The 2021 IBJJF Pans take place from September 1, 2021, to September 5, 2021, with adult black belts competing on Saturday and Sunday. The men’s featherweight division is loaded with many of the best jiu-jitsu players in the world, and it will be a division to keep an eye on. The full featherweight bracket can be viewed here. Below are the key players in that division.
Shane Jamil Hill-Taylor: One of the sport’s most accomplished American competitors, Hill-Taylor returned to competition this year following a two-year absence. As a 2018 IBJJF world champion, he is the division’s top seed and poised to announce his presence once again on the black belt competition scene. If he wins his first match, Hill-Taylor will be in line for a potential quarterfinal match against 2021 American Nationals champion Richar Nogueira.
Isaac Doederlein: The number two seed, Doederlein was a 2020 European Open champion. If Doederlein wins his first match, he’ll likely face Fight Sports standout Orlando Castillo in the second round.
Thiago Macedo: The reigning 2020 Pans champion, Macedo is a longtime featherweight competitor and the division’s number three seed. If he wins his first two matches, Macedo could be in line for an exciting quarterfinals match-up against Josh Cisneros.
Gianni Grippo: Although Grippo has been making his mark on the no-gi scene lately and is a no-gi world champion, he is perhaps better known for his berimbolo-heavy style in the gi. Coming off a strong no-gi win over Samir Chantre at Fight To Win 182, Grippo is poised to go deep in the tournament, potentially meeting veteran Oswaldo Moizinho in the quarterfinals.
Others/dark horses: Josh Cisneros is the number five seed but is a real threat to taking home the gold. He is coming off an impressive no-gi win over Kennedy Maciel and holds recent wins over fellow competitors Richar Nogueira and Isaac Doederlein. Nogueira is another name to watch. He had an impressive showing at the 2021 American Nationals and holds wins over a number of other competitors in the division. Finally, Osvaldo “Queixinho” Moizinho might be the division’s most accomplished competitor with four no-gi world championships. Look for him to face off with Gianni Grippo in the quarterfinals.
How to watch: The IBJJF Pans take place on September 1-5 and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required).
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