Qualifier Recap
Backes and Grubbs Turn Silver into Gold as Carolina Crowns Five Champions
Marco Backes and Joshua Grubbs return from October runner-up finishes to win in Durham. Robson Feitoza, Carson Coles and Thomas Bringe complete Carolina’s five new Draft qualifiers.
Joshua Grubbs and Travon Martin in the November 14 final at Triangle Jiu Jitsu. Still from The Carolina Copperheads broadcast.
DURHAM, N.C. — Marco Backes and Joshua Grubbs left Carolina’s October qualifier one win short of a title. On November 14, both returned to Triangle Jiu Jitsu and finished the job. Backes submitted David Pearson in the 155-pound final; Grubbs closed the day by submitting Travon Martin at 205.
Robson Feitoza at 145, Carson Coles at 170 and Thomas Bringe at 185 joined them as champions. All five earn places in the Season 10 Draft pool. Across the five divisions, the event produced 66 contested bouts and 46 submission results.
Five titles in Durham
| Division | Champion | Runner-up | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 145 lbs | Robson Feitoza | Wyatt Chapman | Decision · 6:00 |
| 155 lbs | Marco Backes | David Pearson | Armbar · 1:12 |
| 170 lbs | Carson Coles | Lyndon Yates | Decision · 6:00 |
| 185 lbs | Thomas Bringe | Christopher Salazar | Decision · 6:00 |
| 205 lbs | Joshua Grubbs | Travon Martin | Kimura · 1:44 |
Backes and Grubbs take the final step
Backes reached October’s 155-pound final before losing to Diallo Braithwaite. This time he opened with a 2:49 Break against Robert Currie, earned a semifinal decision over Emmanuel Gonzalez and met Pearson for the championship. From guard, Backes off-balanced Pearson and came up into an armbar, ending the final in 1:12.
Pearson’s route included a decision over Travis DePriest, a 4:47 Break against Tamair Al-Bacha and a semifinal decision over Bradley Mier. Backes supplied the finish that separated them at the end of the bracket.
Grubbs had been the October 205-pound runner-up to Nathanael Schwartz. His November return produced three submissions in a combined 4:43 of recorded match time: Joel Holloway in 1:38, Junior Seccia in 1:21 and Martin in 1:44. After an opening bye, he finished every opponent he faced.
Martin made a strong run of his own, recording Breaks over Will Rogers in 28 seconds and Bobby Moir in 43 seconds before a 5:35 semifinal win over Michael Currie. In the final, Grubbs passed, pursued the back and returned to a kimura grip to secure the title.
Feitoza’s pressure carries the 145-pound final
Feitoza won four matches to claim the lightest division. He opened with a 4:22 Break against Richard Hyer and a 3:38 Kill against Noah Cagle, then advanced by decision over Davaun Jackson. Wyatt Chapman reached the other side of the final after finishing Thomas Brandenburger and Hunter Hickman and winning a semifinal decision over Owen Tipton.
Chapman kept looking for leg attacks in the final, but Feitoza repeatedly worked past the guard and built pressure from top position. A late Chapman escape kept the contest alive, and both athletes continued attacking through the six-minute limit. Feitoza received the decision and the 145-pound title.
Coles finishes three, then goes the distance
Coles reached the 170-pound final with three straight Breaks: William Gates in 1:03, Jonathan Baggie in 1:08 and Finley Allen in 33 seconds. Those first three wins took a combined 2:44. Allen had entered their semifinal with two rapid finishes of his own, including a nine-second Break against Jack Cornwell.
Lyndon Yates made Coles work the full six minutes for the championship. Their final moved between standing exchanges, leg entanglements and top pressure, with both athletes escaping threatening positions. Coles earned the decision to complete a four-win day.
Bringe closes at 185
After an unplayed opening advance, Bringe beat Junior Seccia in 27 seconds and Patrick Sacra in 2:33 to reach the 185-pound final. Christopher Salazar arrived through three decisions, over William Gates, Justin Lawrence and Caleb Spellman.
Bringe’s final brought leg attacks, a wrestle-up and a late move to the back. Salazar survived the submission attempts, but Bringe received the decision after six minutes. The title capped three contested wins for Bringe.
The Season 10 Draft picture
The five champions are new additions to the published Draft pool. Qualifying earns an athlete the opportunity to be selected; it does not announce a team signing or guarantee a roster position. Earlier Carolina champions and their qualifications remain part of the preseason record.
The completed event contains 38 Breaks, eight Kills and 20 contested decisions. Three unplayed advances are excluded from match and XP totals. The next scheduled official qualifier is the Alabama Twisters event on December 5 in Decatur.
