This is the division I'm looking forward to the most and this might be the greatest ADCC bracket of all time. There are tons of names in this division and I don't think you can call anyone in here a boring fighter. I'm a fan of every fighter here and I'm interested to see how this division will turn out. JT Torres might be the favorite, but anyone could win. There should be lots of fireworks, but also a lot of technical grappling going on.
Divisional breakdowns
If you haven't read them already, check out the breakdowns for the other divisions below. Just click on the links below for each division.
Competitors
Now let's take a look at who is in this division. Keep in mind things might change before the tournament.
JT Torres
JT is a very experienced competitor and knows this ruleset inside and out. He is mostly a top player, but has a very good guard as well. He wins most of his ADCC matches by using takedowns and passing. On top he is an immovable object and on the feet he is almost impossible to takedown. Many people have also commented on his physical strength and how powerful he feels, which will make it hard for anyone at -77kg to muscle him around. That doesn't mean that he is slow and plodding though. JT has extremely fast reflexes and is very explosive when he wants to be.
The one thing that might be a weakness for JT is his lack of activity. I believe he has only done one competition since last ADCC. Ring rust is real and if he comes in and has lost a step or isn't immediately ready, there are a number of people in this division who will end his day quickly. This might be the most stacked division in ADCC history and many people here aren't the type to start out slow or feel things out for a few minutes.
The reason JT is the favorite is because he physically has all the tools, is technically sound and has one of the highest fight IQs at -77kg. He is going to be hard for anyone to beat and almost impossible to strategize for. He doesn't have any obvious weaknesses, but he has quite a few strengths that he can use to beat his opponents. He is looking for his 3rd championship and he isn't going to let anyone stand in his way.
Tommy isn't a new name in BJJ, but he is when it comes to submission grappling. Tommy his known for his gi prowess and aggressive guard style. He is now going to try to show he can be just as effective and exciting in Nogi. This is his first ADCC, but he proved he had what it takes by running through the European trials earlier this year.
Tommy Langaker
Tommy is very aggressive and has a killer instinct that you can't teach. He is known for his gi work, but has now shown he can be just as deadly without it. Tommy seems to have worked on his wrestling as well and managed to take down quite a few of his ADCC trials opponents. He showed a lot of his top game at the trials, but of course his guard is still extremely dangerous.
Tommy's greatest strength can also be his greatest weakness. He can get too hungry for the sweep or sub and ends up losing position. He has a kill or be killed style which is fun to watch, but not great for winning tournaments. The athletes here aren't people to play around with and will make Tommy pay for any mistake.
So far Tommy has looked great, but he is still relatively inexperienced at no gi and ADCC isn't a good place to get warmed up. His style could carry him far in this tournament, but he will need to be careful and perhaps employ smart tactics to secure some wins. Part of me hopes he doesn't though. I want to see him throw caution to the wind and give us some highlight material.
Oliver Taza
Oliver is know for his heel hooks, but actually has a fairly complete game. His defense is very solid and it will be hard for anyone to submit him. He is also an expert is attacking from the back. Due to this Oliver is always dangerous, so you can't let your guard down from any position. On top of that he has lots of experience no gi and knows what to expect from most of these competitors.
Although he is hard to sub Oliver does have a problem with being out pointed. His wrestling might not hold up against others in this division and at times his offense lags behind his opponents. His positional skills might not be enough win him any grinding victories either.
This is Oliver's second time at ADCC and he is looking to get on the podium. He has the skills to submit anyone and over the last few years has been polishing his other skills. ADCC will be the place where he'll be able to test his skills and see if all his hard work has paid off.
Teenage prodigy Kade Ruotolo is making his first appearance at ADCC this year. Previously his twin brother competed in the - 66kg division, but Kade will be fighting here at -77kg. Kade has become one of the biggest names in three sport and his action packed, exciting style should make him one of the most watches athletes in this division. He's been on quite a tear the last few years and the others in this division need to be on guard if they don't want to be made into a highlight.
Kade Ruotolo
Kade has an insane gas tank and on top of that he has an innate grappling sense that will get him out of tight spots that many others will struggle with. Over the last couple of years Kade has shown that he is one of the best passers in this division and perhaps has the best leg lock defense in grappling period. This is on top of his buggy choke and darce, which he can hit from anywhere. On top of that his wrestling is very good. Kade will be almost impossible for others to prepare for.
Kade is similar to Tommy in that they get so into the match that they can make mistakes. The other athletes are all capable of taking advantage of this as well. Kade will need to be more tactical if he wants to win, but will he be able to control himself and temper his style?
Kade will most likely be one of the favorites based on his performances over the last 3 years. He will need some good coaching, but with proper guidance he will make it on the podium or even win it all.
William Tackett
William recently received his black belt and just won the North American ADCC trials. Despite being very young William has tons of experience and has been training as a professional for a while. He looked great at the trials and is now looking to claim his first big title at ADCC. In the last year or so William has been trying to fight larger fighters and has had some success, but now he is moving down to his natural weight here at ADCC.
William is one of the most well rounded people in ADCC. He is somewhat known for his leglocks, but he has great triangles, armlocks, RNCs, etc. His wrestling is fairly good as well and on top of all of that he is almost impossible to submit. He has very few weak points and he is hard to game plan for. He has a 73% submission rate and no losses by submission at black belt.
Similar to Oliver Taza, William may not be submission prone, but people can certainly out point him. He has been overwhelmed before and although his defense is very very solid, you can't win ADCC matches by escaping. William has lost to a few of the people in this division before and it is uncertain if he has had enough time to adjust his game enough to beat them.
William has all the skills to win, but he is going to need a solid strategy and tactics to get through this division. He can hit submissions from everywhere, but this is a bit of a step up in competition for him. If he can acclimate himself to this level he could definitely get on the podium.
Micael Galvao
Mica is another teen prodigy who has made a splash recently. He has been winning everything and is looking to tie Rafa Mendes' record of becoming the youngest ADCC champ. He recently won the IBJJF gi worlds and qualified for ADCC by winning the South American trials with all submissions. Despite his young age he is quite experienced and has even been doing nogi matches with heel hooks over the last year or so to prepare himself for this tournament. So far he has looked almost unstoppable, but this is a big step up in competition. Despite his lack of experience in ADCC he might be one of the favorites.
Mica is another child phenom that is good for almost everywhere. His style is a mix of old school closed guard with a modern berimbolo style. From the top he has a very aggressive passing style that leads directly to the submission. His style is similar to an alligator where he is calm and barely moves and then suddenly shuts his jaws closed and its all over. He has a 73% submission rate and hasn't lost any matches by submission. He is also solid defensively as well and has underrated wrestling.
Mica knows how to win, but sometimes loses his fire in the middle of matches. His cardio might be somewhat of a problem and that could cost him in a tournament like this. Mentally he seems very strong when he is winning, but if someone fights back he often changes his game and becomes more passive. This could cost him matches if he does this at ADCC.
Mica is one of the favorites, but that doesn't mean much in a division like this. He has the skills to beat anyone here, but if he has an off day or even loses his focus anyone her can and will take him out. Sometimes he has looked invincible and other times he has looked beatable. We will have to see which Mica shows up.
Roberto Jimenez
Roberto is one of the most exciting grapplers today. He is a scrambling machine and is constantly in motion. His high risk high reward style have made him a fan favorite. He recently conquered the South American trials and is now preparing for ADCC. He is looking to get on the podium and win his first big title. He is always focused and intense and along with his forward moving style, he will most likely be one of the most exciting people in this tournament. Don't blink during his matches.
Roberto is a master at taking the back. He can do it from anywhere and once he is there he has a very high finishing rate. His game is very similar to Mica Galvao's. From his back he is very good from the closed guard and from top he like to pass directly to the back. He has 78% submission rate and isn't afraid to wildly scramble to get the positions he wants. He also has good wrestling skills and isn't afraid to stand up with people.
Roberto has had one big problem for years. His leg defense is a major weakness that has cost him more times than I can count. Almost 50% of his losses come from submissions and of those 70% are leg locks. This type of weakness could cost him dearly and the fact that is is so well known means that other competitors will most likely target his legs.
If Roberto wants to win he will need to spend a lot of time fixing his leg lock defense. The rest of his game is very solid, but with a glaring hole many people in this division will readily exploit it for an easy win. If he can fix this or somehow avoid leg lockers, he can definitely make it onto the podium with his skills.
Kenta Iwamoto
Kenta recently came up in weight and is now fighting at -77kg. Previously he won the Asian trials in 2019, but this year he went up one weight class and won the trials again. He seems to have tweaked his game and now he has some very legit wrestling skills. His shift in divisions seems to have coincided with a shift in styles and Kenta is hoping this will help him get better results than his last trip to ADCC. Also I believe Kenta is the only Japanese fighter in ADCC this year, so I'm sure he wants to represent his country well and bring back some hardware.
Kenta was previously known as a leg locker, but has now added some new dimensions to his style. His back takes looked very good and his wrestling looked very impressive at the Asian trials. With this added to his guard game and leg locks, he'll be able to do some damage at ADCC. He has a very modern looking game that seems like something you'd see coming out of New Wave or the B-Team. He moves well and goes after the submission.
This is a huge step up in competition for Kenta. Not only is the level higher, but the people he's fighting are bigger. His wrestling looked good at the Asian trials, but at ADCC the level of wrestling will be much much higher. On top of that will he be able to deal with the athleticism and pressure of some of these other competitors at -77kg. He looked good at the trials, but will that transfer to the actual tournament.
Kenta is getting better and better, but will it be enough. At the Asian trials I'm not even sure if he had a coach. He will not only need a coach for ADCC, but also a good training camp. Due to moving up in weight he will most likely be one of the smaller competitors, but I don't know if he will have a speed or technical advantage against some of these other people. If he can get onto the podium this could be a life changing experience for Kenta.
Lachlan Giles
The people's champ is back. I believe this is his 3rd ADCC appearance and he's looking to make a splash in his own division after his amazing performance in the absolute division. Lachlan hasn't been active in the competition scene since 2019, but he has been very active in producing instructional material and exploring new techniques. With a new game and new techniques he might be able to get that elusive -77kg medal he has been looking to capture.
Lachlan has shown that he is deadly with his heel hooks and everyone in this division should be very scared. In the last few years he seems to have developed a nogi berimbolo game as well. This should compliment his game and make it difficult to plan for him. His new skills could catch many people off guard and allow him take the back when his opponents are expecting a heel hook. On top of that he seems to have increased his guard retention as well, so it isn't going to be an easy day if you get Lachlan.
Lachlan most likely has ring rust as he hasn't competed in 3 years. He is one of the older competitors and this division has changed quite a bit since the last ADCC. The people added this year are more athletic and submission hungry than before. If he has lost a step or isn't ready for this level of intensity, he will be in a lot of trouble. Living in Australia also isn't helping things since it will be harder for him to get higher quality training partners to simulate some of the people in this division. He might have given away all his tricks in his instructionals as well.
Everyone is rooting for Lachlan and they want to see him get another medal. His BJJ is looking better than ever in the short clips we've seen, but they aren't against ADCC level comp. He is a wildcard here because we don't know how much he's improved or how he even stacks up against most of the people in this division. If nothing else he has the people on his side.
Davi Ramos (replaced by Mateusz Szczecinski)
Davi Ramos is back and looking for another gold medal. He is a former gold medalist, but took time off of grappling to pursue a MMA career. Now he seems to be coming back to grappling and is looking to repeat his past performance. Davi is still in amazing shape and his time in MMA might have helped him become even more explosive and improved his wrestling. He wants to come back and prove that he can not only still hang with these new athletes, but best them.
Davi employs a scramble heavy style that usually ends with lightning fast submissions. This style is very crowd pleasing as well as effective. Davi is also an old school leg locker with many of his wins coming by toe hold. He is also very proficient with armbars and in fact won his ADCC championship with a flying armbar. He is very physical as well and can wrestle to a fair degree.
Davi has been fighting MMA for a while now and just started to get back into grappling. Since his return he hasn't looked as dangerous as before. This could be due to age or perhaps its just the game has evolved. He can certainly still hang with the new generation, but can he beat them? He will need to switch up his game a bit and add some new elements if he wants to get on the podium again. He has decent cardio, but nothing to the level of some of the other people in this division.
Davi is exciting and has the physical tools to win. He can still win matches, but this year is stacked and the people in this division are going to push him hard. Being a UFC fight he knows what its like to face adversity and come through under stress, but at this ADCC he will need to prove that the game hasn't past him by.
Lucas is back for one more tournament. He has officially retired from gi competition, but he is doing one more ADCC tournament before he hangs it up. In the gi Lepri is one of the greatest of all time, but he hasn't been able to prove the same in no gi. He has gotten silver at ADCC previously, but never gold. Lucas should be motivated and ready to take gold this time and show the other athletes exactly why he's a legend.
Lucas' game is actually very similar to JT Torres and the 2 have gone back and forth in what has looked almost like mirror matches. Lucas can play top or bottom, but favors the top. He has a deadly kneeslice pass and from bottom likes to do X-guard sweep variations. He can pin people down in side control or take the back and he is very good at controlling people. He has decent wrestling and is very very hard to takedown.
Lucas hasn't been active in the last few years and this could hurt him. If he isn't ready for the intensity that some of the younger athletes bring he might not make it into the later rounds. On top of that although Lucas has a respectable 50% submission rate overall, in ADCC he only has 1 submission win in 12 matches. This means he will most likely need to fight the whole time and as an older athlete with possible ring rust this sounds terrible.
Lucas has always had the tools, but he has never been able to put it together at ADCC. A gold medal here would be the icing on the cake for a beautiful career, but can he do it against this level of competition. This ADCC will be Lucas's last chance to prove that he's still got it and he one of the greatest of all time not only in gi, but no gi as well.
Nicky Ryan
Nicky Ryan has moved up to the -77kg division and is looking to get his first ADCC medal. Despite being so young, he has appeared in ADCC twice before. This third time around he wants to show what he can do and get onto the podium. Since his last outing he has significantly improved his wrestling and passing. With a different game Nicky is hoping he can get different results and overwhelm the other competitors with his technicality and newfound physicality.
Nicky was once known as a guard playing leg locker, but now he has expanded his game and he is dangerous from everywhere. Nicky's passing and wrestling have done a complete 180 since his last ADCC. Previously these were weaknesses, but now they seem to be some of his greatest strengths. His wrestling has been looking very sharp and he is now able to impose his game on his opponents.
Unfortunately these new skills aren't always seen in his matches. In many of his matches he seems to get frustrated or tired and then slows down. He has done this in quite a few matches and towards to end of his matches hasn't been able to pull the trigger. On top of that he has had 2 knee surgeries I believe and his cardio is somewhat suspect. These are major issues that could cost him at this level.
Nicky has everything needed to win, but can he put it together. He has been injured recently and hasn't competed in about a year. He seems to have improved technically, but we don't know if he has also progressed physically. If he can put everything together he could win the whole thing.
Dante Leon
Dante was a breakout star from the last ADCC and this time he is looking to do even better. His win over Lepri shocked the world and now he has even more experience and skills. He seems to have really focused more on no gi over the last few years and closed some of the holes he previously had in his game. He has been improving himself technically and physically over the last few years and taking on all challengers. Before he was a newcomer, but now he is a veteran that is looking to show people why he is a force to be reckoned with.
Dante is equally comfortable playing top and bottom. He's good at wrestling and has now improved his leg lock offense and defense. He usually looks to wrestle up from the bottom and tends to jump on submissions rather than taking a more methodical approach. He is very active and has actually fought quite a few of the people in this division before. He knows what they're going to do and has veteran level experience despite being young.
Dante always moves forward which is exciting, but it can get him in trouble as well. He doesn't often fight very strategically and can make mistakes. Despite his well roundedness he doesn't have 1 killer move or skill. He often just goes with the flow, but this can lead to him playing his opponent's game and coming up with the short end of the stick.
Dante can be very dangerous, but can he beat multiple people at this level. Dante is a hard worker and has shown consistent improvement over the years. He is trying to push himself to a new level, but it seems this year everyone is at a new level. We know Dante is working hard, but will it be enough? Dante isn't a favorite, but he is certainly a dark horse.
Renato Canuto
This is Renato's second ADCC appearance and he is looking to get a medal this time around. His match vs Gary Tonon was perhaps the most exciting fight of the tournament in 2019. Renato is known for throwing caution to the wind and letting it all hang out. However he has learned to reign that in a bit and stay focused which will help him here. This improved focus helped him capture a gi world title and now he has shifted that focus to ADCC. He is definitely someone to watch if you like exciting matches.
Renato might be the most exciting person in grappling. He has great takedowns and scrambles. He isn't afraid to jump on a flying armbar or flip over someone's guard. He is unpredictable and impossible to prepare for. He has a good amount of strength and is very very fast and explosive. Renato prefers to play on top, but his guard isn't bad either. Renato's style goes from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye and this makes him very hard to deal with.
Renato's greatest strength is also his weakness. He can be very reckless and sometimes doesn't seem to be able to calm himself. He has a tendency to lose positions because he goes for something when he would be better off just waiting. He is also a bit small for this division and some of the others might be able to muscle him around in certain positions. Finally, he hasn't been super active recently in no gi and wants to switch to MMA.
After winning gi worlds, Renato wants an ADCC gold to match. In the past that might have seemed easy, but this year the division might be too stacked. If he is splitting his time between grappling and MMA he might not be completely prepared. Physically and technically he should be able to beat anyone here, but tactically he needs some improvements. With a little bit of work he should be able to get on the podium though.
PJ Barch
PJ is coming to ADCC for the first time. He had some great runs at the trials, but wasn't able to win, however he got an invite off of the strength of his performances. PJ has shown constant growth and transformed his game. He is now a very dangerous submission artist with wins over some big names. PJ has also gone back to his roots and started training his takedowns again. As a former D1 wrestler, the thought of him improving his wrestling even more should worry his opponents. He has a great style for ADCC and he is going to try to prove why he deserves to be here.
PJ prefers to play from top position, but he has a competent bottom game as well. At one point he was known for his kimura, but recently he has become very good at back takes and the inside heel hook. He has a respectable 69% submission rate, with most of these coming from inside heel hooks and RNCs. For a while PJ didn't seem to want to use his wrestling much, but over the last year or so he seems to be working it again and is getting more physical with people. He should have a technical wrestling advantage over everyone in this division and can use that to catch people in transition. Unlike many other people he gets many of his heel hooks from the top position.
PJ has been improving, but still doesn't have many wins against grapplers at this level. Against elite level competition he just can't seem to "turn it on" and seems like lose by small margins. Small mistakes have held him back in the past and if he does the same thing here he is going to have a short day. PJ will need to improve his tactics and strategy if he wants to deal with this level of competitor. He will need to stay focused the whole time and not let other suck him into their game or become complacent when things are somewhat even.
PJ has all the talent to get to the podium, but he will need a little more to get past the others in this division. He has shown steady improvement over the years, but the question is "Is he really at this level now". This is what must be answered at ADCC and if his grappling has actually matured he will be extremely hard to beat.
Andy Varela
Andy came in second at the North American trials, but based on the strength of his performance he was given an invite to ADCC. He has been slowly grinding his way up the ranks for the last few years and at the trials he showed that he is not someone to play around with. He took out some of the division favorites there and his looking to do the same at ADCC. Andy has a rough, aggressive style that might throw a lot of people off. He might be one of the least well known in this division, but one of the most dangerous.
Andy is a very aggressive top player. He has good takedowns and from the top position he will use a combination of speed passes, acrobatics and pressure passes such as the bodylock. Andy's unpredictability. Most of his subs are coming from RNCs off of scrambles. He loves to pass and is relentless with his attacks. His pace will be hard for some to keep up with.
Andy can get reckless at times and this could end up costing him. On top of that he is somewhat one dimensional and if he isn't playing his game I don't know if he can win. If he gets caught in an uncomfortable position I don't know if he'll be able to win. On a technical level I don't know if he will be able to match up with the other fighters in this division and that is going to be a hard gap to close before the tournament.
Andy has a great style for ADCC. He has tons of heart and employs the right tactics to not only make matches exciting, but also win. That said, he doesn't have a lot of experience on this level. His aggression looks great against lower level athletes, but many of the other competitors can also turn it up while staying extremely technical. Andy has tons of heart and if he sticks to his game he could make it all the way to the podium, but at the very least he can get new fans with exciting performances.
Breakdown
Looking at the results of the trials we can see that this division isn't short on finishers. Most wins came from attacks on the neck followed by leg locks and finally arm submissions. This division is tricky because the athletes are large enough to use wrestling as a primary strategy, but small enough that they have flexible guards and scrambling ability. There are a number of leg lockers in this division, but many people in this division know how to berimbolo out of leg entanglements and counter. The number of people that can wrestle in this division is also unusually high and I'm wondering if everyone will try to wrestle or if some people will just concede the bottom position and try to get their game going from there. A lot of people here are also very versatile and they could throw off their opponents by employing a different strategy, so I'm interested in seeing how people decide to play things.
Most people in this division have great gas tanks, but I think some people here are going to put others to the test. Either this will be the place where people get taken out quickly or these will be long grueling matches. This is a hard division to pick just because many of the people have looked very good or almost invincible, so you never know who's technique is actually better, who is stronger, who is faster or who has better stamina. I think many of these athletes will be pushed to their limits. One factor to keep in mind as well is that nobody in this division is particularly submission prone, so aggressively going after subs and missing might cause people like Andy Varela or Tommy Langaker to gas out.
Something that will be interesting to watch is seeing how experience fairs against hot blooded youth. People like JT and Lepri have an older more controlled style that is meant to slowly wear down their opponents. In the past their opponents have tried to approach them cautiously and wait for an opening. I don't know if this years competitors will do that. If they go after them like this will they be crushed or will they reveal chinks in their armor. Kade, Andy Varela, Tommy Langaker and Roberto Jimenez all like to push the pace and it will be interesting to see how that strategy works for them here.
Overall
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