In case you haven’t watched the Avenue Fighter League Americas 2026 Finals, you’re lacking out. It’s — and I say this with full sincerity — among the finest aggressive Avenue Fighter I’ve ever seen in my life, principally owing to a heart-stopping set between Derek ‘Blaz’ and Noah ‘NoahTheProdigy’ Solis.
Blaz, a 17-year-old Chilean phenom, broke into the scene with a bang when he was simply 14 years outdated. At 15, he bought second place at Capcom Cup — the world’s best Avenue Fighter match — and at 16, he secured third place. Throughout this time, Latin America as a area turned extraordinarily robust in Avenue Fighter 6, with figures like 15-year-old Chilean participant Craime making Prime 8 at Evo Las Vegas this yr and successful the 2026 Esports World Cup for the sport.
LATAM’s energy confirmed itself in spades on the Avenue Fighter League Americas Finals this yr. Blaz and his workforce 2Game, made up of gamers from Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, plowed by means of the competitors, culminating in a panoramic Grand Finals set that had viewers on the fringe of their seats. Blaz, utilizing Jamie (a wildly underrepresented character in aggressive Avenue Fighter) and NoahTheProdigy, utilizing Luke, duked it out in an exciting back-and-forth brawl that noticed Blaz excellent parry 3 times in a row on only a sliver of well being in opposition to Luke’s projectiles.
This set was one thing else 👀
#SFLAMERICAS2026 | https://t.co/QNfS4EB9gS https://t.co/UdgkQtx0JH
— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) November 9, 2026
It was nothing in need of jaw-dropping, and Blaz — refusing to modify to Ryu or Sagat, his typical picks — clutched out the win. After a brief break, Mexican participant Lugabo secured the victory, giving 2Game the comeback they’d been working so arduous for after their third place end final yr.
I bought the prospect to talk with 2Game’s expertise backstage within the aftermath of their monumental achievement, the place I requested the apparent query: Why is Latin America so good in Avenue Fighter proper now?
“I imply, we don’t take something with no consideration,” the workforce’s coach informed me. “That’s why. We don’t have as many alternatives as anybody else, and that is why we’ve bought to do no matter we are able to in any doable manner to ensure we play on the highest stage, it doesn’t matter what. That is why we’re doing every little thing we are able to with any alternative. Lugabo, for instance — that is the third time he is performed offline, and he is already that good. It exhibits now we have lots of hidden expertise in Latin America since without end, no less than for the previous 15 years, however lots of them haven’t got the chance to journey. So what you are seeing proper now could be what occurs once we get the prospect.”
At 17 years outdated, Blaz’s achievements remind me fondly of Victor ‘Punk’ Woodley’s first breakout into the scene again within the early days of Avenue Fighter V. Now greater than ever, Avenue Fighter 6 appears geared towards a era of youthful rivals — however for Blaz, it isn’t one’s age or ‘younger man reactions’ that matter.
“What’s necessary for Blaz just isn’t about age, however particularly about data, expertise, and the way a lot you may get from enjoying,” his coach stated, translating on Blaz’s behalf.
After all, I needed to ask him about that standout set in opposition to NoahTheProdigy, which has since gone viral throughout the preventing sport group and sparked inevitable comparisons to Daigo ‘TheBeast’ Umehara.
“I got here into the Noah match pondering it was going to be just a little bit straightforward, however I used to be just a little bit shocked by how Noah performed,” Blaz defined. “He performed much more centered on stress, and it caught me off guard, however one of many issues that you just want to have the ability to do at these ranges is to by no means give up. So I did simply that.”
For now, 2Game goes dwelling to proceed their coaching in preparation for the Avenue Fighter League World Championships at Capcom Cup subsequent yr. I’ve to surprise how Blaz will fare as a person participant at this match; wildly, it makes me contemplate the very actual risk that he may win each Capcom Cup and Avenue Fighter League beneath 2Game’s banner. We’ll simply have to attend and see, however plainly Blaz’s abilities are solely rising stronger by the day. And if his newest efficiency is something to go by, it’s trying extra doubtless than ever that preventing sport followers are in for one hell of a deal with.