After Rico Chiaparelli's initial success with LA Sub-X, the Professional Submission League (PSL) had their work cut out as they attempted to follow a winner with an even bigger winner!

Culver City, CA - The first PSL show, LA Sub-X, had an enviable cast of top international submission stars including ADCC champions Leo Vieira, Marcelo Garcia, Saulo Ribeiro, Jeff Monson, Jean Jacques Machado and Marcio Pe de Pano Cruz, along with Japanese super-fighter Megami Fuji, and Shooto ace Naoya Uematsu. promoter Rico Chiaparelli's biggest challenge for X-Mission was how to match the quality of the fighters and uphold the high standards of the initial venture. The former NCAA and World Cup wrestling champion was up to the task, however, as he gathered another impressive group of fighters led by MMA superstar Randy Couture and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) phenom Renaldo "Jacare" Souza for their X-Mission show.

The Stars Come Out
Despite starting over an hour late because of a long line at the walk-up ticket office as word got out that Couture was REALLY going to fight Jacare, X-Mission hit the target. Adding even more credibility and prestige to the show was superstar ring announcer Bruce Buffer and UFC referee "Big" John McCarthy, two of MMA's most recognizable, respected and supportive figures. A special treat for the fans was the presence of jiu-jitsu legend Rickson Gracie, who flew in from Brazil to coach son Kron in his match. When things finally got rolling the loud and enthusiastic sell-out crowd was not disappointed.

Randy Couture vs. Renaldo "Jacare" Souza
In the main event the ageless Randy Couture stepped out of the UFC octagon and his retirement to face one of the top submission fighters of modern days in Ronaldo Souza, the 2005 ADCC world champion who was making his debut in the PSL and was on a mission to show American fans he is one of the best in the business.

The battle of the stars was a study in contrasting styles, as Jacare was in constant attack mode while Couture, the wily veteran, knowing he was venturing out of his element, played a conservative countering game to negate Jacare's attacks. At the end of double overtime, referee Big John McCarthy called a stop to the fight and the judges declared it a draw. Props go out to both fighters for their efforts: Jacare for giving his usual all-out submission effort and Couture for having the guts to step away from his specialty and venture into the submission grappling jungle to help grow the sport.

Marcelo Garcia vs. Jake Shields
In the co-main event Marcelo Garcia once again demonstrated why he is perhaps the top submission fighter in the world today as he faced the in-shape and always tough Jake Shields. From the outset Garcia maintained relentless attack pressure, pulling guard and sweeping early in the initial round followed by a single-leg takedown. From there he worked the position until he caught Shields in a guillotine choke at the end of the round forcing him to submit. Shields was disappointed and somewhat shocked at having to tap out, but there is no shame in losing when your opponent is Marcelo Garcia.

Feature Fights
In a fight typical of his style of avoiding submissions and taking advantage of his world class wrestling skills to frustrate his opponents, Russian Vladimir Matyushenko defeated Vinicius Magalhaes by a single takedown.

Demonstrating that he is one of the best in America, Alberto Crane submitted Joe Camacho in the second round with an arm lock to win his PSL debut. The courageous Camacho was a last minute replacement, having accepted the fight only the night before due to an injury.

After having displayed incredible technique last summer in Brazil where he fought and submitted 11 opponents in winning the World Cup and the BJJ Worlds in consecutive weekends, Rickson Gracie's son Kron Gracie shed the gi and tested his skills against the very technical and highly regarded Andy Wang. Wang, a professional NHB fighter with international experience, is known for his dangerous guard and his hard-nosed determination. In the match, Kron was able to score with a takedown early in round one followed by a solid foot-lock attempt for a 4-0 lead. In the final round, Wang turned up the heat and applied pressure trying to even the score. Kron was able to fight off his non-stop attacks, however, for the final 4-0 win.

In the other fights, Rafael Lovato Jr. won over Roberto Camargo by a 7-0 score, Jeff Glover beat Shane Rice 3-0, and Mac Danzig submitted Allen Zborovsky by north-south choke in round one.

Conclusion
The PSL X-Mission was a feel-good event full of positive energy from both the crowd and competitors. The fans cheered for all the fighters when they made a good move and the fighters congratulated each other after each match regardless if they won or lost. When you add in an upscale venue with a catered VIP area, the PSL came off looking like a million bucks. With everyone in the audience and on the internet pay-per-view treated to a highlevel submission show, the PSL's success in their second event points to even greater things in the future.