The 2015 World Jiu-Jitsu no-Gi championship is right around the corner, scheduled November 7-8, in Long Beach, California.
You have until Oct. 29, to register and be a part of the most important no-gi event of the calendar.
In order to get you started, we have come up with 10 fun facts about the event that started in 2007 and is already a part of the Jiu-jitsu landscape every year.
Don’t forget to click here to register and enjoy the article.
1 – No athlete won the adult male black belt open class division more than once
Yuri Simões at the 2014 Worlds No-Gi
Unlike the World Championship, where Amaury Bitteti (2), Rodrigo Comprido (2), Ronaldo Jacaré (2), Xande Ribeiro (2), Roger Gracie (3) and Marcus Buchecha (3) extended their dominance over more than one edition, the Worlds No-Gi has had eight absolute champions in eight years: 2007 – Jeff Monson; 2008 – Antônio Braga Neto; 2009 – Roberto “Tussa” Alencar; 2010 – Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu; 2011 – Marcus Almeida; 2012 – Alexandre Ribeiro; 2013 – Murilo Santana; 2014 – Yuri Simões (image).
2 – Only two athletes made to the top of the black belt open class division both in the Worlds Gi and No-Gi
Marcus Buchecha and Xande Ribeiro (image) are the only two male black belts that have that glory. Xande won the Worlds Gi in 2006 and 2008 and the Worlds No-Gi in 2012. Buchecha first won the Worlds No-Gi in 2011 and then came like a freight train in the Worlds Gi with three wins in a row in 2012/2013/2014.
3 – Caio Terra is the only male athlete to have been in the black belt podium of all Worlds No-Gi editions
Caio Terra at the 2014 Worlds No-Gi
Terra has seven gold medals and one silver medal since 2007. He lost to Samuel Braga in the first edition and after that never vacated the top of the podium. Caio won four times as a light-featherweight and three times in the roosterweight division.
4 – In the female adult black belt division, the open class crown also rotates a lot
Gabi Garcia at the 2014 Worlds No-Gi
The female black belt division has an open class category since 2008 and six athletes reached the ultimate glory. Ana Laura Cordeiro won the first one and was followed by Hillary Williams (2009), Michelle Nicolini (2010/2011), Tammy Griego (2012), Talita Nogueira (2013), Gabi Garcia (2014).
5 – Michelle Nicolini is Ms. Worlds No-Gi
Nicolini has five gold medals since 2008, including two wins in the open class division. She completes her collection with one silver medal and one bronze medal. Her biggest rival is Beatriz Mesquita and they have fought three times so far with two wins for Michelle and one for Bia.
6 – In the teams competition, different schools alternate on the top of the podium
Unlike the Worlds Gi, where Alliance has been in the first place of the teams competition since 2008, things are much more balanced in the Worlds No-Gi. In the Adult division, Gracie Barra won in 2007, Checkmat won in 2008, 2009, 2011, The Avengers won in 2010, Alliance won in 2012 and 2013 and Atos JJ won in 2014. Who’s gonna win in 2015?
7 – Former or current MMA athletes love to compete at the Worlds No-Gi
Ben Henderson at the 2014 Worlds No-Gi
Since the first edition, the Worlds No-Gi has been the favorite event for MMA athletes to test their ground skills without the distraction of the gi. Cain Velasquez won double gold in the blue belt division in 2007, the same year Jeff Monson won silver in the ultraheavy and gold in the open class of the black belt division. In 2008, Baret Yoshida, Hermes França and Kevin Casey had great results. In 2009, Josh Barnett made to the top of the podium of the black belt ultra-heavy division. In 2013, Ricardo Almeida won the senior 1 medium heavy division and Tom DeBlass finished third in the adult superheavy division. UFC former lightweight champion Ben Henderson competed and got the bronze medal at the black belt middleweight division in 2014.
8 – No Gracie ever won a gold medal in the adult black belt division
Since 2007, the most notorious family in Jiu-Jitsu is still missing a world title without the gi among adult black belts. Gregor Gracie (2008), Igor Gracie (2008), Clark Gracie (2012) were the only three that made to the podium. In the female division, the name Gracie never reached a spot on the podium.
9 – In the female teams competition, Gracie Humaitá still has a large lead over the other teams
Gracie Barra won in 2007; Gracie Humaitá won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012; Checkmat won in 2013. Alliance won in 2014. In 2008, the full results do not show standings for the female division.
10 – Non-Brazilians have a much better record in the adult black belt division without the gi than with the gi on
AJ Agazarm at the 2014 Worlds No-Gi
It’s well known that only three people born outside Brazil have won a gold medal in the male adult black belt division of the Worlds: BJ Penn, Robert Drysdale and Rafael Lovato Jr. Without the gi, non-Brazilians have a much better performance. Among men, they have won 17 gold medals against 63 won by Brazilian competitors. Among women, the count is even closer, with non-Brazilian ladies wining 12 gold medals against 29 won by the ladies from Brazil. Only in 2008, Brazilians won all gold medals in the adult black belt division.
