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Ethan Van Brunt: silver medal at the Tap Cancer Out 2026 Chicago BJJ Open

Two submission wins. A silver medal. And $1,105 for kids fighting cancer.

Quarterfinal
Sub · 9–0
Semifinal
Sub · 10–0
Final
Silver
Raised
$1,105

Why he fights

“I will be fighting for all of us in this tournament.”

Ethan, on his fundraising page

Ethan’s Nana, Anna Szekely, fought stage 4 breast cancer eleven years ago. She is still here, and the two of them are close. Cancer has touched a lot of his family and friends. So he signed up for the Tap Cancer Out BJJ Open to compete, and to raise money for research.

Ethan, in his black gi and grey-and-white belt, standing with Professor Rafael Lovato Jr. on the mats
P3 Martial Arts
With Professor Rafael Lovato Jr.Former undefeated Bellator MMA fighter (11–0) and a founder of the P3 Martial Arts program where Ethan trains. September 18, 2026.

Matches one and two: two wins by submission

Match 01 · Quarterfinal

Score 9 to 0

Won by submission.

vs. Brayden McCabe · Uflacker Academy

Ethan finishing his quarterfinal by submission on the Ring 4 mat

Match 02 · Semifinal

Score 10 to 0

Submission, with 1:50 still on the clock.

vs. Santino Diaz · Powersource Martial Arts (Carlson Gracie Team)

Ring 4 at the end of the semifinal, the referee standing over Ethan and his opponent
The Ring 4 scoreboard after the semifinal: Winner by submission, Ethan Van Brunt, P3 Martial Arts, with 1:50 on the clock
Winner by submission

Match 03 · The final, for gold

Ethan led the final 3 to 2.

Ethan and Mateo Nanalig grappling on the Ring 4 mat during the final, the referee watching

He was winning the final. Then he got caught.

A hard fight for the gold.
vs. Mateo Nanalig · Ferro Academy

Silver medal

TAP CANCER OUTBJJ OPEN2026

Second place, in a bracket of seven.

Ethan on the second-place step of the podium with his silver medal, beside the gold and bronze winners

Road to silver.

Ring 4 · 7 competitors · double elimination · 4:00 matches

Official bracket on Smoothcomp (opens in a new tab) ↗

  1. Quarterfinals · 4-20

    Ethan beat Brayden McCabe

    Uflacker Academy

    Submission · 9–0

    • 4-19Santino Diaz beat Shawkat Hamad
    • 4-21Mateo Nanalig beat Thomas Freitas
    • Patrick Johnson had a bye

  2. Semifinals · 4-22

    Ethan beat Santino Diaz

    Powersource Martial Arts (Carlson Gracie Team)

    Submission · 10–0

    • 4-23Mateo Nanalig beat Patrick Johnson

  3. Final · 4-27

    Mateo Nanalig beat Ethan

    Ferro Academy

    Led 3–2, caught by submission

  4. Placings

  1. Place 1: Mateo NanaligFerro Academy
  2. Place 2: Ethan Van BruntP3 Martial Arts
  3. Place 3: Patrick JohnsonMBD Martial Arts Academy
  4. Place 4: Thomas Freitas
  5. Fifth (tied): Shawkat Hamad
  6. Fifth (tied): Santino Diaz
  7. Place 7: Brayden McCabe
Repechage and bronze
  • 4-24Shawkat Hamad beat Brayden McCabe
  • Thomas Freitas had a bye
  • 4-26Patrick Johnson beat Shawkat Hamad
  • 4-25Thomas Freitas beat Santino Diaz
  • 4-28Patrick Johnson beat Thomas Freitas · Bronze

What he raised

$1,105

raised for kids and families fighting cancer.

GOAL $1,000110%

Goal $1,000110% of goal

Donors
23
On his team of 30
#1P3 Martial Arts
Top fundraiser at P3 Martial Arts, for money raised and for donors
P3 team total
$9,054
5th of all teams at the event
CTO
Tap Cancer Out

Tap Cancer Out is a jiu-jitsu nonprofit that has given $9.1 million to cancer-fighting charities since 2012. This year’s money supports 13 of them:

  1. Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
  2. American Brain Tumor Association
  3. Isabella Santos Foundation
  4. Little Pink Houses of Hope
  5. Camp Sunshine
  6. Christopher's Haven
  7. Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology
  8. Cure Cervical Cancer
  9. Joyce's Place
  10. First Descents
  11. Tom Coughlin Jay Fund
  12. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  13. Rady Children's Hospital San Diego
Donate on Ethan’s page(opens Tap Cancer Out in a new tab)About Tap Cancer Out (opens in a new tab)

23 people · $1,105

Thank you.

Every person who gave is a knot in the gold ribbon. Tap a name and its knot lights up.

Allan Summers, $25Daniel Domoleczny, $50Rob Sanchez, $50Daniel Dworak, $50Jeffrey Dolph, $100Melissa Green, $25Cathy Poling, $25Anonymous, $50Victor Rocha, $20Van Lam, $20Paul Jamieson, $25Shawn Van Brunt, $200Tatiana Plavsic, $50Nicole Culp, $10Anonymous, $25Galena Vassileva, $25Anonymous, $10Michelle Young, $25Anonymous, $100Karen Henke, $50Stephanie Melinyshyn, $20Anne-Marie Van Brunt, $50Dan Van Brunt, $100
Thank you for doing this for all of us who have, or will have to battle with Cancer Ethan. All the best in the tournament and with your fundraiser!
Love, Grandma and Grandpa
Go Ethan!!!!!
Uncle Dan
Good work Ethan
Allan Summers