mins in guard and some efforts to posture/pass, but gets swept, recovers to a scramble and despite lacking much technique, Mayo shoves her to the ground (hey, sometimes that's all there is to it/that's necessary). Mayo spends the remaining 90 seconds of regulation attempting to pass, but to no avail.
Leve wins on escape time.
Boveda vs Vaughan
Haflway through the match after a lot of closed guard on both sides, Vaughan forces through to half-guard, and quickly to mount, then to what appears to be an arm triangle, but despite Boveda being in an S-mount type position with the arm giftwrapped, she taps - presumably from the arm triangle?
Alzuguir vs Feliciano
Alzuguir vs is patient, then gets past the guard and works to mount where she's patient. Feliciano is patient due to the sub only format and doesn't give up the back in order to escape, smart move on her part. They move to overtime. Alzuguir for her accomplishments in IBJJF, and the Gi, not really having any tools to get to the back by scooping the elbows/create transitions to move to submission opportunities. Feliciano, however, in overtime, with Alzuguir on her back manages to get to the better side to address the body triangle, but (hard to tell from the angle) gets RNC/jaw crushed?) then opts in the armbar position to go for the bicep crush, but loses the elbow position from the head-side arm, and therefore doesn't have the pressure to force the extrication of the arm to get it free in time/Alzuguir escapes quickly.
Basilio vs Patterson
Basilio hunts for a guillotine from top early to pass/attack. Basilio looks to backstep, but Patterson to her credit uses the free hook to trip her up, and re-pommels to suck in the leg then transitions but Basilio attacks with her own heel hook. The angle/depth looks okay from the aerial view, but then a nice transition, and attack sequence from Patterson who sets up her own kneebar. The angle from top looks good, but the foot is at her sternum/chest level, making it unlikely to finish, especially on a black belt of Basilio's caliber. Patterson spends some time with her feet to the outside, triangled, looking to toe hold or look for an outside heel hook, but gets lazy, and allows the black belt to roll belly down and despite the leg being straight, submits to a toe hold.
Nordeno vs Tracy
Couple mins in, Tracy gets to single leg X, foot across the hip to attack what initially looks like a heel hook, but she opts for a toe hold, interesting choice, Nordeno counters with a heel hook, they pommel feet to the inside and disengage. Nordeno attacks with a toe hold of her own, and Tracy snakes a leg inside to alleviate the torque. Tracy looks for a toe hold, but gives up a potential calf slicer/crab ride/back take with Nordeno beginning the series of attacks/climb from behind. Nordeno goes belly down on an ankle lock, and Tracy doesn't really commit to resetting after the initial attack, and Nordeno gets even deeper in on that lackadaisical foot left behind in calf slice position from last time, and this gets the tap giving Nordeno the win, and knocking out the 10th Planet Women's Qualifying winner.
Goodell vs Sullivan
Sullivan selling out on some ankle locks belly down, Goodell looking for some back takes. Hard to say what's having more effectiveness.
Sullivan ekes it out by fastest escape time.
Ribas vs Smadja
Ribas on top with some heavy pressure (they always say it is, but I've had people yelling that in matches, and the guy on top of me didn't feel heavy et cetera), Smadja escapes into a leg entanglement/attack as a counter to a sloppy ankle lock sit back by Ribas. Ribas pre-emptively spins, but Smadja smartly keeps the bite, keeps the feet pinched, at the hip, grips palm to palm, and the flailing escape didn't get Ribas any distance from the hips, and then turns the opposite way in desperation (the wrong way at this point) and wisely taps.
Smadja with the heel hook for the Win.
Quarterfinal 1 - Mesquita vs Leve
Mesquita gets the arm overhooked from closed guard, has the far wrist under control, dangerous spot for Leve, especially against a black belt....and predictably, once the wrist is controlled, and the arm overwrapped, the triangle isn't far behind, after some adjustments, Mesquita gets the tap via triangle.
Quarterfinal 2 - Vaughan vs Alzuguir
Vaughan shows some impressive passing in forcing Alzuguir to turtle, then on to attack the back/turtle. Vaughan is pretty high off the top of the back but stays on the attack as Alzuguir looks to escape the high back take. Alzuguir escapes, but accepts bottom position and Vaughan looks to be considerably more fresh. Alzuguir spins from bottom to 50/50. Vaughan waits for a sloppy heel hook entry/grip attack by Alzuguir then uses it to come up to standing, then address the foot on the hip in an effort to escape the leg entanglement and possibly pass the guard from top/standing. Alzuguir pommels Vaughan's foot to the 50/50 again to retreat a bit to a control position and reset. Vaughan appears to take some chances when looking for avenues to escape during the leg lock exchanges. I can't help but expect someone more experienced in controlling the legs will catch her in one of these transitions where she's used to escaping.....and from 50/50 she twists the wrong way, doesn't fit the hands or split the feet controlling her...and gets half kneebar/half heel hooked.
Eh.
Quarterfinal 3 - Basilio vs Nordeno
Basilio gets the arm overhooked, and hits a key lock/Mir lock from closed guard, despite Nordeno's arm looking pretty far out of the hole and not really at 90 degrees.
Basilio by key lock/Americana/Mir Lock/whatevs
Quarterfinal 4 - Sullivan vs Smadja
Smadja uses top position to sit back on a leg early, then throws up a triangle attempts, once on top, she allows Sullivan to spin through to an outside heel hook position, Smadja begins some counter measures, but stops with her knee midway out, and appears to just stay in range for Sullivan to crank on the foot left behind as Smadja never completed clearing the knee line in order to reset. Sullivan moves on via unimpressive toe hold triumph over marginal defensive measures taken by Smadja.
PJ Barch vs Mikey Gonzalez
Some wrestling on the feet for a few minutes, Barch in half-guard, passes the guard, as Gonzalez turns out, in an effort to escape/scramble, he leaves behind and arm and Barch is on the mistake quickly, he transitions to the back, Gonzalez briefly looks as though he'll escape, but elbow control and stopping rather than insisting until he was back head to head/in a neutral position gets Barch sitting in top side half-guard with the arm still locked up in a Kimura grip which leads to a transition to an armbar, then back and in the escape the arm comes free and Barch finishes Gonzalez with a Kimura.
Semifinal 1 - Mesquita vs Alguzuir
Mesquita jumps to closed guard but Alzuguir sits back and drives the foot across the hip threatening a heel hook, Mesquita comes to top, splits the feet, and is on top, relatively comfortable, she dives over the top and snags an errant arm to give her a Kimura from top mount. With about 2 minutes remaining she steps over the free arm completely to lock up a triangle and force the tap.
Semifinal 2 - Basilio vs Sullivan
Basilio effortlessly passes, transitions to mount, giftwraps the arm and is hunting for the backtake 90 seconds into the match. Sullivan looks to be escaping but leaves behind her elbow and Basilio locks up a Kimura which evolves into a straight armbar for the finish as Sullivan's lanky frame does her in whilst escaping the mount from earlier.
Richie Martinez vs Bobby Emmons
Emmons passes (somehow, because the movement would not suggest he's a guard passing machine...) then does just enough to stay in top side mount for 3-4 boring minutes afterward. From there the flail-fest really kicks off in earnest. Boogeyman looks for a Darce from top while floating over the flailing legs of Emmons, but doesn't lock it up, Emmons halfway commits to driving underneath with a Craig Jones style entry but he lacks the leg dexterity, inversion rotation, and general sense of swinging his legs all the far way around for it to work and ends up turtled with Boogeyman looking to take advantage. Emmons triangles the leg but its while he has lost the underhook battle, his legs are completely smashed flat to one side, and there's no way a guy the size/frame/experience of Martinez is going to let Emmons get underneath him to do anything with it....and it looks like the Darce is forthcoming due to forcing the triangle around the available leg from this position...and that's exactly how it goes down. You learn early on when experimenting with getting the triangle around the legs that this is the cost of locking it up from out of position, and this danger does exist.
Final - Mesquita vs Basilio
Both women seated 90 seconds in, neither wanting to come on top to spend time passing. Both pommeling their feet to the inside position while some lackluster handfighting. Both women seated again at the 7 minute mark. Basilio leaps over the top for a guillotine, but while floating, and lacking the skills to pommel her feet to the inside position ends up in danger of a heel hook as Mesquita's foot comes across the hip, fortunately for Basilio, she's pretty stretched out, rather than caught with the knee bent roughly 90 degrees or near it, and with both legs almost completely straight and extended when she goes to triangle them again, she ends up low down the leg, right above Basilio's knee so she should be relatively safe even when Mesquita goes belly down. They spend 2 minutes in 50/50 not really sure how to turn it into a heel hook (sigh),
Overtime - Basilio wisely is slightly walking her legs away before time kicks in, but stays flat on her back/shoulders when she goes to thumb post/hitchhike out and predictably with a black belt on her arm joysticking it, gets tapped ruthlessly quickly for not having the details necessary to compromise Mesquita's legs cross body before going for that escape.
Details matter, people.
Mesquita wins via insanle easy armbar in the 1st overtime.
Ignorance of the overtime and the escapes for the first layer of common armbar overtime attacks costs Basilio from even really having a shot in the overtime portion.
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