Noticias
Sarah Galvão Claims Polaris Bantamweight Title with First-Round Submission
Picture by BJJ Cria
Sarah Galvão keeps climbing in the black belt division. After winning the ADCC Trials North America and securing her spot at the main event in Poland, she traveled to Bath, England, to claim the Bantamweight Title at Polaris 38.
This was Sarah’s second appearance at Polaris, and she is still undefeated on that stage. This time was even more special, since she competed for the title at the co-main event.
"This was my first time competing for a title, so I really wanted to win. I wanted to claim the belt and become the division champion", she said. "I was the only super fight on the entire main card, so I felt very honored and even more motivated to show my jiu-jitsu."
Sarah defeated Zara di Tofano from Ireland, a very no-gi-oriented athlete whom she had already faced three times before.
The Match
In the beginning, Tofano pulled guard, and Sarah stayed on top, immediately attacking a headlock with strong chin control. She made a very good transition to the back and tried to attack the arm, but her opponent escaped.
The match restarted with Sarah on bottom, where she closed the guard, moved to K-guard, and worked a leg attack before both ended up back on their feet.
Tofano pulled guard again, and Sarah immediately applied heavy pressure to work the pass. Tofano defended well, maintaining her knee shield, but Sarah never let up, eventually neutralizing the K-guard.
From there, Sarah unleashed her signature pressure-passing game, transitioning straight into a D'Arce choke to finish the fight with 27 seconds left in the first round and winning the Bantamweight Title at Polaris.
What’s Next for Sarah Galvao
In just her first year as a black belt, Sarah Galvão is already making waves in the division. In the gi, she claimed double gold at the IBJJF Pans, won her division at the IBJJF Europeans and Brasileiro, and took second place at Worlds, and was crowned IBJJF Crown Champion.
In no-gi, she won the IBJJF No-Gi Pans and recently secured her spot at the ADCC World Championship in Poland after winning the West Coast Trials in the –65kg division.
Sarah was basically born into jiu-jitsu, so it was her natural path. But instead of waiting for opportunities, she likes to fight for them, and that’s what happened for ADCC.
"ADCC is one of the biggest no-gi events in the world. It's where the best fighters compete. And I wasn't invited. I earned my spot through discipline, confidence, and dedication."
She has been training since she was a kid and began her professional jiu-jitsu career in 2022, during her blue belt days. With or without a fight on the horizon, Sarah is always ready for any challenge and is more than prepared for what comes ahead.
"My life is an eternal training camp. I always want to be ready for whatever opportunity comes up. I'm really excited for this no-gi season, and I want to show the world that I can deliver great fights, both at gi and no-gi," she concluded.