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Polaris 10 Ryan vs Faber Odds & Picks

Dylan Bowker

by Dylan Bowker in Mixed Martial Arts News

Updated Mar 28, 2020 · 12:36 PM PDT

Urijah Faber
Urijah Faber is the underdog in his fight with Nicky Ryan. Photo by @Maclifeofficial (Twitter)
  • Polaris 10 Ryan vs Faber goes Saturday, May 25th
  • Can the no-gi prodigy defeat the former WEC champion
  • Will the UFC Hall of Famer stymie the progress of the heavily hyped, submission grappling wunderkind?

Polaris 10 Ryan vs Faber will take place at The Lighthouse in Poole, UK. This town in Dorset, England will host an intriguing submission grappling event with a hell of  headliner.

Legendary MMA practitioner Urijah Faber continues his efforts in the world of submission grappling and faces a teenage wunderkind this time out. Nicky Ryan is the promotion’s Featherweight Champion, is unbeaten under the Polaris banner, and has yet to turn 18.

Polaris 10 Ryan vs Faber Odds

Grappler Odds
Nicky Ryan -120
Urijah Faber -110

*Odds taken 05/13/19

UFC Fight Pass will broadcast Polaris 10 Ryan vs Faber which features several UFC veterans with one of the most notable names in MMA history at the top of the marquee. “The California Kid” Urijah Faber has 17 submission victories out of 34 career wins. Faber retired from MMA competition years back but has been reintroducing himself to competing via the submission grappling circuit.

Faber retired from MMA competition years back but has been reintroducing himself to competing via the submission grappling circuit.

Faber is clearly looking to test himself as he takes on a buzzsaw who has a goal of being the best no-gi grappler of all time. Nicky Ryan is the younger brother of Openweight savant Gordon Ryan, but has been carving out a name in his own right. The young limb collector has been submitting grown men since he was a 13 year old boy.

How Ryan deals with the power of Faber is a compelling part of this Polaris 10 Ryan vs Faber main event. The “man strength narrative” will always be part of grappling matches involving a teenager against an adult male.

Faber recently grappled Kazushi Sakuraba to a draw, a man who has competed against heavyweights during his PRIDE run. The first few minutes of this 15 minute, one round match will be a telling indicator for the whole bout.

A big tendril to this contest is also how active both competitors are in no-gi grappling. Ryan submitted all three of his opponents when he went unbeaten in the ADCC North American trails earlier in 2019. Though Faber has been competing for shows like Submission Underground and Quintet as of late, Ryan has been far more consistent in no-gi grappling.

Ryan vs Faber Tale of the Tape

Ryan
VS
Faber
BJJ Purple Belt under John Danaher Belt Rank BJJ Brown Belt under Fabio Prado
Renzo Gracie Academy Camp/ Team Affiliation Team Alpha Male
Masakazu Imanari
Hideo Tokoro
Geo Martinez
Significant Wins Dominick Cruz (MMA)
Jens Pulver (MMA)
Brian Bowles (MMA)
2019 ADCC North American Trials winner
Polaris Featherweight Champion
Notable Grappling Titles/ Accomplishments Two time NCAA National Qualifier

All factors considered, I’m going with Nicky Ryan in this one. Nicky is a rising star and his training with Danaher Death Squad is invaluable. Getting to roll with the most notable names on the submission grappling circuit does wonders not just for application of techniques but also for instilling tremendous confidence.

I could see Ryan snatching a heel hook or rear naked choke in the waning moments of the Polaris 10 Ryan vs Faber main attraction.

Pick: Nicky Ryan (-120)

Odds for the Rest of Polaris 10

Grappler Odds
Craig Jones -250
Matheus Lutes +195
Grappler Odds
Ash Williams -135
Ethan Crelinsten +105
Grappler Odds
Brad Pickett +155
Caol Uno -190
Grappler Odds
Ritchie Martinez +100
Miha Perhavec -130
Grappler Odds
Nick Rodriguez -125
Ash Amos -105
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