JCI 4: Night of Champions set Sept. 19 at The MAC

CRYSTAL LAKE — Saturday, Sept. 19, is the big night for the fourth in a series of Jeff Curran Invitationals, events which feature no-gi, submission-only superfights that are gaining acclaim in high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circles across the globe.

Ticket holders will thrill to no fewer than six title bouts featuring everyone from local contenders to a newly minted UFC BJJ pro from Utah and even Shuto Watanabe of Japan — totaling over 20 superfights in one night — in a venue ideally suited for both athletes and spectators.

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It all starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the MAC, 1310 Ridgefield Court, Crystal Lake. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Tickets, ranging from $55 for general admission to $850 for a 10-person table in the second row (front-row positions are sold out), are available at www.fightertix.com. Select JCI 4 to see ticket options, lineup and seating chart.

"The athletes have been training hard for months now, preparing physically and mentally for some intense time on the mat," said Jeff "Big Frog" Curran, a retired Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, fifth-degree BJJ black belt and professor of the Curran Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Crystal Lake who also runs nationwide camps and stars in the YouTube series "Jeff Curran: Martial Life."

"Given the talent that will be landing at The MAC on the 19th, spectators can expect a show like nothing they've ever seen," he added.

Along with the main event — a middleweight championship rematch between Jeff Serafin and Michael Mutter — other exciting title bouts will see bantamweight contenders Joey Diehl vs. the aforementioned Watanabe; heavyweights Justin Andrews and Colton Folliard; lightweights Kyle Perkins and Alex Seaver; flyweights Tayla Meredith and Ashley Yoder, a UFC veteran and decorated MMA fighter; and featherweights Mando Gutierrez vs. Raphael "Rafa" Ferreira, a 19-year-old who won by submission in his debut UFC pro match-up in April.

In submission-only grappling, athletes have seven minutes to place their opponent in a position so uncomfortable that he or she taps out. It differs from Mixed Martial Arts in that there is no punching or kicking. Instead, competitors use wrestling, jiu-jitsu and other martial arts maneuvers to subdue their opponent. Three-minute overtimes are added if no submission occurs, and judges may declare a winner thereafter. In title bouts, it's 10 minutes regulation; five minutes overtime.

"This style of competition is all about technique and grit as well as strength and endurance," Curran said. "It is every bit as mental as it is physical. I can't wait to see how JCI 4 shakes out, and whose performances may launch them to the next level.

"The crowd that night just may witness history in the making," he continued. "In fact, I am positive they will."

Check out The Official Big Frog YouTube Channel @BigFrogBJJ for clips of past events and, on event day, for a free livestream.

If you go

What:JCI 4: Night of Champions

When: Doors open 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026

Where: The MAC, 1310 Ridgefield Court, Crystal Lake

Main Event: Jeff Serafin vs. Michael Mutter championship rematch

Tickets, details: jcinvitational.com; fightertix.com/jci