Rivalry · 2 recorded meetings

Felipe Pena vs Josh Saunders

Head-to-head record

Felipe

Josh

Did you know?

Pena leads the head-to-head 2-0 across their 2 meetings, with no draws.
Both meetings came at the ADCC World Championships, in 2022 and again in 2024.
Both matches were no-gi and both were decided on points, not by submission.
Pena has 146 wins from 176 recorded matches, while Saunders has 4 wins from 7.
They share a common opponent in Gordon Ryan, against whom Pena is 2-2 and Saunders is 0-1 on record.

The rivalry

This is a two-match series, and both went to Felipe Pena. They met first in the Round of 16 at the 2022 ADCC World Championships, then again in the Semi-Finals at the 2024 ADCC World Championships Presented. Both were no-gi matches, and both were decided on points rather than a finish.

The careers on record sit at very different stages. Pena has 176 recorded matches with a win rate of 83%, built across ADCC, IBJJF Worlds, and years of high-level competition. Josh Saunders has 7 recorded matches at 57%, having reached his first ADCC semifinal in his debut appearance. The 2024 meeting was that semifinal.

Style-wise the numbers point in opposite directions. Pena finishes 46% of his wins and leans on the Gi Choke From Back, his most frequent submission with 24 wins. Saunders shows a higher submission rate of 75% of his wins across a much smaller sample, with the Heel Hook among his finishes. Against Pena, though, neither match reached a submission, and the points went Pena's way both times.