AUGUST 19, 2024, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA. It was a spectacular ADCC World Championship with quite a few upsets, exciting matches, and storylines. Among the most exciting storylines of this year’s tournament was Adele Fornarino‘s incredible double gold medal run in the female division where she became the first gold medalist from Australia. Also with double gold was Kaynan Duarte of Atos, who had one of the best submission-hunting runs in the tournament’s history with 7 out of his 8 matches, one submission short of Roger Gracie‘s epic 2005 ADCC performance. Still in the history-making paragraph was Micael Galvao‘s gold medal at 77 kilos. Mica’s title earned him a spot in a selected group of athletes who conquered the IBJJF Worlds, Pan, Euros, and Brazilian Nationals (all with the gi) and the ADCC World Championships all in the same year.
ADCC 2024 TOURNAMENT NUMBERS
– 125 matches
– 53 submissions (42%)
– Male Matches: 95 – 43 subs (45%)
– Female Matches: 30 – 10 subs (33%)
The 2024 ADCC also brought forth a re-organization of the female division with 4 weight classes (55kg, 65kg, +65kg, and open weight) as opposed to the previous 2. In this category, we had the pleasure of witnessing New Wave’s teenage athlete Helena Crevar pull off the first-ever heel hook submission in the female division in her match against Aurelie Le Vern during Crevar’s run to a silver medal.
We also saw a similar trend to that of 2022, where heel-hook submissions continued to lose ground to other subs. This year only 4 successful submissions of the 53 observed were heel hooks (one less than 2022). We also reiterated the historic ADCC trend where top players with solid wrestling will inherently do well under this ruleset, with only one guard-playing specialist taking gold in the tournament (Adele Fornarino of Australia).
ADCC 2024 CHAMPIONS:
66KG: Diogo Reis (Melqui Galvao, BRA)
77KG: Micael Galvao (Melqui Galvao, BRA)
88KG: Giancarlo Bodoni (New Wave, USA)
99KG: Kaynan Duarte (Atos, BRA)
+99KG: Felipe Pena (Gracie Barra, BRA)
ABS: Kaynan Duarte (Atos, BRA)
55KG: Adele Fornarino (Team Dominance, AUS)
65KG: Ana Carolina Vieira (Aviv JJ, BRA)
+65KG: Rafaela Guedes (Atos, BRA)
ABS: Adele Fornarino (Team Dominance, AUS)
Below is our report on the most important moments of the tournament as well as the match results.
66-KILO DIVISION
A few upsets at 66 kilograms in the 2024 ADCC. One of the biggest here was Europe’s ADCC Trials winner Gairbeg Ibragimov taking out USA’s undefeated rising star Dorian Olivarez. After lots of wrestling exchanges, Gaireb was able to mount the American after a sweeping scramble to score his winning 3 points.
Another European Trials champion who caused an upset this year was the Brit Owen Jones. A natural-born guard player, Jones appeared to be in trouble in the overtime round of his match with Gabriel Sousa as guard pulls received a negative point in this ruleset, and the Brazilian was favored in the takedown department. Defying the odds, Jones was able to pull an incredible maneuver with a beautiful armbar from a double-leg attempt by Sousa. Stunning work. Jones would end up being submitted by one of the stars of the event, Diego “Pato” Oliveira.
Pato and Diogo Reis have been, arguably, the most interesting rivalry in the division for the past few years and they did not disappoint in 2024. The final between these two studs was one of the best matches of the year. Non-stop action, with Pato, starting with the upper hand, sweeping, passing, and mounting the champ. Reis’ never say die attitude came out when he most needed it. He was able to turn the tables and put on his own offense, ending up finishing Pato with a katagatame from a body-lock pass attempt.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Owen Jones def. Gairbeg Ibragimov via Straight ankle lock
– Diego Pato def. Ethan Crelinsten via Kneebar
– Josh Cisneros def. Kennedy Maciel via penalty
– Diogo Reis def. Fabricio Andrey via decision
SEMI-FINALS:
– Diogo Reis def. Josh Cisneros via 2×0
– Diego Pato def. Owen Jones via Straight ankle lock
FINAL:
– Diogo Reis def. Diego Pato via Katagatame
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Josh Cisneros earned bronze as Owen Jones was injured in the semi-finals.
77-KILO DIVISION
A very fun weight class with tons of talent, the 77kg saw USA Trials winner, Elijah Dorsey take out two of the biggest names on the card on his way to the semis, namely, Dante Leon (2×0) and JT Torres (4×0). Elijah went on to face veteran Vagner Rocha, who showed he is aging like a fine wine by taking out two strong opponents Jeremy Skinner and Jonnatas Gracie, impressively, as he went on to beat Dorsey in the semis.
Despite Vagner’s best efforts, he was unable to stop the unstoppable Mica Galvao. The 2024 IBJJF Grand Slam winner spent the year competing mostly with the gi but arrived well-prepared for the ADCC, taking the gold medal and becoming one of a very selected group of Super Grand Slam champions, winners of the IBJJF Worlds, Pans, European Open, Brazilian Nationals, and ADCC World Championships in the same year. The hardest match for the Manaus native at 77 was against the American PJ Barch. An all-out war that ended with a disputed decision victory.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Mica Galvao def. Oliver Taza via 8×0
– PJ Barch def. Mateusz Szczecinski via 2×0
– Vagner Rocha def. Jonnatas Gracie via 2×0
– Elijah Dorsey def. JT Torres via 4×0
SEMI-FINALS:
– Mica Galvao def. PJ Barch via decision
– Vagner Rocha def. Elijah Dorsey via decision
FINAL:
– Mica Galvao def. Vagner Rocha via RNC
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– PJ Barch def. Elijah Dorsey via Junny lock
88-KILO DIVISION
One of the big upsets of the first round was veteran Charles Negromonte‘s win via submission over one of the Dark Horses of this race, Australia’s Izaak Michell in the overtime. A hard-fought match, mostly spent on the feet where Negromonte was able to surprise Izaak with a kneebar from the bottom after a scramble exchange.
Also on the upset train was late replacement Felipe Costa, AKA Laranjinha, of Six Blades. The Brazilian took out and dominated the talented USA representative Jacob Couch (who had submitted his way through the trials with a 100% finish rate). Felipe would take out another USA athlete in the 1/4 finals in Elder Cruz before his loss to the champ, Bodoni.
2022 champion Giancarlo Bodoni cruised his way through to the semi-finals, making it look easy against two very tough challengers, Andre Porfirio & Gabriel Almeida. For the final and semi-final, Bodoni saw plenty of adversity but came out on top in the end with an epic final match against former teammate Jacob Rodriguez, in what was one of the best matches of the whole tournament. A barn burner worth revisiting.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Giancarlo Bodoni def. Gabriel Almeida via 8×0
– Felipe Costa def. Elder Cruz via 2×0
– Jay Rodriguez def. Ryan Aitken via 6×0
– Chris Wojcik def. Charles Negromonte via decision
SEMI-FINALS:
– Giancarlo Bodoni def. Felipe Costa via 3×0
– Jay Rodriguez def. Chris Wojcik via decision
FINAL:
– Giancarlo Bodoni def. Jay Rodriguez via 9×0
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Felipe Costa def. Chris Wojcik via 3×0
99-KILO DIVISION
By far the biggest upset of the weekend was Michael Pixley’s win over the division’s favorite, Nicholas Meregali. Although Nicholas may have been forced to quit due to a shoulder injury after an ushimata throw by Michael, the Brazilian was losing most of the exchanges in that match, particularly standing. Pixley is a purple belt under Heath Pedigo but carries a wealth of experience in folkstyle wrestling at the collegiate level. A skillset he used to win the USA Trials earlier this year.
While so many eyes were on Meregali, Kaynan Duarte was doing his work and dominating his side of the bracket. The Atos athlete has done most of his best work without the gi in the ADCC ruleset, and he proved once again why he is one of the most complete athletes in our sport with a roll of submissions over big names of the sport such as Rafael Lovato Junior, Roberto Cyborg, and Declan Moody. 4 matches and 4 submissions.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Kaynan Duarte def. Declan Moody via Guillotine
– Roberto Abreu def. Javier Zaruski via 2×0
– Michael Pixley def. Nicolas Meregali via Darce choke/injury
– Rafael Lovato def. Patrick Gaudio via Guillotine
SEMI-FINALS:
– Rafael Lovato def. Michael Pixley via decision
– Kaynan Duarte def. Roberto Abreu via Guillotine
FINAL:
– Kaynan Duarte def. Rafael Lovato via RNC
3RD PLACE MATCH:
Roberto Abreu def. Michael Pixley via 8×0
+99-KILO DIVISION
The talent density was not very particularly high at this year’s over 99-kilogram division, as such, no upsets or major match-ups on the first day of action. One of the best matches of the weight class was the final. South Africa’s Luke Griffith started best against Felipe Pena, taking the Brazilian down and taking his back. Unable to finish, Felipe managed to get back up, reciprocating the favor and doing the same thing to Luke but finishing the match with the submission.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Daniel Manasoiu def. Mark MacQueen via Katagatame
– Felipe Pena def. John Hansen via RNC
– Josh Saunders def. Damon Ramos via RNC
– Luke Griffith def. Roosevelt Sousa via RNC
– Daniel Manasoiu def. Rida Haisam via RNC
SEMI-FINALS:
– Felipe Pena def. Josh Saunders via penalties
– Luke Griffith def. Daniel Manasoiu via Katagatame
FINAL:
– Felipe Pena def. Luke Griffith via RNC
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Daniel Manasoiu def. Josh Saunders via Straight ankle lock
OPEN WEIGHT DIVISION, MALE
Another incredible run for Kaynan, this time in the open weight class. 4 matches, 3 submissions, and an overall count of 8 matches and 7 subs in the 2024 ADCC tournament for the Brazilian powerhouse.
Another name worth remembering here is Canadian Dante Leon. What an absolutely epic performance by the 170 lb athlete. Dante had a tough loss against Elijah Dorsey in his weight class but bounced back in the absolute with one of the most exciting performances to date. Working mostly from his guard, Leon played for leg entanglements to either finish or wrestle up, a tactic that earned him a bronze medal in one of the toughest brackets in the sport.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Kaynan Duarte def. Declan Moody via RNC
– Dante Leon def. Mica Galvao via Straight ankle lock
– Giancarlo Bodoni def. Vagner Rocha via RNC
– Roberto Abreu def. Izaak Michell via 2×0
SEMI-FINALS:
– Roberto Abreu def. Giancarlo Bodoni via 3×0
– Kaynan Duarte def. Dante Leon via 2×0
FINAL:
– Kaynan Duarte def. Roberto Abreu via Guillotine
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Dante Leon def. Giancarlo Bodoni via decision
55-KILO DIVISION
A very even bracket resulted in even matches with razor-thin win margins. This was likely the toughest weight class in the female division, a sea of sharks that needed an experienced Australian to clear the waters, AKA armbar specialist, Adele Fornarino. Big Daddy Fornarino did not disappoint taking out two via armlock submission, including the final against one of the most aggressive players in the category, Bianca Basilio.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Bianca Basilio def. Brenda Larissa via 3×0
– Anna Rodrigues def. Alex Enriquez via decision
– Adele Fornarino def. Mayssa Bastos via decision
– Jasmine Rocha def. Margot Ciccarelli via 3×0
SEMI-FINALS:
– Adele Fornarino def. Jasmine Rocha via Armbar
– Bianca Basilio def. Anna Rodrigues via decision
FINAL:
– Adele Fornarino def. Bianca Basilio via Mir lock
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Jasmine Rocha won bronze as Rodrigues was unable to compete in the consolation match.
65-KILO DIVISION
A fun weight class to follow with some exciting matches. Bia Mesquita and Helena Crevar started the event on the right foot, with two subs and exciting matches.
Although teen athlete Crevar proved why so many regard her as the future of the sport, she was stopped short this year by the veteran and multiple-time Gi world champion, Ana Carolina Vieira. Vieira made her career through that deadly knee-cut guard pass of hers and it seems as though that position works just fine at the highest level of no-gi as well. Superb passing and positional dominance in the final after two very tough clashes on the run to this gold medal match.
As mentioned in a previous paragraph, Helena Crevar’s heel hook submission in the quarter-finals was the first-ever heel hook submission in the history of the women’s ADCC division.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Beatriz Mesquita def. Sula Mae via RNC
– Ana Vieira def. Amanda Leve via decision
– Brianna Ste-Marie def. Mo Black via decision
– Helena Crevar def. Aurelie Vern via Outside heel hook
SEMI-FINALS:
– Ana Carolina Vieira def. Beatriz Mesquita via decision
– Helena Crevar def. Brianna Ste-Marie via decision
FINAL:
– Ana Vieira def. Helena Crevar via 5×0
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Beatriz Mesquita def. Brianna Ste-Marie via decision
+65-KILO DIVISION
A redeeming journey for this year’s champion, Rafaela Guedes, after a silver medal two years ago. Guedes (Atos) nearly left the sport after the last event and opted to come back only a few months before the show. Nevertheless, Guedes was able to have one of the best performances of her career and take gold after a couple of interesting matches, particularly her clash with USA’s Kendall Reusing.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Amy Campo def. Nikki Griffiths via Arm in RNC
– Nathiely Jesus def. Elizabeth Mitrovic via 2×0
– Rafaela Guedes def. Nia Blackman via 2×0
– Kendall Reusing def. Maria Ruffato via RNC
SEMI-FINALS:
– Rafaela Guedes def. Kendall Reusing via Guillotine
– Nathiely Jesus def. Amy Campo via 2×0
FINAL:
– Rafaela Guedes def. Nathiely Jesus via 2×0
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Kendall Reusing def. Amy Campo via 2×0
OPEN WEIGHT DIVISION, FEMALE
There aren’t enough superlatives to account for Adele Fornarino’s epic 2024 ADCC performance. Double gold for the Australian who became not only the first Aussie to win the ADCC, but the first to win the open class, and the first to win double gold. Doing this while being the smallest competitor in the open weight. 6 matches overall and 4 subs for the armbar specialist, Adele.
QUARTER-FINALS:
– Rafaela Guedes def. Bianca Basilio via 6×0
– Adele Fornarino def. Brianna Ste-Marie via Armbar
– Amy Campo def. Amanda Leve via 2×0
– Beatriz Mesquita def. Kendall Reusing via RNC
SEMI-FINALS:
– Adele Fornarino def. Rafaela Guedes via Kneebar
– Beatriz Mesquita def. Amy Campo via 2×0
FINAL:
– Adele Fornarino def. Beatriz Mesquita via decision
3RD PLACE MATCH:
– Amy Campo won bronze medal as Rafaela Guedes could not compete in consolation match due to injury.
SUPERFIGHTS
Many expected Gordon Ryan to dominate his Brazilian super-fight opponents this weekend and do so decisively. Although this dominance wasn’t observed against Felipe Pena, who posed real solid gamesmanship against Ryan, the same wasn’t achieved by Simoes.
Gordon took Simoes down early in the match, proceeding to dominate from the top position, putting on 21 points on Yuri, which may be a new record in the open-weight superfight match at ADCC. Gordon is now a 2x open-weight super-fight champion.
– Gordon Ryan def. Felipe Pena via 2×0
– Gordon Ryan def. Yuri Simoes via 21×0
