APRIL 27, 2027, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, was the time and the place set for the 15th edition of BJJ stars, the biggest professional jiu-jitsu event currently produced in South America, the birthplace of this sport. BJJS 15 brought forth a mix of Gi (kimono) and No-Gi ruleset matches, mixed between superfights (in the Gi ruleset) and a middleweight tournament (no-gi/ADCC ruleset), which offered one of the most anticipated cards of the year.
With outstanding matchmaking, many expected this event to bring exciting matches, and indeed it did. We had the pleasure of watching some of the best clashes of the year in both rule sets. Athletes did their best to put on forward-moving games, which is a testament to their mindset and the organization’s skills for picking out the right talent for the show and the fans.
In one of the most anticipated match-ups of the evening, Meyram Maquine overwhelmed Diogo Reis with a dominant victory. The two Manaus athletes were expected to exchange throws standing, given their prior matches, but Maquine came in with a different strategy and opted to lure Reis into his guard, looking to trap both his legs for a clean sweep, which materialized early in the match. From the top position, “Mey” could stay out of Diogo’s traps, passing mostly from the outside with great success for a clean performance.
Erich Munis was the big favorite in his clash against Poland’s Adam Wardzinski in the open weight title match, and he confirmed this status with a solid performance, sweeping and mounting the Butterfly Guard master.
The No-Gi Grand Prix brought forth an array of great matches. Every single athlete came out for war, and every match was a pleasure to follow. One of the standouts here, despite finishing 3rd, was Elijah Dorsey of Team Lloyd Irvin. “Big Breakfast” was the smallest athlete on the roster, having competed as low as lightweight, but his gameness was on point. A very strong performance from a passing stance against Rafael Paganini saw the American move to the semis and face the tournament favorite, Mica Galvao. Elijah went toe-to-toe with the ADCC champion and, in many eyes, could have easily come out with the decision win. Unfortunately for him, the judges saw it the other way. In our opinion, the match was too close to call either way.
The man of the event was Mica Galvao, who showed his usual flair on the mats. One of the most skilled athletes in the sport today. With great awareness and submission instincts, speed, and power, Galvao proved why he is as accomplished as he is at such an early age. Roberto Jimenez was equally entertaining across the tournament, but could not escape Mica’s strong submission game in the final.
BJJ STARS 15 MATCH RESULTS
Middleweight No-Gi Grand Prix:
Quarter-Finals:
– Mica Galvao def. Jon Blank via 3×0
– Roberto Jimenez def. Izaak Michell via decision (0x0 pts)
– Elijah Dorsey def. Rafael Paganini via 3×0
– Oliver Taza def. Jonnatas Gracie via decision (0x0 pts)
Semi-Finals:
– Mica Galvao def. Elijah Dorsey via decision (0x0 pts)
– Roberto Jimenez def. Oliver Taza via 3×0
Final:
– Mica Galvao def. Roberto Jimenez via armbar
Super-Fights (Gi):
– Leonardo Ferreira def. Hygor Brito via 2×0 adv, 0x0 pts
– Meyram Maquine def. Diogo Reis via 11×0
Female Open Weight Title:
– Gabrieli Pessanha def. Tayane Porfirio via double collar choke from the back
Male Open Weight Title:
– Erich Munis def. Adam Wardzinski via 8×2
