2026 IBJJF World Championship

Women's Divisions

Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight) delivered the defining individual performance of the tournament, claiming both the Women's Super-Heavyweight and Women's Absolute titles to bring her career IBJJF World Championship total to 12 — making her the most decorated female competitor in the event's history. In the Super-Heavyweight final, Pessanha controlled Tayane Porfirio with calculated pressure and methodical scoring, taking the match by points. She carried that momentum into the Absolute bracket, submitting Maria Ruffatto via Straight Ankle Lock in the semifinals before defeating Porfirio again in the final, 2–0.

Mayssa Bastos (AOJ) earned her 7th world title in Women's Roosterweight, submitting Mariana Rolszt via Rear Naked Choke in the semifinals and finishing Jessica Dantas via Gi Choke From Back in the final — a clean, submission-punctuated run to gold.

Lillian Marchand (Atos) claimed her first world title in Women's Middleweight, winning a scoreless final over Elisabeth Clay decided entirely by penalties. Clay accrued one penalty to Marchand's none, awarding Marchand the gold in a tightly contested match that came down to discipline and composure.

Janaina Lebre (Alliance) secured her second world title in Women's Lightweight, defeating Sarah Galvao by 0×0 Decision in the final. Sabrina Gondim (Fight Sports) won Women's Featherweight with a composed 3–0 victory over Gabrielle McComb. Ashlee Funegra (AOJ) took Women's Light-Featherweight for her first gi world title, and Thamara Ferreira (UAE Team) claimed her 3rd world title in Women's Medium-Heavyweight. Larissa Dias (Elementum JJ) added her 3rd title in Women's Heavyweight.

Men's Divisions

Erich Munis (Soldiers) claimed his 7th world title by winning the Men's Absolute, submitting Anderson Kauan via Katagatame in the semifinals before defeating Marcus Ribeiro 6–4 in a controlled final. Munis also reached the Men's Super-Heavyweight final, where he met teammate Vinicius Liberati (Soldiers JJ) in a closely contested friendly match that finished 6–6 on points. Liberati took gold on the strength of one advantage to none — his first world title.

Tainan Dalpra (AOJ) won the Men's Middleweight title with a submission-dominant bracket run, finishing Pedro Leonardo, Matheus Luna, and Natan Chueng — all three opponents — via Gi Choke From Back, with Chueng falling in the final.

Jalen Fonacier (Alliance) secured his second world title in Men's Roosterweight, edging Thalison Soares in a tight final via 2×2 points and 3×2 advantages. Rider Zuchi (Team 6) captured the Men's Heavyweight title with a decisive 4–0 victory over Nico Maglicic (Atos), controlling the pace and scoring effectively from start to finish.

Matheus Gabriel (Checkmat) won Men's Lightweight via Armbar over Jackson Nagai in the final. Cole Abate (AOJ) successfully defended his Men's Featherweight title, defeating Samuel Nagai 4–2. Seif Eddine-Houmine (GT Team) claimed his second world title in Men's Ultra-Heavyweight, finishing Gutemberg Pereira with a rare Amassa Pao choke inside guard. Jansen Gomes (Checkmat) won Men's Medium-Heavyweight for his 3rd world title.

Full Adult Black Belt Podiums

Men's Divisions

• Roosterweight: 1) Jalen Fonacier (Alliance); 2) Thalison Soares; 3) Rodnei Barbosa; 3) Yuri Hendrex
• Light-Featherweight: 1) Diego Oliveira (AOJ); 2) Khaled Alshehhi; 3) Gustavo Ogawa; 3) Seonghyeon Joo
• Featherweight: 1) Cole Abate (AOJ); 2) Samuel Nagai; 3) Joao Mendes; 3) Yuta Shimada
• Lightweight: 1) Matheus Gabriel (Checkmat); 2) Jackson Nagai; 3) Romulo Rocha; 3) Tarcisio Santos
• Middleweight: 1) Tainan Dalpra (AOJ); 2) Natan Chueng; 3) Matheus Luna; 3) Jose Steve
• Medium-Heavyweight: 1) Jansen Gomes (Checkmat); 2) Enderson Dias; 3) Gabriel Galvao; 3) Wallisson Oliveira
• Heavyweight: 1) Rider Zuchi (Team 6); 2) Nicholas Maglicic (Atos); 3) Leonardo Ferreira; 3) Luiz Felipe Santos
• Super-Heavyweight: 1) Vinicius Liberati (Soldiers JJ); 2) Erich Munis (Soldiers); 3) Harryson Pereira; 3) Windson Torres
• Ultra-Heavyweight: 1) Seif Eddine-Houmine (GT Team); 2) Gutemberg Pereira; 3) Anderson Kauan; 3) Marcus Ribeiro
• Absolute: 1) Erich Munis (Soldiers); 2) Marcus Ribeiro; 3) Anderson Kauan; 3) Felipe Costa

Women's Divisions

• Roosterweight: 1) Mayssa Bastos (AOJ); 2) Jessica Dantas; 3) Mariana Rolszt; 3) Thais Loureiro
• Light-Featherweight: 1) Ashlee Funegra (AOJ); 2) Vitoria Assis; 3) Andressa Tolentino; 3) Thaynara Victoria
• Featherweight: 1) Sabrina Gondim (Fight Sports); 2) Gabrielle McComb; 3) Giovanah Oliveira; 3) Margot Ciccarelli
• Lightweight: 1) Janaina Lebre (Alliance); 2) Sarah Galvao; 3) Beatrice Jin; 3) Giovanna Leite
• Middleweight: 1) Lillian Marchand (Atos); 2) Elisabeth Clay; 3) Emily Ferreira; 3) Larissa Martins
• Medium-Heavyweight: 1) Thamara Ferreira (UAE Team); 2) Ingridd Alves; 3) Izadora Silva; 3) Maria Vicentini
• Heavyweight: 1) Larissa Dias (Elementum JJ); 2) Maria Alencar; 3) Tamiris Silva; 3) Yara Soares
• Super-Heavyweight: 1) Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight); 2) Tayane Porfirio; 3) Luane Carvalho; 3) Simone Pinheiro
• Absolute: 1) Gabrieli Pessanha (InFight); 2) Tayane Porfirio; 3) Maria Ruffatto; 3) Sarah Galvao

Diego Oliveira's Historic Fifth Title

Diego Oliveira, known as "Pato," won the Men's Light-Featherweight title for the fifth time, surpassing Guilherme Mendes and Robson Moura to become the winningest competitor in IBJJF World Championship history at that weight class. He finished three matches by submission and dominated the final against Khaled Alshehhi 9–0. After the victory, Oliveira laid his belt on the mat — a gesture widely interpreted as a signal of possible retirement from competition.

Sabrina Gondim's Upset Run

Sabrina Gondim (Fight Sports) provided the tournament's signature upset story. Entering the Women's Featherweight bracket as the eighth seed, she defeated top seed Mia Funegra in the quarterfinals and former world champion Gabrielle McComb in the semifinals — passing both competitors' guards — before securing the final 3–0 over McComb to claim gold. The performance was a masterclass in guard-passing execution against elite opposition.

Rider Zuchi's Long-Awaited Crown

Rider Zuchi (Team 6) had long been a contender in the Men's Heavyweight division, and the 30th edition delivered his first world title. Zuchi won four matches across the bracket, with his most decisive result being a 2–0 semifinal victory over pre-tournament favorite Leonardo Ferreira, setting up his 4–0 final win over Nicholas Maglicic.

Grand Slam Bids: One Completed, One Denied

Tainan Dalpra's Middleweight title completed his 2026 IBJJF gi grand slam, having previously won the European, Pan, and Brazilian National championships that calendar year. By contrast, Sarah Galvao's bid to complete her own grand slam ended in the Women's Lightweight final, where she lost to Janaina Lebre by 0×0 Decision despite advancing through the bracket on submission wins. Diego Oliveira's Worlds gold could not contribute to a completed grand slam, as he had missed the 2026 Brasileiro earlier in the season.

AOJ's Team Dominance

AOJ produced an exceptional team performance, placing athletes atop five weight divisions: Mayssa Bastos (Women's Roosterweight), Diego Oliveira (Men's Light-Featherweight), Tainan Dalpra (Men's Middleweight), Cole Abate (Men's Featherweight), and Ashlee Funegra (Women's Light-Featherweight). Funegra's gold marked her first gi world title, adding a milestone individual narrative to an already remarkable team result.

Friendly Finals Between Training Partners

The Men's Lightweight final between Matheus Gabriel and Jackson Nagai carried the added layer of a friendly match between training partners, with Gabriel finishing Nagai via Armbar. Likewise, the Men's Super-Heavyweight final between Vinicius Liberati and Erich Munis — both representing Soldiers — was a friendly contest between teammates, ultimately resolved by a single advantage in Liberati's favor after both men scored six points.

Rare and Memorable Finishes

The tournament's 34% submission rate was driven by a diverse range of finishing techniques. Seif Eddine-Houmine's Ultra-Heavyweight final finish stood out for its rarity: he submitted Gutemberg Pereira with an Amassa Pao choke applied inside the guard — a seldom-seen technique at the elite level. Elisabeth Clay produced another memorable finish in the Women's Middleweight quarterfinals, submitting Ana Santos via Gogoplata, one of the tournament's most unorthodox submissions.

Leg Lock Specialists

Larissa Dias won the Women's Heavyweight title without conceding a submission attempt, finishing Yara Soares via Toe Hold in the semifinal and Maria Alencar via Toe Hold in the final — consecutive leg lock finishes to claim gold. Janaina Lebre built her Lightweight title run on the Straight Ankle Lock, submitting Mayara Melo in the quarterfinals and Giovanna Leite in the semifinals before winning the final on points. Gabrieli Pessanha similarly relied on the straight ankle lock, submitting Simone Abreu in the Super-Heavyweight semifinals and Maria Ruffatto in the Absolute semifinals with the same technique.

Choke-Dominant Bracket Runs

Tainan Dalpra completed one of the tournament's most submission-dominant performances, submitting all three opponents — Pedro Leonardo, Matheus Luna, and Natan Chueng — via Gi Choke From Back on his way to the Middleweight title. Mayssa Bastos controlled the Women's Roosterweight bracket with submission wins over Melody Wong via Gi Choke From Back in the quarterfinals and Mariana Rolszt via Rear Naked Choke in the semifinals.

Jackson Nagai eliminated Tarcisio Santos via Gi Choke From Back in the Men's Lightweight semifinals, and Jansen Gomes closed out the Men's Medium-Heavyweight final with a choke from the back over Enderson Dias.

Erich Munis's Submission Path

In the Men's Absolute bracket, Erich Munis demonstrated a well-rounded finishing arsenal: a Bow And Arrow Choke over Mateus Rodrigues in the quarterfinals, a Katagatame over Anderson Kauan in the semifinals, and a 6–4 points win over Marcus Ribeiro in the final. Marcus Ribeiro also contributed to the Absolute bracket's submission count, finishing Felipe Costa via choke from the back in the semifinals.

Statistical Trends

Tournament data revealed that women's divisions featured a notably higher proportion of finishes from bottom positions compared to the men's brackets. Men's divisions, by contrast, saw relatively few successful lower-limb submissions — three straight ankle locks and four toe holds across all men's weight classes — underscoring a meaningful tactical divergence between the two fields.

Men's Bracket Highlights

In Men's Heavyweight, Rider Zuchi defeated the favored Leonardo Ferreira 2–0 in a controlled semifinal display, while Nicholas Maglicic edged Luiz Felipe Santos 4–2 in the other semifinal before falling to Zuchi 4–0 in the final. The Men's Roosterweight semifinals produced a high-scoring affair: Jalen Fonacier defeated Yuri Hendrex 8–6, while Thalison Soares advanced past Rodnei Barbosa on a narrow 0×0 advantages decision (3–2) — setting up Fonacier's final win by the same 3–2 advantages margin.

In Men's Lightweight, Jackson Nagai submitted Tarcisio Santos via Gi Choke From Back in the semifinals, and Matheus Gabriel defeated Romulo Diniz 4–2 before closing out Nagai with an Armbar in the final.

Men's Medium-Heavyweight featured a significant disqualification: Gustavo Batista was DQ'd for an illegal lateral kneebar against Wallisson Oliveira in the quarterfinals. Oliveira advanced but fell to Enderson Dias 2–0 in the semifinals, while Jansen Gomes handled Gabriel Galvao 6–0 on the other side of the bracket.

The Men's Absolute bracket showcased Erich Munis's submission-heavy path: a Bow And Arrow Choke over Mateus Rodrigues in the quarterfinals, a Katagatame over Anderson Kauan in the semifinals, and a 6–4 points win over Marcus Ribeiro in the final.

Women's Bracket Highlights

In Women's Lightweight, Janaina Lebre submitted Giovanna Leite via Straight Ankle Lock in the semifinals, while Sarah Galvao submitted Beatrice Jin via Triangle Choke to advance — with Lebre winning the final by 0×0 Decision to deny Galvao's grand slam.

Women's Featherweight saw Sabrina Gondim defeat Giovanah Oliveira by decision in the semifinals following her upset of Mia Funegra in the quarterfinals, while Gabrielle McComb advanced past Margot Ciccarelli via 2×2 points — only to fall to Gondim 3–0 in the final.

Women's Middleweight saw Lillian Marchand edge Emily Hernandez on a narrow advantages decision in the semifinals, while Elisabeth Clay submitted Larissa Martins via Straight Ankle Lock before losing to Marchand via penalties in the final. In the Women's Absolute bracket, Gabrieli Pessanha defeated Lillian Marchand in the quarterfinals before submitting Maria Ruffatto via Straight Ankle Lock in the semifinals.

Disqualifications and Walkovers

Disqualifications shaped multiple bracket paths. In Women's Lightweight quarterfinals, Giovanna Leite advanced after her opponent was DQ'd for a possible knee reaping infraction. In Men's Featherweight, both of Cole Abate's potential quarterfinal opponents were disqualified for stalling, advancing Abate directly to the semifinals via walkover. Walkovers also played a role for Maria Alencar, Tayane Porfirio, Gabrieli Pessanha, and Beatrice Jin, each advancing in their respective divisions without a contested match.

The 2026 IBJJF World Championship was contested entirely in the gi under standard IBJJF rules across all adult black belt weight divisions. The multi-day format ran from May 28 through May 31, 2026, at Long Beach, California, USA.

Both men's and women's competition were organized into nine weight divisions each — Roosterweight through Ultra-Heavyweight/Super-Heavyweight — plus an Open Weight Absolute division for each gender. Bronze medals were awarded to both semifinal losers in each division, with quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals forming the primary bracket structure.

The tournament's total adult black belt match count was 335 — 234 in men's divisions and 101 in women's divisions. Victory methods encompassed points, advantages, penalties, submission, decision, disqualification, and walkover, reflecting the full range of IBJJF scoring mechanisms.

Disqualifications

Gustavo Batista was DQ'd for an illegal lateral kneebar in the Men's Medium-Heavyweight quarterfinals against Wallisson Oliveira. In Women's Lightweight, Giovanna Leite advanced following a DQ against her quarterfinal opponent for a possible knee reaping violation. In Men's Featherweight, both of Cole Abate's potential quarterfinal opponents were disqualified for stalling, advancing Abate to the semifinals via walkover.

Statistical Summary

The tournament produced an equal 34% submission rate across both men's and women's adult black belt matches. Women's divisions were distinguished by a greater proportion of finishes from bottom positions, while men's divisions featured a lower volume of successful lower-limb submissions — a statistical divide that reflects broader tactical tendencies at the elite gi level.