Check out our preview and full card lineup for WNO 26: Pato vs. Krikorian, which goes down on Friday, February 7, 2025.
FloGrappling’s Who’s Number One (WNO) will soon return to action with a 12-match card headlined by a lightweight title bout.
WNO 26 takes place on Friday, February 7 at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. In the main event, two-division WNO champion Diego “Pato” Oliveira will defend his lightweight gold against 10th Planet submission ace Keith Krikorian.
Pato vs. Krikorian
Fresh off a gold medal performance in the gi at the IBJJF European Championships, Pato has done plenty to establish himself as one of, if not the top pound-for-pound grappler on the planet today. He is a multiple-time IBJJF gi and no-gi world champion, a multiple-time ADCC medalist, and has tasted defeat in his weight class just a handful of times as a black belt.
Stylistically, the Art of Jiu-Jitsu representative is well-rounded and dangerous from both top and bottom positions but tends to do his best work when he’s attacking leg locks from his guard, boasting recent leg lock wins over the likes of Ethan Crelinsten, Owen Jones, and Dante Leon.
Krikorian, meanwhile, is one of grappling’s young veterans and an undeniable finisher. A black belt under his long-time coach Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez, the Californian is one of the best-ever ADCC Trials competitors and, at just 27 years old, is already a three-time ADCC veteran. Krikorian enjoyed a near-perfect year of competition in 2024, losing just two times while winning titles at Grapplefest and Polaris.
While Krikorian might be an underdog to Pato, that doesn’t mean he can’t find a submission against the Brazilian. He is a true submission hunter who will work to a finish for the entirety of the match, whether he’s attacking the legs, chasing the back, or employing his underrated front headlock game. And, given his stellar run in 2024 and marked improvements to his strength and conditioning, Krikorian looks poised to score the upset.
Notably, this won’t be the first time Pato and Krikorian have faced each other in competition. In the first round of the 2022 ADCC World Championships, Pato fractured Krikorian’s fibia with a picture-perfect ankle lock.
Rodriguez vs. Junior
Before that, ADCC silver medalist Jay Rodriguez will collide with no-gi world champion Ronaldo Junior in a matchup that’s all but guaranteed to produce fireworks.
Known for his frantic pacing, solid wrestling, and elite scrambling abilities, Rodriguez is one of the sport’s most entertaining competitors. He enjoyed a breakout moment at the 2024 ADCC World Championships, defeating Achilles Rocha, Ryan Aitken, and his B-Team teammate Chris Wojcik to claim silver. The New Jersey native has been one of WNO’s most dependably entertaining athletes but has yet to emerge victorious across four appearances in the organization.
Junior, meanwhile, is another grappler known for his electrifying style. The Atos representative has spent much of his career competing on the IBJJF circuit, where he’s gi and no-gi Pans gold in addition to his 2023 no-gi world title. He’ll come into this bout following a submission victory over Rodriguez’s teammate Nick Mataya late last year at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational.
The Brazilian is capable of grappling in both top and bottom positions but is best known for his explosive blitz passing that could give Rodriguez trouble if he’s able to secure the top position.
The rest of the card at WNO 26
The rest of the event is packed with elite talent and compelling matches. At light heavyweight, all-action grappler Roberto Jimenez will test his high-paced back-taking skills against a solid wrestler and perennial tough out in Elder Cruz.
Also, multiple-time gi world champion Tainan Dalpra will continue his climb up the no-gi ranks when he takes on WNO veteran Rene Sousa.
And in the lone women’s bout of the main card, recent ADCC world champion Rafaela Guedes returns to the WNO stage to battle Legion AJJ’s rising star Paige Ivette in a match that could arguably determine the sport’s top female heavyweight.
Check out the full slate of matches at WNO 26 below.
WNO 26 full card lineup
Main card
Diego Pato Oliveira (c) vs. Keith Krikorian (WNO lightweight championship)
Jay Rodriguez vs. Ronaldo Junior (middleweight)
Roberto Jimenez vs. Elder Cruz (light heavyweight)
Ryan Aitken vs. Luccas Lira (light heavyweight)
Tainan Dalpra vs. Rene Sousa (middleweight)
Rafaela Guedes vs. Paige Ivette (heavyweight)
Daniel Sathler vs. Michael Sainz (welterweight
Undercard
Zach Kaina vs. Isaac Cordova (featherweight)
Ian Butler vs. Victor Silverio (middleweight)
Sara Galvao vs. Katie Carr (lightweight)
Rana Willink vs. Solange van Doorn (heavyweight)
Icaro Moren vs. Christoper Sarkissian (youth)
How to watch: WNO 26: Pato vs. Krikorian takes place on Friday, February 7, 2025, and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required) beginning at 8:00 PM EST.
