JUNE 02, 2024, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, and the latest edition of the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) World Championships has just ended its finals matches. Traditionally named the Mundial (the Portuguese word for World), the tournament gathered the sport’s elite. Every athlete who competed in this tournament had to qualify by collecting 50 points in the federation’s global circuit, which is the minimum requirement to participate. Although a few stars missed out from this year’s event, names like Diogo Reis, Gabriel Sousa, Nicholas Meregali, and Victor Hugo, the IBJJF Worlds did not fail to entertain and produced stacked divisions across the board.
One of the shifts seen in this 2024 Mundial was the willingness of referees to make hard decisions with the help of the VAR referees behind the screens. This made the tournament more agreeable for fans, and fairer for athletes. Not everything was perfect, far from it, but judging from the outside as a spectator, the decisions were not as one-sided as they appeared in past editions.
There were many tales to tell from this event, one of the most interesting was the spectacular display of jiu-jitsu by Meyram Maquine Alves of Team Fratres. The Manaus native entered the World Championship as the 2023 light featherweight silver medalist & 2022 gold medalist. This year, Maquine opted to go up a weight class taking the featherweight gold title (the toughest division of the tournament), and still challenge himself in the absolute. The last time a featherweight contender medaled in an open weight class of the Mundial was in Royler Gracie 1997 and Maquine was able to match that record and do it with outstanding performances and two exciting wins over Angelo Claiborne and Roberto Rodriguez before succumbing to Jansen Gomes in the semis.
Still, regarding the open weight podium, 2024 marked an unusual moment for the IBJJF Male Open Weight podium. Before today, there had only been 3 occasions where the absolute champion didn’t also win his division since 2004, namely 2018 (when Marcus Buchecha conceded the medal to Leandro Lo), 2021 (the title given to Fellipe Andrew after Felipe Pena tested positive for PEDs) and 2022 when Nicholas Meregali did not win his division. 2024 was also the first time a medium heavyweight athlete made it through to the final (Jansen Gomes) since Romulo Barral back in 2010.
When it comes to historic performances, few could have hoped for something better than heavyweight, Adam Wardzinski’s run. 4 matches, 4 submissions, and a first world title for Poland. Equally important was Mica Galvao’s world title in the lightweight division. Micael had 5 matches, 3 won via submission and his first IBJJF Grand Slam as a black belt after winning gold in the Euro, Brazilian Nationals, Pans, and Worlds.
One of the biggest storylines of this 2024 tournament was the amount of upsets observed. There were plenty, from Sebastian Serpa beating world champ Sam Nagai, Ademir Barreto submitting one of the division’s favorites in Alex Sodre, Mateus Rodrigues taking out Roberto Jimenez in the first round, etc. AOJ’s super squad had a fair share of disappointing moments in the adult male black belt division. First up was Thalison Soares, the 2023 world roosterweight champion. The Manaus native surprisingly lost to Vision’s Andrew Soares (also of Manaus) via decision in the first round. Next up was one of the most talented grapplers on the planet, Cole Abate, who many regarded as a possible favorite in the stacked featherweight division. Standing in his way of the first round was another Vision athlete, Leo Vilela, who surprised many fans by defeating the American talent by one advantage. Gutemberg Pereira, also missed the podium, while the most controversial decision of the tournament saw Tainan Dalpra lose via DQ due to a knee reap against “Chico” Lo. Although the reap didn’t look particularly harmful, the fact that Duarte briefly clasped his hands around the ankle of Lo appeared to have swayed the judges to call for the DQ. Going against this wave of upsets was Diego Pato, who proved his favoritism in the light-featherweight division with dominant performances.
Not as many upsets in the female divisions, where most front-runners made it to the finals. Possibly regarded as an upset here was Tamiris Silva of Dream Art. A talented new black belt who won the medium-heavyweight division by beating Melissa Cueto, last year’s champion via 3 advantages in the semi-final. Silva looked fantastic in her quarter-finals match as well where she put her opponent to sleep with a clock choke.
Also in the female division, Gabrieli Pessanha continues her path of destruction with another double gold medal performance, her 8th at the Mundial, all consecutive, which is a new record in the sport.
TOURNAMENT NUMBERS (black belt division):
Total Matches: 352 (biggest ever recorded by BJJ Heroes for the 3rd year in a row, surpassing the previous record by 43 matches)
Total Submissions: 136 (39%)
Male Matches: 245
Female Matches: 107
Matches Won By Advantage: 42
Matches Won By Decision: 25
2024 Adult Black Belt World Champions
Male 57KG: Bebeto Oliveira (GFT)
Male 64KG: Diego “Pato” Oliveira (AOJ)
Male 70KG: Meyram Maquine Alves (Fratres)
Male 76KG: Mica Galvao (Escola Melqui Galvao)
Male 82KG: Jackson Nagai (Checkmat)
Male 88KG: Gustavo Batista (Atos)
Male 94KG: Adam Wardzinski (Checkmat)
Male 100KG: Anderson Munis (Fratres)
Male +100KG: Yatan Bueno (Fratres)
Male Open: Erich Munis (Fratres)
Female 48KG: Mayssa Bastos (AOJ)
Female 53KG: Thamires Aquino (GFT)
Female 58KG: Nathalie Ribeiro (Checkmat)
Female 63KG: Luiza Monteiro (Atos)
Female 69KG: Andresa Cintra (Gracie Barra)
Female 74KG: Thamara Ferreira (Fratres)
Female 79KG: Tamiris Silva (Dream Art)
Female +79KG: Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight)
Female Open: Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight)
MALE, ROOSTERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Rodnei Barbosa def. Welerson Goncalves via 2×0
– Andrew Soares def. Tadiyah Danforth via 4×4, 2x1adv
– Zayed Alkatheeri def. Oziel Santos via 0x0, 4x1adv
– Bebeto Oliveira def. Everton Celio via 6×6, DEC
Semi-Finals:
– Bebeto Oliveira def. Rodnei Barbosa via 4×2
– Zayed Alkatheeri def. Andrew Soares via 2×2, 3x0adv
Final:
– Bebeto Oliveira def. Zayed Alkatheeri via Choke from the back
MALE, LIGHT-FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Jonas Andrade def. Malachi Edmond via 0x0, DEC
– Diego Oliveira def. Yuta Shimada via 4×2
– Keven Carrasco def. Zach Kaina via 4×4, DEC
– Matheus Lima def. Jefferson Fagundes via 0x0, DEC
Semi-Finals:
– Diego Oliveira def. Matheus Lima via RNC
– Jonas Andrade def. Keven Carrasco via Gentleman’s agreement
Final:
– Diego Oliveira def. Jonas Andrade via choke from the back
MALE, FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Diego Sodre def. Fabricio Andrey via 6×6, 1x0adv
– Meyram Maquine def. Isaac Doederlein via 4×2
– Ademir Barreto def. Sebastian Serpa via 4×4, 4x0adv
– Alex Sodre def. Kennedy Maciel via 2×2, 2x1adv
Semi-Finals:
– Ademir Barreto def. Alex Sodre via Toe hold
– Meyram Maquine def. Diego Sodre via 0x0, 2x1adv
Final:
– Meyram Maquine def. Ademir Barreto via Choke from the back
MALE, LIGHTWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Pedro Maia def. Espen Mathiesen via 2×0
– Mica Galvao def. Daniel Sathler via choke from the back
– Andy Murasaki def. Natan Chueng via 2×0
– Luiz Paulo def. Leonardo Oliveira via 4×0
Semi-Finals:
– Mica Galvao def. Pedro Maia via 4×0
– Andy Murasaki def. Luiz Paulo via DQ (4 penalties)
Final:
– Mica Galvao def. Andy Murasaki via 2×2, 2x0adv
MALE, MIDDLEWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Yan Lucas “Pica-Pau” def. Mauricio Oliveira via 0x0, DEC
– Jackson Nagai def. Vinicius Martins via Armbar
– Francisco Lo def. Tainan Dalpra via DQ (knee reaping)
– Jhonathan Marques def. Alehander Mariano via 4×2
Semi-Finals:
– Francisco Lo def. Jhonathan Marques via 4×2
– Jackson Nagai def. Yan Lucas via 2×2, 1x0adv
Final:
– Jackson Nagai def. Francisco Lo via Violin armlock
MALE, MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Isaque Bahiense def. Enderson Dias via 4×0
– Gustavo Batista def. Rafael Anjos via Armbar
– Jansen Gomes def. Carlos Castro via Cachecol choke
– Ronaldo Junior def. Gabriel Costa via 0x0, DEC
Semi-Finals:
– Gustavo Batista def. Isaque Bahiense via Kneebar
– Jansen Gomes def. Ronaldo Junior via 2×0
Final:
– Gustavo Batista def. Jansen Gomes via Straight ankle lock
MALE, HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Adam Wardzinski def. Mateus Rodrigues via Triangle
– Rider Zuchi def. Hygor Brito via 6×0
– Paulo Merlin def. Pedro Machado via 2×0
– Vinicius Liberati def. Patrick Gaudio via 2×0
Semi-Finals:
– Adam Wardzinski def. Rider Zuchi via Ezekiel choke
– Vinicius Liberati def. Paulo Merlin via 2×0
Finals:
– Adam Wardzinski def. Vinicius Liberati via submission
MALE, SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Erich Munis def. Nicholas Maglicic via Armbar
– Marcelo Gomide def. Felipe Costa via 4×4, 1x0adv
– Harryson Pereira def. Anderson Kauan via 2×2, 2x1adv
– Anderson Munis def. Vinicius “Trator” Ferreira via 2×0
Semi-Finals:
– Erich Munis def. Marcelo Gomide via Armbar
– Anderson Munis def. Harryson Pereira via 0x0, 2x0adv
Final:
– Anderson Munis def. Erich Munis via kneebar
(Friendly match between brothers & teammates)
MALE, ULTRA-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Guilherme Augusto def. Gutemberg Pereira via Choke
– Pedro Alex def. Helder Junior via 0x0, 3x1adv
– Yatan Bueno def. Kjetil Lydvo via Katagatame
– Seif-Eddine Houmine def. Marcus Vinicius via Shoulder pressure
Semi-Finals:
– Pedro Alex def. Guilherme Augusto via 5×2
– Yatan Bueno def. Seif Houmine via DQ (4th penalty for grabbing belt)
Final:
– Yatan Bueno def. Pedro Alex via 5×2
MALE, OPEN WEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Erich Munis def. Mateus Rodrigues via 6×0
– Jansen Gomes def. Gutemberg Pereira via 9×2
– Meyram Maquine def. Roberto Jimenez via 0x0, 3×0
– Marcus “Scooby” Ribeiro def. Mathias Luna via DQ (knee reaping)
Semi-Finals:
– Jansen Gomes def. Meyram Maquine via 4×2
– Erich Munis def. Marcus Ribeiro via far side armlock from omoplata
Final:
– Erich Munis wins via WO (Jansen injured in 88-kilo final, could not compete)
FEMALE, ROOSTERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Jhenifer Aquino def. Mara Kelly via 12×4
– Ana Silva def. Giulia Gregorut via Kimura
– Mayssa Bastos def. Duda Tozoni via Choke from back
– Mariana Rolszt def. Thais Loureiro via 2×0
Semi-Finals:
– Mayssa Bastos def. Mariana Rolszt via Choke from back
– Jhenifer Aquino def. Ana Lima Silva via 2×2, DEC
Final:
– Mayssa Bastos def. Jhenifer Aquino via 10×0
FEMALE, LIGHT-FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Thamires Aquino def. Sayuri Batista via Armbar
– Emily Nicholson def. Brenda Larissa via 2×2, 2x1adv
– Jessica Caroline def. Jessica Crane via Straight ankle lock
– Amanda Monteiro def. Diana Teixeira via Triangle
Semi-Finals:
– Amanda Monteiro def. Jessica Caroline via 0x0, 1x0adv
– Thamires Aquino def. Emily Nicholson via 0x0, 2x0adv
Final:
– Thamires Aquino def. Amanda Monteiro via split decision
FEMALE, FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Larissa Campos def. Vitoria Assis via Triangle armbar
– Anna Rodrigues def. Astrid Scholin via Choke from back
– Nathalie Ribeiro def. Maria Luiza via Kimura
– Margot Ciccarelli def. Andreza Morais via Choke from back
Semi-Finals:
– Nathalie Ribeiro def. Margot Ciccarelli via 6×4
– Anna Rodrigues def. Larissa Campos via 4×2
Final:
– Nathalie Ribeiro def. Anna Rodrigues via decision
FEMALE, LIGHTWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Luiza Monteiro def. Emily Hernandez via Ezekiel choke
– Stephanie Faure def. Suellen Souza via 4×2
– Jaine Fragoso def. Janaina Lebre via DQ
– Brianna Ste-Marie def. Vitoria Vieira via 4×2
Semi-Finals:
– Brianna Ste-Marie def. Jaine Fragoso via Toe hold
– Luiza Monteiro def. Stephanie Faure via Triangle
Final:
– Luiza Monteiro def. Brianna Ste-Marie via Toe hold
FEMALE, MIDDLEWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Ingridd Alves def. Ana Brandao via Straight ankle lock
– Andressa Cintra def. Gabriele Schuck via 4×0
– Rebeca Lima def. Fernanda Cristo via 0x0, DEC
– Larissa Martins def. Thalyta Silva via 0x0, 1x0adv
Semi-Finals:
– Andressa Cintra def. Ingridd Alves via Kneebar
– Larissa Martins def. Rebeca Lima via 4×2
Final:
– Andressa Cintra def. Larissa Martins via choke from the back
FEMALE, MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Salla Simola def. Maria Malyjasiak via 0x0, 2x0adv
– Amy Campo def. Emilly Alves via 4×0
– Thamara Ferreira def. Izadora Cristina via 4×2
– Maria Vicentini advanced via WO
Semi-Finals:
– Thamara Ferreira def. Amy Campo via 0x0, 3x1adv
– Maria Vicentini def. Salla Simola via 0x0, DEC
Final:
– Thamara Ferreira def. Maria Vicentini via 0x0, 4×0 adv
FEMALE, HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Melissa Cueto def. Thaynara Aparecida via 5×0
– Tamiris Silva def. Laura Barker via Clock choke
– Larissa Dias def. Maria Ruffatto via Body triangle from the back
– Amanda Magda def. Elizabeth Mitrovic via Toe hold
Semi-Finals:
– Tamiris Silva def. Melissa Cueto via 2×2, 3x0adv
– Amanda Magda def. Larissa Dias via Toe hold
Final:
– Tamiris Silva def. Amanda Magda via 2×0
FEMALE, SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Mayanna Cardoso def. Mikaela Lima
– Mayara Custodio def. Maria Barboza via Verbal tap
– Yara Soares via WO
– Gabrieli Pessanha via WO
Semi-Final
– Yara Soares def. Mayara Custodio via Canto choke
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Mayanna Cardoso via Straight ankle lock
Final:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Yara Soares via Straight ankle lock
FEMALE, OPEN-WEIGHT
Quarter-Finals:
– Amy Campo def. Vannessa Griffin via Choke from back
– Yara Soares def. Mayara Custodio via Bow and arrow
– Maria Malijasiak def. Elizabeth Mitrovic via Armlock
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Mikaela Lima via Straight ankle lock
Semi-Finals:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Maria Malijasiak via 11×0
– Yara Soares def. Amy Campo via 6×4
Final:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Yara Soares via Straight ankle lock
