On July 11 in Southampton, professional Jiu Jitsu returned to TV in the form of Polaris 13 UK Grand Prix. Shown live on UFC Fightpass, the event saw eight of Europe’s most talented elite athletes fight for the $10,000 top prize.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions the event had to be held behind closed doors without a live audience and the event was made possible in part thanks to official sanction by the United Kingdom Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association (UKBJJA), which helped the athletes prepare and train under the UK government’s Elite Athlete Return to Sport guidance.

Since its foundation in 2015, Polaris has become one of the most high profile and exciting professional jiu jitsu events in the world, thanks to the quality of its matchmaking and its unique submission based ruleset.

Despite the restrictions imposed by Coronavirus, Polaris 13 did not disappoint, with an eight man tournament leading to a tough final between Polaris veterans Freddie Vosgrone and Ross Nicholls. In the end, Vosgrone’s top pressure proved too much for Nicholls and saw the German national lay claim to being one of the top UK based grapplers.

The tournament final was preceded by an incredibly fast paced superfight between Dinu  Bucalet and Jed Hue, which Hue won via kimura in just over three minutes.

The entire event is available to view on UFC Fightpass.