There was a little less attention on the IBJJF no gi pans this year, owing in no small part to the fact that the grappling world is still reeling from ADCC 2022. Many of the competitors who took part will either be recovering from injuries or simply setting their sights on other upcoming tournaments like EBI 20. That didn’t stop everyone who was there from delivering fireworks though, and the event was just as exciting as always.
Elisabeth Clay won the highest honours in the female divisions by winning gold in both the absolute and her own weightclass, while none of the men managed to leave with two gold medals. There were a number of stunning performances though, with Fellipe Trovo winning the Super-Heavyweight division while Gavin and Deandre Corbe took gold in the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions respectively.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Kade Ruotolo wins inaugural ONE Championship Lightweight title
It’s been an amazing end to 2022 for Kade Ruotolo, as he’s just won his second title in as many months. He became the youngest person to ever win the ADCC world championships just a little over a month ago and now he’s added another belt to his growing collection. Ruotolo faced a stiff challenge from Sambo world champion Uali Khurzev but in the end he showed exactly why he’s such a hot prospect in the grappling world.
The pair fought for the inaugural ONE Championship Lightweight submission grappling title and although Khurzev clearly had the upper hand when they were standing, he was outclassed on the ground. Khurzev hit a lovely footsweep at the start but had his back taken off the next takedown attempt, signalling the match going in Ruotolo’s favour. Eventually, Ruotolo locked up a tight heelhook in order to force the tap and take home the belt.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Matheus Gabriel wins BJJ Stars 9 grand prix
BJJ Stars is one of the most popular professional grappling promotions in Brazil and they continue to deliver exciting events packed full of top-tier competitors. Their ninth event featured not only a Lightweight grand prix, but also a number of superfights throughout the night. Paulo Miyao actually registered one of the most exciting finishes of the night when he locked up a heelhook against Alexandre Vieira.
Samuel Nagai and Isaque Bahiense both won hard-fought victories against two of the breakout stars from ADCC 2022, Fabricio Andrey and Mica Galvao respectively. In the Lightweight grand prix, Matheus Gabriel submitted Wallison Oliveira in the opening round before defeating Israel Almeida and Meyram Alves on points in order to take home the grand prize.
Full results for the event can be found here.
Emerald City Invitational absolute division lineup announced
The next Emerald City Invitational event is scheduled to take place on November 5th and the promotion has put together a fantastic absolute tournament that will feature three veterans of ADCC 2022. Kyle Boehm and Devhonte Johnson will potentially be engaging in a rematch of their opening round fight from the event, while fellow veteran Daniel Manasoiu might also get the chance for revenge against Andrew Tackett.
Boehm isn’t the only 10th Planet representative either, as Pat Shahgholi will also be competing at the event. One of the top ten ranked no gi competitors in the 185lbs division, Sean Yadimarco, will also be competing at the event, as will Franco Pana. Maxim Cote is the final competitor to round out the field after he put on an incredible display in the qualifier event by submitting every one of his opponents.
- Rener Gracie recently sat down with Paddy Pimblett for an episode of his podcast and explained why he chose teaching BJJ over competing in the sport.
- A local Jiu-Jitsu gym in the UK managed to break the world record for the longest training session by keeping it going for over twenty-four hours.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis went on an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience and explained why he quit BJJ after just three sessions.
- Two BJJ legends, Gordon Ryan and Royce Gracie, recently got together for a training session and shared the footage with the public.
