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Venice Jesolo Open Medium-Heavyweight Finals: Pawel Jaworski vs Luis Sandoya

Pawel Jaworski has quickly asserted himself as one of the most dominant young no-gi athletes in the sport. The reigning medium-heavyweight No-Gi World Champion has continued his tear throughout 2026, proclaiming his Academia Gorila team as a force on the international stage.

Pawel is known for utilizing one of the most dangerous leg-lock arsenals in the sport. His guard system is defined by relentless attacking threats and impenetrable retention, two facets that were recently highlighted by his dominant eight match run to Brasileiro No-Gi double-gold. Pawel submitted all eight of his medium-heavyweight and open class opponents in a dazzling performance that proved his immense skillset.

The Venice Jesolo Open on July 4th marked a distinctly different outing for Pawel. The outcome aligned with what he has shown throughout his entire black belt career, complete success that resulted in a double-gold performance. The route to victory, specifically in the finals match, is what surprised the wider jiu-jitsu community.

Pawel utilized blanketing top pressure and intricate guard passing to overwhelm his opponents. Of course his leglocking game was still on display at the event, however, his shining moment came in a finals match against a fellow European Open Circuit champion. Pawel displayed technical passing, highlighted by his tripod passing system, to dismantle his opponent’s guard with regularity. 

In classic Pawel Jaworski style, the young Polish star finished the match with a tight z-lock finish. But the takeaway from this match, and honestly the event as a whole spoke of a different story. 

Pawel Jaworski is improving. Still adding new tricks to his bag, and redefining aspects of his game that, frankly, he has not needed thus far. 

To keep this in perspective, Pawel’s top game is surely still in a building phase. It remains apparent that his dominance stems from the leglocking system that earned him a No-Gi World Championship in his rookie season.

A hypothetical reality in which Pawel seamlessly blends top and bottom systems with similar lethality has become a frightening possibility for fellow contenders. Watching the Venice Jesolo Open Finals match reveals a peak into the devastating combination of bottom and top technique that Pawel is assembling. 

At just twenty-two years of age, Pawel’s quick ascension and potential growth are equally impressive. It is not difficult to imagine that his passing prowess will drastically improve over subsequent years, restructuring and elevating the young sensation’s career trajectory.

Pawel is expected to defend his Pan No-Gi title at the next major event of the season. Don't miss a minute of his potential title run by tuning in to the FloGrappling live stream, beginning October 2nd from New Jersey.