WNO 28 went down this weekend in Costa Mesa, and this one was loaded. Some wild upsets, fast subs, and one of the most dominant names in the game walking away with a second title.
Let’s start with Mica Galvão, who took the main event against Jonnatas Gracie and added the WNO Middleweight title to his collection. Mica pushed the pace the entire match, controlling the later exchanges and finishing with a deep d’arce attempt. He didn’t get the tap, but the decision was clear. That makes two WNO titles for him now, and after the match he called out Pedro Marinho to challenge for a third. Mica’s on a serious tear right now, and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down.
The biggest surprise of the night was Kit Dale getting the win over Xande Ribeiro. Say what you want about Kit’s unconventional path, but he showed up with smart wrestling, stayed out of danger, and earned a decision over a legend. No, it wasn’t flashy, but it was sharp, calculated, and honestly, kind of fun to watch if you knew what you were looking at.
Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa returned to WNO with a tough win over Dory Aoun. Dory came in as a late replacement but fought hard and escaped multiple rear naked choke attempts. Still, Hulk controlled the match and picked up a solid decision to re-establish himself in the grappling scene after a short stint in MMA.
The two fastest finishes of the night came from Paige Ivette and Declan Moody, both hitting slick inside heel hooks. Paige finished Kauane Ramos with a brutal entry, and Declan caught Fellipe Andrew clean in under a minute. That was one of those blink-and-it’s-over matches.
On the undercard, Saul Viayra hit a 40-second knee bar to kick things off, Rana Willink got a heel hook win, and Pablo Rosales hit an anaconda choke on Victor Rodrigues in a matchup between two 18-year-old prospects.
One standout performance came from Kyle Chambers, who edged out Victor Silverio in a weird, scrappy match that went the distance. Chambers always brings a funky style, and this one was no different.
All in all, WNO 28 had a little bit of everything—tight decisions, breakout performances, and a couple upsets to keep it interesting. If you missed it live, definitely go back and catch the replays. Mica’s performance alone is worth the watch, and Kit Dale pulling off that win over Xande is something no one really saw coming.
WNO continues to prove why it’s one of the most exciting platforms in the sport right now. Big names, big moments, and matches that actually mean something. That’s what keeps it fun to follow.
