Cyborg, in photo with Braga Neto (in black), is one of the favorites. Photo: Mike Colón.
The pyramid-shaped gymnasium in Long Beach, California, will this Sunday host the greatest fighters in the world at the No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. GRACIEMAG.com reveals who will see action at black belt and offers its predictions.
Roosterweight
At roosterweight, just one single match will define the champion, no favorites.
Renzo Gracie – Joseph Capizzi
Gracie Barra – Brandon Mullins
Light featherweight
Caio to try for another win. Photo: Alicia Anthony
This time, dynamic duo Caio Terra – current champion – and Samir Chantre promise to cause some discomfort. However, they’d better be careful, as beasts like Rafael Freitas, who took third last year, are in the mix.
Gracie Barra – Rafael de Freitas
Gracie Fighter – Caio Terra
Gracie Fighter – Samir José Chantre Dahás
Paragon Academy – Milton Carlos Bastos
Soul Fighters – Leandro Lopes Escobar
Featherweight
Esquisito even trained with Dan Henderson for the event. Photo: publicity.
At featherweight things start to heat up. BTT beast Renan Borge, runner-up in Europe this year, will have ahead of him beasts like Carlos “Esquisito” Holanda and Hawaiian veteran Baret Yoshida, current champion.
Brazilian Top Team – Renan Borges
Checkmat BJJ – Carlos Holanda
Checkmat BJJ – Rodrigo Ranieri de Faria
Gracie Barra – Guilherme Tavares C. de Lira
Renzo Gracie – Edwin Fyvie
Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu – Justin S. Rader
Undisputed – Baret Yoshida
Lightweight
Lucas Lepri is the current champion. But on his tailcoats are Jonathan Torres, 2009’s runner-up, and Philipe Della Monica, who took third. Augusto Tanquinho and Milton Vieira add some more stock to the broth.
Alliance – Lucas Alves Lepri
Aloisio Silva JJ – João Ernani Pinho
Brazilian Top Team – Milton Souza Vieira
Checkmat BJJ – Gabriel Rollo da Silva Pontes
Checkmat BJJ – Sergio Rodrigues da Silva
Gracie Barra – Philipe Della Monica
Gracie Barra – Rodrigo Simoes Lamounier
Lloyd Irvin M.A. Academy – Jonathan Torres
Renzo Gracie – Karel Pravec Jr
Soul Fighters – Augusto Lopes Mendes
Undisputed – Albert Lee
Middleweight
As always, one of the most evenly-matched division. We have current champion Lucas Leite, but there’s also Gilbert Durinho, Tiago Alves – Brazilian national no-gi champ –, Diego Gamonal, Marcelo Mafra, Wallace Castro, Fabrício Morango, and Victor Estima. The middleweight division promises heaps of action.
Academy of Combative Arts – Francisco Daniel Pires Tavares
Atos JJ – Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns
Barbosa JJ – Tiago Gomes Dias Alves
Brazilian Top Team – Diego Gamonal Nogueira
Check Mat USA BJJ – Marcelo Mafra
Checkmat BJJ – Lucas Joas Gomes Leite
Checkmat BJJ – Thiago Aragão de Abreu
Frontline – Nic Ruben Nikolaisen
GF Team – Wallace Luiz de Castro
Gracie Barra – Bruno Antunes
Gracie Barra – Victor de Oliveira Estima
Gracie Rio de Janeiro – Fabricio Camoes
Jean Jacques Machado – David Dunn
Paraestra – Takashi Kiyokawa
Vaghi Martial Arts – Bryan Guidry
Medium Heavyweight
Buiú comes in off win at Brazilian No-Gi Nationals. Photo: Carlos Ozório
Among the favorites is Murilo Santana, who was runner-up in 2009, but at middleweight. However, Kleber Buiú is coming off a win over Santana at the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals, and Pablo Popovitch is also on a tear, winning weight and absolute at the No-Gi Pan. Other stalwarts are Felipe “Gargamel” Mota and Eduardo Milioli.
Akxe BJJ – Felipe Mota Dias
Barbosa JJ – Murilo Santana
Brazilian Top Team – Marcello Salazar Bergo
Checkmat BJJ – Igmar Santos
Checkmat BJJ – Raphael Chaves
Gracie Barra – Kleber de Oliveira Paulino
Gracie Barra – Levi Duarte da Costa
Gracie Barra America – Carl Ortega Jr
Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu – Ben Baxter
Rillion Gracie – Eduardo Milioli
The Avengers – Pablo Popovitch
Heavyweight
João Assis has been winning just about everything he’s in. He’s notched triumphs this season over the likes of Xande Ribeiro, Saulo Ribeiro, and Jeff Monson. But 2009’s super heavyweight runner-up, Rafael Lovato, could rain on his parade. There’s also no forgetting about black belts like Flávio Almeida, Rafael Bettega, and João Moncaio.
Checkmat BJJ – Joao Assis
Gracie Barra – Flavio Alves de Almeida
Gracie Barra – Roberto Camargo de Alencar
Gracie Barra America – Carlos M. Gomez
Gracie Barra America – Joao Filipe Oliveira
Legion Jiu-Jitsu – Cameron A. Diffey
Ralph Gracie – Diego da Silveira Herzog
Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu – Rafael Lovato Jr.
Spirit – Rafael Bettega Costa
The Avengers – Joao Moncaio
Superheavyweight
Bochecha on absolute stand at No-Gi Pan. Bruno Bastos, who is also in the division, in in third. Photo: Personal archives.
Marcus Bochecha has been winning absolutes in the USA left and right and is on a roll leading into the Worlds. Another relentless competitor in the division is Bruno Bastos.
Checkmat BJJ – Marcus Vinícius Oliveira
Gracie Barra – Alberto Silva Vilanova
Gracie Barra – Gustavo dos Santos Pires
Nova Uniao – Bruno Bastos Cruz
Ultraheavyweight
Josh Barnett won the division in 2009, but he’s not in it this time around. The money’s on Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, who is riding a series of solid wins.
Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu – Leandro Panzoldo Santos
The Avengers – Roberto de Abreu Filho
Female Light Featherweight
Sofia Amarante, champion in 2009, andLetícia Ribeiro, a vice campeã, devem repetir a final.
Alliance – Marcela S. de Oliveira Macedo
Gracie Rio de Janeiro – Leticia Ribeiro
The Avengers – Sofia Amarante
Female Featherweight
Michelle Tavares would have been the champion by default, but she has moved up to middleweight to provide a fight for Emily Kwok, who was also left without competition.
Gracie Rio de Janeiro – Ana Michelle Tavares Dantas
Female Lightweight
Bia Mesquita promises to ruffle some feathers. Photo: Carlos Ozório.
Sparks are bound to fly in the division, with Michelle Nicolini, Beatriz Mesquita, Fabiana Borges and Claudinha Gadelha.
Checkmat BJJ – Michelle Zonato Nicolini
Gracie Barra – Fabiana Alves Borges
Gracie Rio de Janeiro – Beatriz de Oliveira Mesquita
Nova Uniao – Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha
Female Middleweight
No-Gi Worlds winner Emily Kwok will face off against Brazil’s no-gi national featherweight champion Ana Michelle Tavares.
Alliance – Emily Kwok
Female Medium Heavyweight
Penny Thomas has no-gi experience in competitions like the ADCC. Fernanda Mazzelli shold also put up a fight.
Checkmat BJJ – Luiza Monteiro da Costa
Gracie Rio de Janeiro – Penny Thomas
Renzo Gracie – Carolyn Sthephenson
Striker JJ/ Góes – Fernanda Mazzelli
Heavyweight
Katrina is alone at weight.
Paragon Academy – Katrina Ann Weilbacher
Female Absolute
Já têm algumas meninas confirmadas na categoria aberta. Aparecem entre os destaques Michelle Nicolini, Beatriz Mesquita, Penny Thomas, Fernanda Mazzelli e Claudia Gadelha. Mas, como em todos os pesos, tudo pode acontecer.
There are already some girls confirmed for the open class. Among those who most stand out are Michelle Nicolini, Beatriz Mesquita, Penny Thomas, Fernanda Mazzelli, and Claudia Gadelha. But just like in any weight group, anything can happen.
Alliance – Emily Kwok
Alliance – Marcela S. de Oliveira Macedo
Checkmat BJJ – Luiza Monteiro da Costa
Checkmat BJJ – Michelle Zonato Nicolini
Gracie Barra – Fabiana Alves Borges
Gracie Rio de Janeiro – Beatriz de Oliveira Mesquita
Gracie Rio de Janeiro – Penny Thomas
Nova Uniao – Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha
Paragon Academy – Katrina Ann Weilbacher
Renzo Gracie – Carolyn Sthephenson
Striker JJ/ Góes – Fernanda Mazzelli
The Avengers – Sofia Amarante
What abour you, reader, which are your picks to win the No-Gi Worlds 2010? Don’t forget to comment below.