Polaris 36 Results: Crelinsten, Reusing Defend Titles, Owen Jones Crowned Featherweight Champion in Croydon

Polaris 36 delivered everything fans have come to expect from Europe’s premier professional grappling promotion — and then some. After a year of team-format Polaris Squads events, the promotion returned to its traditional super-fight card on Saturday, March 7, 2026, live from Fairfield Halls in Croydon, England, streaming exclusively on FloGrappling.

Three championship bouts topped the card, and all three delivered decisive finishes or dominant performances. Ethan Crelinsten defended his lightweight strap with a trademark back attack finish, Kendall Reusing looked unstoppable en route to the openweight title, and Wales’ own Owen Jones pulled off the upset of the night by outworking Gianni Grippo across three rounds.

Here’s everything that went down at Polaris 36.

Ethan Crelinsten Defends Lightweight Title With Rear Naked Choke

The main event lived up to the hype — briefly. Ethan Crelinsten, the Polaris lightweight champion, made his return to competition after a long layoff dating back to CJI 2. His opponent, Belgium’s Shaï Gerena, had earned this title shot the hard way, winning a Polaris tournament where he defeated four men in one night. As a brown belt with impressive ADCC Trials experience, Gerena was no pushover — but Crelinsten made it look easy.

Gerena pulled guard immediately, inverting onto a leg attack. Crelinsten stayed calm, sitting to neutralize the threat. After some pummeling from double-seated position, Crelinsten came up on top, passed to turtle, and took the back. From there, it was textbook Crelinsten — he locked in the rear naked choke and got the tap.

The finish was swift and clinical. Crelinsten’s path to the back has always been elite, and he showed exactly why he’s considered one of the best lightweights on the planet. His ability to transition from standing exchanges to back control without giving up position remains a thing of beauty for grappling fans.

Interestingly, Crelinsten’s post-fight interview raised eyebrows. According to multiple reports, the Canadian essentially told Polaris he was moving on, potentially signaling a shift toward the UFC’s growing UFC BJJ platform — a reminder that the professional grappling landscape is shifting fast.

Kendall Reusing Dominates for Openweight Gold

If there was any question about ring rust, Kendall Reusing answered it in devastating fashion. The American heavyweight hadn’t competed since August 2024 — a layoff of over 18 months — but she rolled through recent ADCC European Trials champion Anabel Lopez like she’d never been away.

Lopez jumped to closed guard early, but Reusing stayed standing and methodically broke the guard open. She passed to turtle, and as Lopez tried to roll to recover, Reusing transitioned to three-quarter mount, then full mount. From there, she isolated the arm and secured the armbar tap.

The entire sequence was clinical. FloGrappling’s live blog summed it up perfectly: “Kendall looked as good as I’ve ever seen here.”

What made this performance so impressive was the level of opposition. Anabel Lopez isn’t some unranked contender — she’s FloGrappling’s #5 ranked fighter who just won ADCC Trials by beating multiple world-class competitors. For Reusing to pass her guard, mount her, and finish her all in the first round speaks to an elite level of preparation and skill that goes beyond rankings.

Reusing’s wrestling background continues to be her superpower. Her ability to stay on top, pressure through guard, and create submission opportunities from dominant positions makes her one of the most dangerous grapplers in women’s openweight competition.

Owen Jones Shocks Gianni Grippo for Featherweight Title

The biggest story of the night came in the featherweight championship bout. Owen Jones, the #10 ranked fighter from Wales, faced off against #14 Gianni Grippo — a veteran with far more experience at the highest levels of professional grappling. These two had been scheduled to meet multiple times across different organizations, and the matchup finally materialized in Croydon.

Jones came out firing in Round 1, working underhooks and knee picks to take Grippo down within the first minute. When Grippo played his signature De La Riva guard, Jones passed effectively, switching sides and maintaining top pressure. Grippo stood, only for Jones to sit him back down with a single leg. After Grippo tried waiter position, Jones cleared and took the round 10-9 across all three judges’ scorecards.

Round 2 saw a chess match develop. Grippo pulled guard and worked to suck Jones into K Guard engagements, but Jones stayed disciplined, passing on the outside and keeping heavy pressure. The round’s most dramatic moment came when Grippo found a waiter position but Jones snapped on an armbar counter — Grippo hitchhiked free, but it showed Jones wasn’t just content to play safe. Jones transitioned into 50/50 and controlled from there, taking another 10-9 round.

Down two rounds, Grippo needed a submission in Round 3. He pulled and wrestled up, putting Jones down briefly, but Jones found a modified bear trap position from bottom that stalled Grippo’s offense. As Grippo worked to advance, Jones shifted into reverse closed guard and threatened a leg attack. Grippo cleared and brought heavy pressure in the final minute, locking in a front headlock as time expired — but it wasn’t nearly enough to swing the scorecards.

Jones won by unanimous decision, 30-27 across all three cards, and was crowned the new Polaris featherweight champion. It was a masterclass in guard passing, wrestling, and positional control.

PJ Barch Grinds Out Decision Over Shane Fishman

10th Planet’s PJ Barch — affectionately known as the “Butter Panther” — put on a pressure-passing clinic against European guard specialist Shane Fishman. Barch’s game plan was clear from the opening seconds: close the distance, establish body locks, and make Fishman carry his weight.

Fishman’s creative guard game kept things interesting. He used fishnet grips, waiter guard, and constant leg pummeling to threaten sweeps and scrambles. But Barch refused to be drawn into extended guard battles, consistently disengaging from leg entanglements and re-establishing his passing pressure.

The scores told the story — Barch won on two of three cards after Round 1, swept all three cards in Round 2, and cruised to a 30-27 unanimous decision. Fishman was game and showed flashes of his unique bottom game, but Barch’s physical style and relentless top pressure proved too much.

Ross Nicholls Edges Sam Gibson in UK Battle

Two of the United Kingdom’s finest no-gi grapplers clashed in a match that was all about scrambles, transitions, and leg attacks. Ross Nicholls and Sam Gibson traded positions throughout three competitive rounds, with Nicholls showing more initiative in attacking from various positions.

In Round 1, Nicholls pulled guard and immediately inverted onto a leg, only for Gibson to counter with his own entry. Both cleared and reset standing. In Round 2, Nicholls worked from half butterfly and X guard before falling back on leg attacks. Round 3 featured the wildest scramble of the night — Gibson shot up from bottom and ended up deep in a guillotine, but things were halted when Gibson suffered a cut that required medical attention.

After the restart, the final minute saw both men scrambling hard before Nicholls got the nod on the scorecards. A competitive match that showcased the depth of talent in British grappling.

Sarah Galvão Submits Libby Genge With Kimura

Brazilian prospect Sarah Galvão continued what FloGrappling called her “magical rookie season” with a second-round kimura finish over the UK’s Libby Genge.

Galvão dominated the opening round, working to a body lock early. When Genge tried to throw her way out, Galvão took the back and spent the remainder of the round hunting chokes. Genge showed toughness by surviving multiple deep strangles, but the pressure was constant.

Round 2 started differently, with Genge being more selective and moving her feet. But Galvão snatched a front headlock, hit a beautiful sumi gaeshi throw, and though Genge cleared to top position in closed guard, it was Galvão who found the finish. From Williams guard, she threw up a triangle choke with her legs crossed the “wrong” way — and used the position to isolate a kimura grip that forced the tap.

It was a creative, high-level finish that showed why Galvão is one of the most exciting young grapplers in the world right now.

Polaris 36 Full Results

Main Card

• Ethan Crelinsten def. Shaï Gerena — Submission (rear naked choke), Round 1 | Polaris Lightweight Championship
• Kendall Reusing def. Anabel Lopez — Submission (armbar), Round 1 | Polaris Women’s Openweight Championship
• Owen Jones def. Gianni Grippo — Unanimous decision (30-27) | Polaris Featherweight Championship
• PJ Barch def. Shane Fishman — Unanimous decision (30-27)
• Ross Nicholls def. Sam Gibson — Unanimous decision
• Sarah Galvão def. Libby Genge — Submission (kimura), Round 2

Undercard

• Romao Carvalho def. Jack Sear — Decision
• Mikael Rhaillander def. Jean Luca Maltese — Decision
• Franck Takoudjou def. Bruno Jardim — Rear naked choke
• Dominic Klingher def. Chase Vaughn — Decision
• Emily Leyva def. Martina Zola — OT Decision
• Nikolas Koretsis def. Chris Leydendeckers — Decision
• Matt Ludlow def. Nathan Jones — Decision
• Joshua Onwordi def. David Cartwright-Khoza — Decision
• Andy Roberts def. Jota Viklander — Decision
• Muhammad Mustafa def. Harry Powell — Decision
• Chloe Roberts def. Lucie Maximo — Armbar
• Tommy Graelish def. Cameron Wakeford — Decision
• Archer Colaco def. Asim Hussain — Scottish Twister
• Michael Tomlinson def. Connor Soper — Scottish Twister

Watch the Polaris 36 Undercard

The full undercard was streamed free on YouTube. Watch the prelim bouts here:

What Polaris 36 Means for Professional Grappling

Polaris 36 was a reminder of why this promotion has been Europe’s flagship grappling event since 2015. After experimenting with the Squads team format — which mirrored the team-based approach that’s become popular across professional grappling — the return to individual super-fights felt fresh and urgent.

The card showcased a healthy mix of established names and rising talent. Crelinsten and Reusing proved they’re still at the top, while Jones’ upset over Grippo injected the featherweight division with new energy. And then there’s the undercard, which featured two Scottish Twister finishes — a rare submission that BJJ fans always love to see.

With ADCC 2026 in Krakow on the horizon and the UFC’s growing investment in professional grappling, events like Polaris 36 are more important than ever. They give athletes a platform to test themselves against world-class competition in a format that rewards both submissions and dominant positional grappling.

Saturday night in Croydon proved that when Polaris brings its A-game, nobody in Europe does professional grappling better.