Punk sweeps SF6, Doramigi slams Smash Ultimate at LVL UP EXPO 2026, fueling FGC hype for Evo Japan.

The fighting game community experienced an exciting weekend thanks to LVL UP EXPO 2026, where global competitors like Goichi “GO1” Kishida, Shoji “Fenritti” Sho, and Doramigi traveled to Los Angeles to showcase their skills.

From Victor “Punk” Woodley‘s dominance in Street Fighter 6 to Christopher “NYChrisG” Gonzalez making it into the Top 8 across almost every competition he participated in, here’s a summary of the standout narratives from the past weekend.

Punk is widely considered among the premier Street Fighter competitors originating from the United States. His achievements include winning Evo Vegas 2024, numerous Capcom Pro Tour major tournaments, and many other competitions.

The sole notable omission from his impressive record is a Capcom Cup victory.

Although that particular championship remains just out of his reach, he made a strong appearance at LVL UP EXPO 2026, overpowering his adversaries in Street Fighter 6. Punk, in fact, advanced to the Top 8 from the loser’s bracket after Michael “Riddles” Kim prevented him from securing a perfect tournament run. He fought his way through the loser’s bracket, secured a 3-0 victory in the rematch against Riddles, and then went on to claim suspenseful victories against NYChrisG to earn his consecutive LVL UP EXPO title.

From the perspective of someone frequently eliminated early, achieving a tournament win from the loser’s bracket is considerably more remarkable than winning from the winner’s side. While current data is scarce, an old Reddit post from over a decade ago suggested that Smash tournaments are predominantly clinched by players from the winner’s bracket. Competitors starting from the loser’s bracket have under a 20% probability of triumphing overall. I’d wager this trend holds true for fighting games generally.

Immediately following his victory, Punk departed for Japan by air, where he is currently residing and remarking on the unique experience of heated toilet seats there.

Stay true to yourself, Punk.

Shifting focus to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate scene, Doramigi also achieved a consecutive win, defeating both allies and competitors to firmly establish his position as the top Smash Ultimate player globally.

Frankly, this young talent is becoming quite formidable.

His Liquipedia profile details all his tournament finishes, revealing that his last absence from the Top 8 was in 2024. That signifies two years of consistent high performance! This level of sustained success brings to mind Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez Perez’s era of supremacy in early Ultimate, spanning from 2020 until Smash Ultimate Summit 5 in 2023, when he faced an early elimination.

Although it could be contended that Doramigi doesn’t participate in as many tournaments as MkLeo did previously, one must consider his youth; he still has academic commitments.

According to his tweet, Doramigi’s subsequent competition is Kagaribi, scheduled for the day after Evo Japan 2026. This is a major event attracting a wealth of global competitors, such as MkLeo and Riddles. Indeed, if you’re already present for Evo Japan, extending your stay for a few extra days to compete in a Smash tournament seems like a logical choice!

Only a handful of individuals in the FGC have reached the esteemed level of NYChrisG. He secured the Capcom Cup during a period before it became a $1 million event with controversial prize allocation, and he boasts multiple Evo championships.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t deter him from participating in major competitions and earning substantial sums from them.

For perspective, Punk earned $4,750 by securing first place in Street Fighter 6 and fourth in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. In contrast, NYChrisG achieved second place in Street Fighter 6, second in Street Fighter 4, third in 2XKO, fourth in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, fourth in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, and ninth in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, accumulating a total of $3,500 in winnings.

That’s a rather decent sum for a fighting game player, especially considering the relatively smaller prize pools compared to other esports titles. Furthermore, it significantly surpasses what some other players received for taking first place in their individual games! For instance, Guilty Gear -STRIVE- only granted $700 to its champion.

This observation isn’t meant as a criticism of FGC prize pools (though, perhaps subtly, an appeal for more funding), but rather a strong affirmation of NYChrisG’s ability to excel across numerous fighting games. Many contemporary players specialize in specific fighting games and seldom engage with others, often leading to unproductive discussions. I believe that engaging with a diverse range of fighting games, despite potential challenges with muscle memory and other factors, ultimately enhances one’s core skills and overall comprehension of the genre.

However, that is merely my personal view.

Maintaining his competitive approach, NYChrisG is now focused on Evo Japan, where he is entered into The King of Fighters XV, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and 2XKO tournaments. The absence of Street Fighter 6 from his roster is reportedly due to a player cap in that bracket, which prevented his timely registration.

Following his inability to reach the Top 8 at the Tekken World Tour Finals 2025, Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique appears to have regained his strategic positioning (a pun intended) precisely for his upcoming best-of-seven match against Yuta “Chikurin” Take on April 29th, 2026.

Arslan Ash maintained a flawless record at LVL UP EXPO 2026, defeating all his adversaries decisively and securing his consecutive championship.

The seven-time Evo victor had not claimed a tournament title since Evo France 2025, and this recent triumph is expected to provide a significant boost in confidence, not only for the upcoming best-of-seven match but also for Evo Japan, which follows shortly thereafter.

Arslan Ash has since returned to Japan, having resided there since February of the current year. This grants him a single day to get ready for his match against Chikurin. I believe Arslan Ash holds an advantage in this encounter, given his favorable win record against Chikurin in Tekken 7 competitions. Nonetheless, in Tekken 8, Chikurin presents a transformed challenge, with both players having split their recent matches, leading to a tied 1-1 record.

Although the forthcoming contest promises to showcase exceptional Tekken gameplay, I personally feel it would have been more compelling as Arslan Ash versus Knee, extended to a first-to-ten format. Perhaps even elevated to the status of a main event.

Riddles’ adaptation to Street Fighter 6 has been remarkably seamless, surpassing any other I’ve observed by a considerable margin.

It is uncommon for a Super Smash Bros. competitor to achieve prominence in a different segment of the FGC; the only other individual I can recall is William “Leffen” Hjelte, who moved from Melee to Guilty Gear -STRIVE-.

The primary Terry Bogard player navigated his bracket effectively until the winner’s finals of the Top 8, where he faced NYChrisG and was defeated 3-1. The competition didn’t conclude there, as an unstoppable Punk then eliminated him from the tournament, placing him in third.

Nevertheless, this remains a highly commendable finish for Riddles, especially considering he had previously relegated Punk to the loser’s bracket. Additionally, he achieved a victory over GO1, who is recognized as one of the globe’s top Street Fighter 6 competitors.

The progression of this young player is genuinely remarkable. He declared his intention to concentrate on Street Fighter 6 approximately a year ago and has performed exceptionally well since then. He secured qualification for the Esports World Cup as an unattached player and achieved second place at the Street Fighter League Pro-US 2025 alongside Punk, Alan “Nephew” Sun, and Shawn “Psycho” Williams.

Similar to the other participants mentioned, Riddles is also aiming for the Evo Japan 2026 championship and holds a reasonable prospect of winning it.