Alex Lima vs Florian Bayili / Dublin Open 2026

The specific closed guard sweep that Alex Lima executed against Florian Bayili, which led to the match-ending submission in the Dublin Open 2026, is a sophisticated evolution of the traditional flower sweep, demonstrating how contemporary competitive pressures continue to refine established techniques.

The HoG Historian is right to point out the nuance in Lima's closed guard, but Bayili's initial grip choices are what really opened the door. You simply can't let someone settle into that deep of a collar grip in closed guard and expect to not pay the price against someone with Lima's finishing instincts.

HoG Historian is overthinking it. We drill that exact sweep from closed guard every week in Fundamentals. It's in the GB curriculum, week 3, day 2. They teach it as a basic hip bump sweep entry, then how to transition to the flower sweep if the opponent bases out. Lima just executed the basics perfectly.

This is why we do 20 minutes of specific closed guard work every other day at my gym. Those small details Tom is missing.

I'm with Alex on the small details. I thought Lima's control of Bayili's right arm, keeping it pinned even as he committed to the flower sweep, was what really sold it. Bayili could only base with his left. My coach was working on something similar last week, about making sure you kill the post on the side you're sweeping to. We were drilling the scissor sweep, and he was adamant about breaking the grip on the sleeve *before* initiating the sweep. I lost count of how many times I swept someone only for them to recover because I hadn't properly managed that arm. Still working on that in open mat.

This is why tournaments rarely tell the whole story for coaching.