2026 ADCC European, Middle-Eastern, & African 2nd Trials

All eight division champions at the 2026 ADCC EMEA 2nd Trials secured direct berths to the 2026 ADCC World Championship. In the men's divisions, Yigit Hanay of Turkey claimed the 66 KG title, Nikolay Vetrov of Russia captured the 77 KG crown, Marlon Tajik of Sweden won the 88 KG division, Eoghan O'Flanagan of England took gold at 99 KG, and Rida Haisam of Ghana emerged victorious in the 99+ KG category. On the women's side, Janette Gloger of Germany won the 55 KG division, Injana Goodman representing Spain and England claimed the 65 KG title, and Anabel Lopez of Spain secured the 65+ KG championship.

As the second and final EMEA Trials, this event closed the regional qualification window entirely — making each of these eight athletes holders of one of the most coveted berths in submission grappling.

Several competitors distinguished themselves with performances that went beyond simply winning their divisions.

Nikolay Vetrov, competing as a brown belt, delivered one of the most technically complete runs of the tournament in the Men's 77 KG bracket. His path to gold featured sharp armbar attacks, consistent top-game pressure, and disciplined leg-lock defense. Vetrov submitted Thomas Barry via Armbar in the semi-final before outworking Taylor Pearman by penalty in the final. Having previously drawn attention at a Quintet event in 2025, his performance in Belgrade confirmed his standing as a rising force on the international grappling circuit.

Marlon Tajik, 22 years old, made his black belt debut at this event — a rank awarded by André Galvão in the United States prior to the tournament. Tajik attacked the 88 KG bracket with an aggressive, submission-hunting mentality, submitting Mateusz Mazur via Rear Naked Choke in the semi-final before outworking Faris Lamkadem by decision in the final. The performance established him as one of Europe's more dangerous podium contenders heading into the 2026 ADCC World Championship.

Janette Gloger of Germany produced the most dominant run in the Women's 55 KG field, anchoring her game in fundamentals and positional control throughout. She submitted Liisi Vaht via Rear Naked Choke in the semi-final and repeated the finish against Ana Mayordomo Garcia in the final — back-to-back rear naked choke finishes that underscored her efficiency from dominant positions. As of February 17, 2026, Gloger was training with AOJ.

The men's finals delivered a mix of submission finishes and tightly contested decisions across all five weight classes.

In the 66 KG final, Yigit Hanay defeated Kostiantyn Zhyvanov by points (2–0), capping a bracket run that had included a Rear Naked Choke submission over Richard Bukovcsan in the semi-final. Zhyvanov had reached the final by outscoring Sergio Riquelme via decision in his semi-final.

The 77 KG final saw Nikolay Vetrov claim gold over Taylor Pearman via penalty after a tightly contested match. Pearman had advanced by submitting Dominic Klingher via Rear Naked Choke in the semi-final, while Vetrov had finished Thomas Barry with an Armbar on his side of the bracket.

In the 88 KG final, Marlon Tajik defeated Faris Lamkadem by decision in a closely fought contest that showcased both competitors' technical range. Tajik's path had included a Rear Naked Choke submission over Mateusz Mazur in the semi-final.

The 99 KG division produced the event's most emphatic finishing pattern. Eoghan O'Flanagan submitted Jean Maltese via Outside Heel Hook in the semi-final and then repeated the technique to finish Muhamed Urusov in the final — a back-to-back leg-lock sequence that highlighted one of the tournament's most consistent and dangerous games.

The 99+ KG final featured Rida Haisam submitting Aidan Woodley via Rear Naked Choke. Haisam had earlier submitted Christian Ozbek via Armbar in the semi-final, while Woodley had defeated Anton Dmitrakov by decision in the other semi.

Submission finishes — particularly chokes — defined the women's bracket at the 2026 ADCC EMEA 2nd Trials.

In the 55 KG final, Janette Gloger submitted Ana Mayordomo Garcia via Rear Naked Choke, mirroring her semi-final finish over Liisi Vaht by the same technique. Gloger's back-to-back rear naked choke finishes reflected a polished back-taking system and the composure to execute under pressure.

The 65 KG final was decided by points, as Injana Goodman defeated Ane Svendsen by a score of 3–0. Goodman had been active throughout the bracket, submitting Selma Vik via Rear Naked Choke in the quarterfinals and submitting Rana Willink in the semi-final. Svendsen had reached the final by defeating Martyna Kapuscinska by a 3–0 margin in the semi-final.

The 65+ KG final proved the closest of the women's contests. Anabel Lopez defeated Nia Blackman by penalty — a narrow margin that reflected the competitive balance of the division. Lopez had also advanced past Jessika Torttila by penalty in the semi-final, demonstrating a measured, pressure-based approach to winning tight matches.

Across all three women's divisions, submission finishes outnumbered points victories, with chokes serving as the dominant finishing method throughout the bracket.

The 2026 ADCC EMEA 2nd Trials were conducted under standard ADCC rules in a no-gi format in Belgrade, Serbia. The tournament encompassed eight weight divisions: Men's 66 KG, 77 KG, 88 KG, 99 KG, and 99+ KG, and Women's 55 KG, 65 KG, and 65+ KG. Each division followed a bracket structure that included quarterfinals, semi-finals, a final, and a third-place match.

Under ADCC rules, no points are awarded during the first half of a match — a structure designed to incentivize submission attempts and active engagement from the opening exchange. Points for positional advances become available in the second half, while penalties for passivity can decide close matches when neither competitor scores. That dynamic factored directly into several outcomes at this event, including the 77 KG and 65+ KG finals. As the second and final EMEA Trials, all eight division winners earned direct invitations to the 2026 ADCC World Championship, making every final a de facto qualification match.