Jonny Mezheritskiy Wins Submission Pro Tour 145-Lb Championship

Jonny Mezheritskiy continued an exceptional run through adult competition, capturing the 145-pound Submission Pro Tour championship belt on September 14, 2024, in Sacramento.

Representing 10th Planet Oakland, Jonny once again stepped into a 145-pound championship while still weighing well below the division limit.

It had become a familiar challenge for the young Oakland competitor.

Rather than waiting until he was physically bigger to test himself against larger and more experienced athletes, Jonny continued seeking out difficult competition and relying on the technical Jiu Jitsu he had developed through years of training.

The Submission Pro Tour title added another championship belt to a rapidly growing résumé.

Earlier in his development, Jonny had already captured an adult 135-pound Arte Suave championship at only 14 years old. He later moved into 145-pound competition while still significantly undersized, continuing to find success against older, larger and more experienced opponents.

Now he had another 145-pound championship belt to bring back to Oakland.

For 10th Planet Oakland founder and head coach Michael Hillebrand, Jonny’s continued success has provided a powerful example of a principle that has long influenced his approach to developing athletes:

Technique can overcome physical advantages.

Size and strength matter in combat sports. Pretending otherwise doesn’t help athletes improve.

The challenge is developing technique, timing, decision-making and control to the point where those physical disadvantages can be overcome.

Jonny continued to demonstrate exactly that.

Still under the 145-pound limit, he wasn’t winning because he had grown into the biggest athlete in the division.

He was learning how to win despite being one of the smaller ones.

The Submission Pro Tour 145-pound championship became another milestone in a progression that began when Jonny was a young athlete training at 10th Planet Oakland and continued as he increasingly tested his Jiu Jitsu against adult competition.

Another event.

Another weight disadvantage.

Another championship belt.