A 16-Win Streak Falls on New Year’s Weekend

A thin MVP field this weekend — only one fighter checks every box. Taylor Stewart submits all three opponents at NAGA Memphis to take gold and gain +1,130 Jits. Three submissions in three tries. Clean.

The larger story is volume, not individual brilliance. Grappling Industries runs three simultaneous events, spreading talent across Detroit, Salt Lake City, and Boston. The result: distributed performances rather than a single standout weekend.

Teiyah Leilua of Rio Combat Team Shark Tank Jiu Jitsu does not lose. Twelve matches in one day at Grappling Industries Salt Lake City, twelve wins, two divisions swept. The grey belt rated at 4,146 Jits gains +4,980 and posts the weekend's largest single-fighter output.

At Grappling Industries Detroit, Maxemiliano Oscar Vonrossum-Perez of Molinaro Jiu-Jitsu matches Leilua's 12-0 mark. His path is harder — he breaks Thaddeus Vallier's 15-win streak and Brantlee Ackert's 12-win streak, both from Flint Jiu Jitsu, on the same day. Jaxson Hollis of 10th Planet Las Vegas goes 6-0 at United Grappling Las Vegas, already rated at 7,912 Jits — the highest-rated bracket sweeper of the weekend.

All five of the weekend's biggest upsets come from NAGA Memphis, the smallest tournament in the field. Four of the five finish by submission.

The streak-breaking tells a bigger story. Darren Bass Ii ends two separate win streaks at Grappling Industries Detroit — Robert Wines at 16-0 and Michael Draper at 12-0. Maxemiliano Oscar Vonrossum-Perez breaks two more — Thaddeus Vallier at 15-0 and Brantlee Ackert at 12-0. At Grappling Industries Boston, Steven Rothman stops Keon Roohani at 15-0. Ten streak-breaking results across one weekend.

Crown BJJ leads the weekend with 39 medals from 26 fighters at Grappling Industries Salt Lake City. Mori Training Center runs the most efficient operation: 18 medals from 10 fighters, a 1.8 medals-per-fighter rate, with 11 golds. Renzo Gracie Utah matches 22 medals from just 14 fighters, converting half to gold.

Jaykob Lee Downer gains +5,540 Jits on a perfect 8-0 weekend — the largest single-weekend Glicko-2 move across all five tournaments. The blue belt jumps to 3,996 Jits and Elite tier.

Lance Lavoie goes 9-1 for +5,170 Jits, and Teiyah Leilua turns that 12-0 day into +4,980 Jits at Salt Lake City. On the drops side, Rj Kendall of Team Valhalla takes the hardest fall: -2,130 Jits on a 0-6 weekend, dropping from 5,912 to 3,782.

Risers

Drops

The first weekend of 2025 sets a baseline: Grappling Industries dominates the calendar with three of five events, and the deep round-robin format produces higher match volumes per fighter than any other organization. The question heading into January is whether AGF, NAGA, and the regional circuits can match that pace. If the streak-breaking rate holds — ten streaks of 10+ wins snapped in a single weekend — the early-season ratings will be volatile.