Buchecha, the favorite to win the men’s absolute. Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG
With the end of the sign-up period for the IBJJF’s 2018 BJJ Worlds, Graciemag can now give you a full list of whom to watch among black-belt adults in the competition, which starts on May 30th.
World champions and well-known names from the international circuit will be in the mix alongside new faces that have shown their worth throughout the season.
We can point out Marcus Buchecha and Tayane Porfírio right off the bat — the sitting absolute world champions. Others who have made a mark in the history of competitive BJJ include Bruno Malfacine, Xande Ribeiro, Antônio Braga Neto, Caio Terra, Celsinho Venicius, Lucas Lepri, Michael Langhi, Luanna Alzuguir, Delson Pé de Chumbo and Claudio Calasans. Newcomers include Marcio André, Isaque Bahiense, Victor Honório, Espen Mathiesen, Edwin Najmi, Bia Basílio and Gustavo “Braguinha.”
Check out below a selection of fighters enrolled and start placing your bets!
MEN
ROOSTER
| Alliance JJ Center Orlando | Bruno Malfacine |
| Alliance RJ | Hiago Gama |
| Atos JJ USA | Lucas Pinheiro |
| Caio Terra Association | Caio Terra |
| GF Team | Jose Carlos “Cocó” |
LIGHT FEATHER
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Pablo Mantovani |
| Atos JJ Rio Claro | Ary Farias |
| Brasa CTA | Michael Musumeci |
| Brazilian Top Team | Alexandre Vieira |
| GF Team | Jorge Nakamura |
| PSLPB Cicero Costha | Hiago George |
| PSLPB Cicero Costha | João Miyao |
| PSLPB Cicero Costha | José Tiago |
FEATHER
| Alliance Los Angeles | Isaac Doederlein |
| Alliance Marcelo Garcia | Gianni Grippo |
| American Top Team | Kevin Mahecha |
| Ares BJJ | Osvaldo Moizinho |
| Brazilian Top Team | Leonardo “Cascão” Saggioro |
| Gracie Barra America | AJ Agazarm |
| Gracie Humaita Phoenix | Wellington “Megaton” Dias |
| Nova União | Marcio Andre |
| Ns Brotherhood | Rafael Mansur |
| Saikoo Jiu-Jitsu | Isaque Paiva |
| Soul Fighters – Tallahassee – PBG | Jeff Cummings |
| Team Lloyd Irvin | Shane Hill-Taylor |
LIGHT
| Alliance Charlotte | Lucas Lepri |
| Alliance Porto Alegre | Jhonny Loureiro |
| Alliance SP | Fabio Caloi |
| Alliance SP | Michael Langhi |
| Ares BJJ Rocklin | Breno Bittencourt |
| Association Aranha | Yan Cabral |
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | JT Torres |
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Michael Liera Jr. |
| Atos JJ International | Alex Cabanes |
| CheckMat | Renato Canuto |
| CheckMat USA | Marcelo “Lapela” Mafra |
| CheckMat/The House | Gabriel “Palito” Rollo |
| Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club | Francisco Iturralde |
| GF Team | Jacob Mackenzie |
| Gracie Barra Northridge | Edwin Najmi |
| Gracie Barra Northridge | Victor Silverio |
| KMR BJJ Kimura Europe | Espen Mathiesen |
| Soul Fighters BJJ Tijuca | Hugo Marques |
| XCoach Team | Celsinho Venicius |
| ZR Team Association | Lucas Rocha |
MIDDLE
| Academia Pitbull | Delson “Pé de Chumbo” Heleno |
| Alliance Marcelo Garcia | Jon Satava |
| Alliance Marcelo Garcia | Marcos Tinoco |
| Alliance SP | Isaque Bahiense |
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Caio Almeida |
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Claudio Calasans |
| Brazilian Top Team | Gabriel “Timbó” Procópio |
| GF Team | Jaime Canuto |
| Gracie Barra America | Magid Hage |
| Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte-MG | Servio Tulio |
| Gracie Barra Huntington Beach | Otavio Sousa |
| Gracie Barra Thousand Oaks | Gabriel Arges |
| KMR BJJ Kimura Europe | Tommy Langaker |
| Nova União | Luan Carvalho |
| Ns Brotherhood | Yago Souza |
| Soul Fighters BJJ Tijuca | Ruan Oliveira |
| Unity Jiu-jitsu | Felipinho Cesar |
| Unity Jiu-jitsu | Manuel Ribamar |
| Unity Jiu-jitsu | Murilo Santana |
MEDIUM HEAVY
| Alliance Marcelo Garcia | Matheus Diniz |
| Alliance SP | Renato Cardoso |
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Gustavo “Braguinha” Batista |
| Atos JJ International | Josh Hinger |
| Atos JJ Rio Claro | Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa |
| Caio Terra Association | Rudson Mateus |
| CheckMat | Thiago Sá |
| GD Jiu-Jitsu Association | Horlando Monteiro |
| Roger Gracie Academy | Charles Negromonte |
| Soul Fighters BJJ Connecticut | Diogo “Moreno” Sampaio |
HEAVY
| Alliance | Tarsis Humphreys |
| Alliance SP | Dimitrius Souza |
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Keenan Cornelius |
| CheckMat | Jackson Sousa |
| CheckMat International | Adam Wardzinski |
| Checkmat Woodland Hills | Arnaldo Maidana |
| GF Team | Patrick Gaudio |
| Gracie Barra | Felipe “Preguiça” Pena |
| Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu | Xande Ribeiro |
| Team Lloyd Irvin | Tim Spriggs |
| Zenith BJJ | Fellipe Andrew |
SUPER-HEAVY
| Alliance | Jared Dopp |
| Alliance Porto Alegre | Nicholas Meregali |
| Alliance SP | Fernando Reis |
| CheckMat USA | Luiz Panza |
| GF Team | Gutemberg Pereira |
| Gracie Barra Benfica, Lisboa | Manuel “Nelton” Pontes |
| Ns Brotherhood | Igor “Tigrão” Schneider |
| Ns Brotherhood | Leandro Lo |
| Team Lloyd Irvin | Mahamed Aly |
| Ushirobira JJ | Fellipe Trovo |
ULTRA-HEAVY
| Babalu’s Iron Gym | Antonio Braga Neto |
| Caio Terra Association | Yuri Simões |
| CheckMat | Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida |
| GF Team | Max Gimenis |
| GF Team | Ricardo Evangelista |
| GF Team | Thiago Gaia |
| IFC Life Brothers | Kitner Moura |
| Qatar BJJ | Victor Honório |
| Soul Fighters BJJ Connecticut | João Gabriel Rocha |
| Soul Fighters BJJ Connecticut | Tanner Rice |
| Team Lloyd Irvin Brazil | Otavio Nalati |
WOMEN
ROOSTER
| GF Team | Thamires Diógenes de Aquino |
| Paraestra Shinagawa | Rikako Yuasa |
LIGHT FEATHER
| Alliance Los Angeles | Talita Alencar |
| American Top Team Coconut Creek | Gezary Matuda |
| GF Team | Amanda Nogueira |
| Gracie Barra Nottingham | Vanessa English |
FEATHER
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Bia Basilio |
| Caio Terra Association | Tammi Musumeci |
| Gracie Humaita South Bay | Emilie Thylin |
| Team Marcos Cunha | Ana Carolina Schmitt |
LIGHT
| Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Luiza Monteiro |
| CheckMat USA | Catherine Perret |
| GD Jiu-Jitsu Association | Sarah Black |
| Gracie Humaita | Bia Mesquita |
MIDDLE
| Alliance SP | Renata Marinho |
| CheckMat | Raquel Canuto |
| CheckMat Fight Zone London | Samantha Cook |
| GF Team | Ana Carolina Srour |
MEDIUM HEAVY
| Alliance SP | Luanna Alzuguir |
| CheckMat – Equipe 1 | Andressa Cintra |
| Soul Fighters Texas | Nathiely de Jesus |
HEAVY
| De La Riva JJ | Claudia Do Val |
| Gracie Barra Pasadena | Jessica Flowers |
| Gracie Humaita | Fernanda Mazzelli |
SUPER-HEAVY
| Alliance RJ | Tayane Porfírio |
| Alliance SP | Andresa Correa |
| G13 BJJ | Carina Santi |
| Gracie Gym Texas | Nivia Moura |
| Hilti BJJ Jyvaskyla | Venla Luukkonen |
