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ADCC 2024: The Least You Need To Know - The Dudes

Hot Picks, Matchups to Watch, and More at “The Big Show” at T-Mobile Arena this weekend

By E.M. Dash

ADCC isn’t what it used to be–in good ways and bad. First, the good: the tournament takes place at a flashier venue worthy of jiu-jitsu’s increased popularity and appeal, and athletes are actually getting paid show money. As for the bad? Most ADCC divisions have been gutted by Craig Jones’ competing tournament, CJI. Gordon Ryan has become completely insufferable, and now has not one but two superfights to boost his ego. Neither is likely to be a challenge to him. Mo is absolutely New Wave’s bitch. I wonder what those training sessions look like.

The existence of the Craig Jones Invitational will leave an asterisk next to every ADCC champ except -66kg. Those fellas are just too small to have a shot at CJI.

The two Superfights should also have an asterisk as they are far from super and neither of Gordon’s opponents will likely put up a fight. People will scream about Pena but, let’s be honest, does he seem even remotely interested? I know how we got to the Yuri match but if ever there was a time time for dicey ass Mo to do something underhanded this would be it but I’m sure Danaher would never allow it as Yuri poses zero threat to Nicky Ryan’s brother.

Look, if Mo were a real promotor he’d be throwing money at Meregali to break free of Jim Jones Danaher. Appeal to all this legacy and authenticity Mr. Meregali keeps singing about on social media. But we all this group has some sordid relationship that supersedes the sport.

Nevertheless, will I be watching ADCC? Absolutely. It’s the biennial “Superbowl” of grappling, and with all the shake-ups, could be an opportunity for some new blood and breakout talent to shine in Sin City.  

Read below for some deep dives, hot picks, and insider tips on the ADCC action hitting T-Mobile arena this weekend. Division: -66kg 

-66kg: Literally the only division untouched by CJI because the boys are too small

Favorites for the division: 2022 ADCC Winner, Diogo Reis, and 2022 ADCC Bronze Medalist, Diego Pato

Reis has been indexing all his energy on ADCC, and “Baby Shark” will be ready to bite back in defending his ADCC title– especially against Diego “Pato” Oliveira. Pato has had his best year yet and has shown no sign of slowing down coming into this ADCC. When he last faced Pato at WNO, 

Watch-outs for the division: the young guns, the vets, and the ones with reps to protect

21-year-old Owen Jones had a remarkable run to punch his ticket to ADCC, defeating favorite Ash Williams in the 1st European Trials. So did New Wave hotshot Dorian Olivarez, who, at age 18, is one of the youngest competitors in all of ADCC and has been heavily hyped ever since defeating Gianni Grippo and Ethan Crelinsten at the East Coast Trials last year (even if 0-0 by penalty). Kauã Gabriel, a 20-year-old under Melqui Galvão, could also impress–though he’ll probably become chum to Reis, given the ADCC rules of teammates needing to fight prior to a medal round. . 

Sousa, Cisneros, Krikorian, and Crelinsten are all veterans of the division. Of the veterans, Cisneros and Sousa, are most likely to give the two division favorites a run for their money given their ADCC history: Cisneros faced off against Pato in a third-place match and Sousa faced off against “Baby Shark” in the finals at ADCC 2022.

Maciel came close to a Grand Slam in the gi this year, falling short at Worlds, but could still do his legendary father, Cobrinha, proud, with a first-time ADCC title. Andrey still entertains with his athleticism and his love of Naruto, but “Hokage” needs to prove that he’s still the greatest shinobi in this bracket, with recent losses to both Maciel and Pato. 

-66kg Competitor Roster

1. Diogo Reis (ADCC 2022 Champion)

2. Gabriel Sousa (ADCC 2022 Silver Medalist)

3. Diego Pato (ADCC 2022 Bronze Medalist)

4. Owen Jones (1st European Trial winner)

5. Dorian Olivarez (East Coast Trials winner)

6. Ethan Thomas (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner)

7. Gairbeg Ibragimov (2nd European Trials winner)

8. Kennedy Maciel (1st South American Trials winner)

9. Fabricio Andrey (2nd South American Trials winner)

10. Deandre Corbe (West Coast Trials winner)

11. Huaiqing Xu (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner)

12. Ethan Crelinsten (Invited) 

13. Kauã Gabriel (Invited)

14. Keith Krikorian (Invited)

15. Ashley Williams (Invited)

16. Josh Cisneros (Invited)

-77kg: It’s probably going to be Mica, but will it taste as sweet without a rematch against Kade Ruotolo?

Favorites for the division: 2022 ADCC Runner Up, Mica Galvão

Mica grand slammed it in the gi this year, and his girlfriend just broke a record with an Olympic gold in wrestling–time to bring another gold home for the power couple. It won’t feel as satisfying to see Mica win in the absence of reigning champ, Kade Ruotolo, but it’ll be fun nonetheless. 

Prior to his WNO fight against Jozef Chen, I’d have put “Big Breakfast,” Elijah Dorsey, as a heavier contender, but after Chen embarrassed Dorsey at WNO, I have fewer reasons to believe that Dorsey could deny Mica. 

Jonnatas Gracie has fared well in his no gi transition in the last year, but again, in a matchup of Gracie vs Galvão, it’s practically impossible to not opt for Galvão

Watch-outs for the division: weight shifts and ole’ reliables 

In the last edition of ADCC, Vagner Rocha competed at -88kg and Garry Tonon competed at -66kg. While neither is a particular draw in and of themselves, seeing how they fare in a different weight class makes each fighter somewhat more interesting. 

Is it really ADCC without JT Torres? Probably not. PJ Barch and Dante Leon are also standbys, along with Oliver Taza. Taza is “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” of New Wave, but you have to admire his consistency and continued gameness. 

The ole’ reliable I’m most looking forward to is Mateusz Szczeciński–specifically his ole’ reliable ankle lock. The man has the nastiest ankle lock in no gi jiu-jitsu, and a sub–if not a broken bone–is all but guaranteed if he gets a bite on a leg. 

-77kg Competitor Roster

1. Mica Galvão (ADCC 2022 SIlver Medalist)

2. Dante Leon (ADCC 2022 Bronze Medalist)

3. Elijah Dorsey (East Coast Trials winner) 

4. Luiz Paolo (1st South American Trials winner) 

5. Alexandre de Jesus (2nd South American Trials winner)

6. Jonnatas Gracie (Invited)

7. JT Torres (Invited) 

8. PJ Barch (Invited)

9. Jeremy Skinner (Invited)

10. Max Hanson (Invited)

11. Garry Tonon (Invited)

12. Oliver Taza (Invited)

13. Davi Ramos (Invited)

14. Vagner Rocha (Invited)

15. Mateusz Szczeciński (Invited)

16. Fabio Caloi (Invited)

-88kg: Can Bodoni repeat his success as a defending champ rather than an underdog?

Favorites for the division: 2022 ADCC Winner, Giancarlo Bodoni; 2023 East Coast Trials Winner, Jacob Couch

Bodoni hasn’t had a great performance ever since Flo spent bank on a documentary about his ADCC performance. “Becoming Dangerous” is one thing, but can Bodoni stay dangerous enough to keep the title? I don’t know why but I find it difficult to root for this guy.

Bodoni is still a favorite, but the division is ripe for an upset, especially in light of all the CJI shake ups. If there’s one person who can pull it off against Bodoni and dazzle, it’s fellow documentary subject, Jacob Couch: the “Hillbilly Hammer” has handily outlasted the hype of the Daisy Fresh series. While Pedigo is somewhat overrated as a competition team–read: where the hell did Andrew Wiltse go?–Couch has delivered performances that have taken him from a popular grappler living out of a laundromat into a truly legitimate force at -88kg.

Watch-outs for the division: a smorgasbord of intriguing fighters across the bracket

• Jay Rod: While his brother Nicky tries to secure the bag at CJI, the younger Rodriguez will try to snag some ADCC glory. Jay Rod’s matchup against Tainan Dalpra at WNO earlier this summer showcased a killer combination of technique and pace, and if he can bring that same blend of scrap and strategy to -88kg, we’ll see him in the medal rounds. 

• Achilles Rocha: Achilles comes in as a last-minute substitute for Lucas Kanard. One of the youngest competitors at ADCC, his inclusion turns the event into a true Rocha family affair as his father, Vagner, competes at -77kg, and his sister, Jasmine, makes her debut in the -55kg division. 

• Josh Hinger: Hinger, an ADCC veteran and guillotine machine, comes in at -88kg, up from -77kg his last ADCC. How he fares while his teammates hold down the fort at CJI is bound to be interesting. In a division of heavy leg lockers, Hinger is likely to wrestle and take necks, both unapologetically and agelessly: Hinger is the oldest competitor in the bracket at 42.  

• Ryan Aitken: a two-time Combat Jiu-Jitsu champion, Aitken has come close but no cigar to cracking the Top 8 in ADCC. However, he’s had a strong summer–winning the  EBI Absolutes and subbing fellow invitee Andre Porfirio. Whatever work he’s been doing with Sean Applegate has served him well and could see him into the deeper rounds at ADCC

-88kg Competitor Roster

1. Giancarlo Bodoni (2022 Champion)

2. Santeri Lilius (1st European Trials winner) 

3. Jacob Couch (East Coast Trials winner) 

4. Izaak Michell (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner) 

5. Taylor Pearman (2nd European Trials winner) 

6. Charles Negromonte (1st South American Trials winner) 

7. Pedro Marinho (2nd South American Trials winner)

8. Cassio Felipe Costa (1st South American Trials winner, moving down from -99kg to -88kg)

9. Elder Cruz (Invited)

10. Andre Porfirio (Invited)

11. Ryan Aitken (Invited)

12. Chris Wojcik (Invited)

13. Gabriel Almeida (Invited)

14. Josh Hinger (Invited)

15. Jacob Rodriguez (Invited)

16. Achilles Rocha (Invited)

-99kg: Can Meregali walk the walk–and walk all over Kaynan Duarte?

Favorites for the division: 2022 ADCC Winner, Kaynan Duarte; 2022 ADCC Bronze Medalist, Nicholas Meregali

Meregali has “talked the talk” ahead of ADCC–and hasn’t shut up on social media. He may be handsome, but he’ll never be mistaken for Longfellow. Here’s hoping that people can simply focus on Meregali’s jiu-jitsu instead of his teenage girlfriend. Love or hate his persona, he’s earned his legend, and had an impressive cross-over into no gi over the last two years. 

Duarte got choked out by Meregali’s teammate, Luke Griffith at UFC Fight Pass, but Griffith is a bigger boy and decided to move up and compete at 99+kg. Duarte had a notorious final, rife with penalties, at the last ADCC, but the man is a two-time ADCC Champ and knows what it takes to win. Whether he’ll do it again? We’ll see this weekend. 

Watch-outs for the division: killers and fillers

On the killers: 

• Michael Pixley is probably the hottest blood out of Pedigo aside from Couch, and his wrestling makes him an exciting watch.

• Paul Ardila has insane consistency as a qualifier and competitor–this is his fifth ADCC appearance–and with a favorable draw, this might be his first year cracking the first round. 

On the fillers:

• I find it hard to get excited about another ADCC appearance for Cyborg or Lovato Jr. There is no reason for either of these artifacts to have a spot - neither can win. If there aren’t enough competitors with a non-zero chance of winning, limit the number of competitors. This goes for all divisions. Someone let these men go gently into the good night of the Las Vegas nightclubs. First round is on me. 

-99kg Competitor Roster

1. Kaynan Duarte (ADCC 2022 Champion)

2. Nicholas Meregali (ADCC 2022 Bronze Medalist)

3. Paul Ardila (East Coast Trials winner) 

4. Declan Moody (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner) 

5. Marcin Maciulewicz (2nd European Trials winner) 

6. Henrique Ceconi (2nd South American Trials winner) 

7. Michael Pixley (West Coast Trials winner)

8. Daniel Schuardt (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner) 

9. Rafael Lovato Jr. (Invited)

10. Roberto Abreu “Cyborg” (Invited)

11. Eli Braz  (Invited)

12. Alex Grandy (Invited)

13. Patrick Gaudio (Invited)

14. Javier Zaruski (Invited)

15. Vinicius Ferreira (Invited)

16. Daishi Goto  (Invited)

+99kg: If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it?

Favorites and watch-outs for the division: it’s mostly just a bunch of big men trying to gas each other out

Pena has the most skill and the best track record. Luke Griffith and “Big Dan” of New Wave will likely have to face off, and I’m rooting for Luke as the more exciting of the two. No matter with whom he matches, Michael Perez, severely undersized for the division, will be entertaining as a David among Goliaths at 99+. Rida’s entire career is–somehow–still riding the good karma of his flash armbar on Cyborg at ADCC 2022, and another highlight-reel submission could make Rida relevant for two more years. Gordon opted out of 99+kg to take two superfights, and it’s the fans’ loss: of those who didn’t flee ADCC for CJI, “The King” is the competitor who could have made this bracket worth watching. 

+99kg Competitor Roster

1. Roosevelt Sousa (ADCC 2022 Bronze Medalist)

2. Heikki Jussila (1st European Trials winner) 

3. Daniel Manasoiu (East Coast Trials winner) 

4. Josh Saunders (1st Asia & Oceania Trials winner) 

5. Mark MacQueen (2nd European Trials winner)

6. Victor Honorio (2nd South American Trials winner) 

7. Mike Perez (West Coast Trials winner)

8. Mansur Makhmakhanov (2nd Asia & Oceania Trials winner) 

9. Luke Griffith (1st European Trials winner, moving up from -99kg to 99+kg)

10. Felipe Pena (Invited)

11. Brandon Reed (Invited)

12. Josh Hansen (Invited)

13. Vinny Magalhaes (Invited)

14. Vince Pezzuto (Invited)

15. Damon Ramos (Invited)

16. Haisam Rida (Invited)

Superfights: Will “The King” reign supreme?
(I could have also called this - The Matches No One Asked For, But We’re Getting Anyway)

Double Header: Gordon Ryan vs Yuri Simoes; Gordon Ryan vs Felipe Pena

Gordon better have the Simões fight first. He’ll likely use it as a warm up and win it due to size and skill advantage. Expect Gordon to call his submission of choice and dispense with Simões in 2024 as handily as he did André Galvão in 2022.Really compelling stuff for the ‘best of the best’. 

As for the match with Pena: it’s not hyperbolic to say Gordon’s entire reign and reputation is riding on this fight. “The King” and “Preguiça” have faced each other a few times with mixed results. Years later, Pena still seems to be the only grappler who has Ryan’s number. 

After a beef-filled run-up in 2023, Gordon withdrew from their fourth planned match-up on WNO, to fan contentious and social media uproar. Now that Ryan is effectively the face of ADCC–his face is emblazoned on the side of Aria–there’s nowhere for him to run or hide.

Will “The King” reign supreme? That’s the biggest question coming into ADCC 2024. That and the business value of Toe Hold flip flops. (Yuri has a better chance of beating Gordon than these things do of competing with Crocs in the worst possible footwear category.)