There’s life below the black belt division and you know it.
Of course the main focus is on the men and women that reached the highest ranking, but it is also important to take a careful look at the talents that are emerging and should be making headlines in the years to come.
The 2015 Worlds will once again be a great stage for this talents and they come from everywhere.
We decided to highlight six of them, but there are plenty of more very talented men and women in the colored belts with all the right tools to put on a great show in the Long Beach Pyramid.
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Edwin Najmi
The “flying triangle guy” is known for his acrobatic and very efficient technique, which he likes to try at the beginning of his matches. Bred at Romulo Barral’s Gracie Barra Northridge school, Najmi is also known for his stylish hairdo. Last year at the Worlds, he was the main guy at the purple belt division when he used that same flying triangle to catch Nicholas Meregali by surprise and nab the open class gold medal.
Isaac Doederlein
Isaac is after the grand slam in the brown belt featherweight division and he’s close to get it. He’s been dominating in 2015 with gold medals at the European, Pan and Brazilian Nationals. Now he’s after the fourth gold medal in Long Beach to probably close his cycle in the brown belt division. A devoted student of four-time world champion Rubens Cobrinha in Los Angeles, Doederlein has all the tools to make it big on the next level.
Nicholas Meregali
From the south of Brazil, Meregali stayed in the purple belt division and is going for his second Worlds in the ranking. The “Alemão”(German), as he is called by his teammates at Alliance/Mario Reis, is known for a sick guard game with a lot of sweeps and also dangerous attacks. In 2015, he is doing great with double gold medals both at the Pan and Brazilian Nationals. Another double gold run in Long Beach will probably mean the long-waited brown belt.
Mikey Musumeci
The “berimbolo kid” got famous in the Jiu-Jitsu community after he starred a series of berimbolo videos with his sister and black belt Tammi Musumeci. If in the videos, they would berimbolo in crazy spots such as walmart, the beach or a fast food restaurant, it is on the mats of tournaments that Mikey puts his favorite move to work and get great results.
Horlando Monteiro
Training under Gustavo Dantas, in Arizona, Horlando Monteiro is another familiar face in the competition circuit. A medal collector already, he is nearing the higher rankings and gaining a lot of experience and mat time. A expert in the guard game with nice omoplata set ups, he’s been on top of his game this year with great results at the European, Pan and WPJJC.
Tayane Porfirio
Tayane is not defined by her frame. The purple belt that trains with Alexandre Paiva, at Alliance Rio, in Brazil, likes to play guard and has some great sweeps to get on top and apply some heavy pressure. A confessed fan of Gabi Garcia, Tayane is on the right track to repeat the successful career of her idol. In 2015, she has an all-gold-medal campaign at the European, Pan, WPJJC and Brazilian Nationals.
