2026 ADCC First South American Trials

BJJ College, the academy led by Melqui Galvão, produced the two most dominant individual performances of the event through a pair of teenage athletes who combined for a 13-0 record across two of the day's most competitive divisions.

David Mateus — also referenced as David Santos in some sources, with both names appearing to refer to the same 18-year-old competitor — swept the 66KG division across six matches without conceding a single point. His route to gold showcased both finishing ability and positional control: in the semifinals, Mateus dispatched Bernardo Albuquerque via Anaconda Choke, before locking down Diego Ortiz 3-0 in the final to claim his ADCC 2026 invite.

Julio Martins, a 19-year-old brown belt, delivered an even more voluminous performance in the 77KG division — the largest bracket of the event, nearing 100 competitors. Martins went 7-0 on the day without conceding a single point, demonstrating a methodical blend of pressure and precision throughout. He controlled Marcelo Fausto 2-0 in the quarterfinals, finished Gabriel Monteiro via Arm Triangle Choke in the semifinals, and closed out with a composed 2-0 victory over Martin Abeal in the final. Together, Mateus and Martins served as an emphatic statement of BJJ College's depth on the South American trials stage.

Across all five men's divisions, each champion earned a direct invitation to the 2026 ADCC World Championship.

66KG: David Mateus claimed gold with a 3-0 final win over Diego Ortiz. Ortiz had demonstrated his own finishing ability en route to the final, submitting Felipe Machado via Straight Ankle Lock in the quarterfinals.

77KG: Julio Martins secured gold by defeating Martin Abeal 2-0 in the final, capping a dominant day in the bracket's largest field. In the 3rd place match, Gabriel Monteiro defeated Marco Albuquerque via rear naked choke.

88KG: Franco Diaz won the final 3-0 over Gabriel Brod to claim gold in the event's most upset-laden division. Tyrone Gonsalves earned 3rd place with a points victory over Magid Hage, having earlier defeated Rafael Paganini 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

99KG: Elioenai Braz (also referred to as Eli Braz) secured gold by defeating Fellipe Trovo via penalty in the final. Braz had advanced through the semifinals by submitting Rafael Trabuco via Rear Naked Choke, while Ramiro Leon had reached the top half of the bracket by finishing Oton Jasse via Triangle Choke in the quarterfinals. Leon claimed 3rd place with a 3-0 win over Trabuco.

+99KG: Roosevelt Sousa submitted Pedro Alex dos Santos via Dogbar in the final to complete an all-submission run through the bracket. Sousa had earlier dispatched Joao Freitas via Rear Naked Choke in the quarterfinals, while Pedro Alex advanced to the final by defeating Antonio Assef 2-0 in the semifinal. No 3rd place match was held in the +99KG division.

Roosevelt Sousa: All Submissions in the +99KG

Roosevelt Sousa stood apart as the only competitor at the event to finish every opponent by submission. His four victories — all by submission, capped by a Dogbar finish over Pedro Alex dos Santos in the final — reinforced the momentum he built in 2025 with IBJJF Worlds and No-Gi Worlds titles. Yatan Bueno, considered among the primary challengers heading into the event, fell to Sousa in the semifinals, further underlining the dominant nature of his run through the division.

Franco Diaz: Navigating the 88KG Gauntlet

The 88KG division produced the event's most significant upsets, and Franco Diaz navigated every one of them. Going 6-0 with two submissions through a deep and competitive bracket, Diaz defeated several high-profile opponents along the way. Charles Negromonte, a Zé Radiola black belt and a prominent pre-event favorite, suffered a surprise early exit — losing by decision to Diaz before the round of 16. Other pre-event favorites Paul Ardila, Francisco Lo, and Gustavo Batista also failed to reach the podium. Gabriel Brod, identified as a dark horse heading into the division, validated that billing by reaching the final, but ultimately fell 3-0 to the composed and relentless Diaz.

No ADCC 2026 invites were awarded in women's divisions at this trials edition, with women's automatic berths reserved for the second South American Trials. Three women's champions were nonetheless crowned across highly competitive brackets.

Women 60KG: Bianca Giannini won the division, defeating Montserrat Perez 2-0 in the final. Giannini had submitted Estefania Atadia in the semifinal to advance. Perez, a Chilean purple belt who entered as a dark horse, earned runner-up honors with a strong showing throughout the bracket. Note: some earlier sources listed this division as Women's Under 55KG with a different result; the Women 60KG designation and Giannini's championship are confirmed by detailed match records.

Women 65KG: Beatriz Silva claimed gold with a 3-0 final win over Natalia Maguerroski, having advanced past Julia Boscher 2-0 in the semifinal. Boscher, a pre-event favorite, rebounded to finish 3rd with a 5-2 victory over Maria Clara.

Women Over 65KG: Ingridd Alves delivered the most dominant performance in the women's bracket, submitting each of her first three opponents before shutting out Maria Cardoso 6-0 in the final. Cardoso had reached the final by defeating Maria Ruffato 6-2 in the semifinal, with Maria Ruffato ultimately claiming 3rd place.

Following the conclusion of the First South American Trials, the ADCC 2026 confirmed participant list — as of March 15, 2026 — stood as follows across the men's and women's divisions. This represents a snapshot and may not reflect the final complete roster.

Men's 66KG: Diogo Reis (returning champion), Nikodem Mikuliszyn (trials winner), Dorian Olivarez (trials winner), Ryoma Anraku (trials winner), Yigit Hanay (trials winner), David Mateus (South American Trials winner), Fabricio Andrey (invited).

Men's 77KG: Mica Galvão (returning champion), Magomed Dzharbaev (trials winner), Jacob Bornemann (trials winner), Izaak Michell (trials winner), Nikolay Vetrov (trials winner), Julio Martins (South American Trials winner), Mateusz Gamrot (invited).

Men's 88KG: Giancarlo Bodoni (returning champion), Pawel Jaworski (trials winner), Jon Thor Blank (trials winner), Jozef Chen (trials winner), Marlon Tajik (trials winner), Franco Diaz (South American Trials winner).

Men's 99KG: Kaynan Duarte (returning champion), Declan Moody (trials winner), Achilles Rocha (trials winner), Nico Maglicic (trials winner), Eoghan O'Flanaghan (trials winner), Elioenai Braz (South American Trials winner).

Men's +99KG: Felipe Pena (returning champion), Mark MacQueen (trials winner), Brandon Reed (trials winner), Tito John Carle (trials winner), Haisam Rida (trials winner), Roosevelt Sousa (South American Trials winner).

Women's 55KG: Adele Fornarino (returning champion), Janette Gloger (trials winner).

Women's 65KG: Ana Carolina Vieira (returning champion), Injana Goodman (trials winner).

Women's 65KG+: Rafaela Guedes (returning champion), Anabel Lopez (trials winner).