2026 ADCC North American West Coast Trials

Fairplex Expo Hall 9 in Pomona, California hosted the two-day event across eight mats, with preliminary rounds on April 18 and finals on April 19. The eight divisions comprised men's Under 66kg, Under 77kg, Under 88kg, Under 99kg, and Over 99kg, alongside women's Under 55kg, Under 65kg, and Over 65kg. The Under 77kg bracket drew 190 competitors, making it the largest division of the tournament.

Each division winner earned a direct invitation to the ADCC 2026 World Championships in Krakow, Poland. With available ADCC 2026 invitations described as dwindling rapidly as the main event approached, the West Coast Trials represented a critical last chance for North American competitors — and the sole continental pathway for women.

All eight ADCC 2026 qualifiers were confirmed across the finals on April 19.

Men's Divisions

In the men's Under 66kg final, Gianni Grippo of Bodega JJ defeated Dominic Mejia via Short Choke to claim the division and his ADCC 2026 invitation. Tristan Sainz took bronze with a decision win over Elias Anderson.

In the Under 77kg final — the largest bracket at 190 competitors — Michael Sainz of Alpha Miami defeated Maximilian Hanson by decision to qualify. Michael Liera secured bronze by submitting Ernesto Rivera with a Triangle Choke.

The Under 88kg final saw Nathan Haddad of Core Combat Sports defeat Ryan Aitken via penalties in a closely contested bout, earning his ADCC 2026 invitation. Jayden Groner received bronze by forfeit after Angelo Claiborne withdrew due to injury sustained in the semifinals.

In the Under 99kg final, Elder Cruz of Checkmat defeated Steffen Banta via penalty to qualify for his third ADCC appearance. Breylor Grout took bronze by forfeit after Colin Carr was unable to compete due to injury.

The Over 99kg final was decided when Nick Hartman of Zenith submitted Francis Pana via Straight Ankle Lock to claim the division. Austin Baker earned bronze by forfeit after Pana's teammate Vinicius Ferreira was unable to contest the third-place match.

Women's Divisions

In the women's Under 55kg final, Sheliah Lindsey of Magness BJJ dominated Valerie Hamilton by a score of 3×0 to qualify. Madison Porcelli took bronze.

In the women's Under 65kg final, Sarah Galvao of Atos defeated Jadeya Reber via Rear Naked Choke to earn her ADCC 2026 invitation. Rana Willink claimed bronze with an RNC win over Aaremey Cathey.

The women's Over 65kg final saw Paige Ivette of Legion defeat Elizabeth Mitrovic by decision to qualify. Joslyn Molina won bronze with an emphatic 11×0 victory over Natalie Levesque.

The 2026 West Coast Trials delivered a series of results that diverged sharply from pre-event expectations, with dark horses rising and established favorites falling across multiple brackets.

Nick Hartman, identified pre-event as a dark horse in the Over 99kg division, won the bracket outright — an outcome widely characterized as a significant surprise. Pre-event favorites Devhonte Johnson, Vince Pezzuto do not appear in the bracket results, suggesting early exits or non-participation.

In the Under 88kg division, Nathan Haddad — not among the pre-event favorites — navigated the bracket to take the title. Jacob Couch, listed as a top favorite heading in, was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Angelo Claiborne by a score of 3×0.

The women's Under 55kg division produced one of the tournament's most striking performances: Sheliah Lindsey, not listed among the pre-event contenders, won the bracket with five submissions in six matches. Pre-event favorite Danielle Kelly — who had won bronze at the prior year's Trials — was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Madison Porcelli by a score of 3×0.

In the women's Over 65kg division, Maia Matalon — who had won the East Coast Trials in 2025 and entered as a top favorite — was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Paige Ivette via Rear Naked Choke. Meanwhile, pre-event favorite Aislinn O'Connell in the women's Under 65kg was submitted by Sarah Galvao via Armbar in the quarterfinals and did not reach the podium.

The Under 88kg division produced the most dramatic sequence of the tournament. In the semifinals, Nathan Haddad found himself trailing Jayden Groner by a score of 6–0 before engineering a complete reversal, securing an Armbar submission to advance to the final. The comeback stood as one of the most striking moments of the two-day event.

In the other semifinal, Ryan Aitken eliminated Angelo Claiborne via Outside Heel Hook. Claiborne subsequently withdrew from the bronze match due to injury, awarding Groner third place by forfeit.

The final between Haddad and Aitken was tightly contested throughout, ultimately resolved in Haddad's favor via penalty accumulation — a detail clarified in the BJJ Heroes post-event report published April 22, 2026, which corrected an initial characterization of the result as a general decision. Haddad, representing Core Combat Sports, earned the Under 88kg invitation to ADCC 2026 in Krakow.

Sarah Galvao, an Atos black belt who entered the women's Under 65kg bracket as the undisputed favorite — having defeated the reigning ADCC world champion at CJI 2 — validated that billing with a dominant run through the bracket. She submitted three of five opponents while conceding zero points across all five matches. In the quarterfinals, she finished Aislinn O'Connell via Armbar; in the semifinals, she outpointed Rana Willink 3×0; and in the final, she submitted Jadeya Reber via Rear Naked Choke.

Sheliah Lindsey of Magness BJJ matched that finishing output in the women's Under 55kg bracket, submitting five of her six opponents. Her path to the title included an Rear Naked Choke finish of Emily Leyva in the quarterfinals and another RNC over Madison Porcelli in the semifinals, before closing with a 3×0 decision over Valerie Hamilton in the final.

In the women's Over 65kg division, Paige Ivette of Legion opened with a Rear Naked Choke submission of Maia Matalon in the quarterfinals, followed by an Armbar finish of Natalie Levesque in the semifinals, before outpointing Elizabeth Mitrovic by decision in the final — a composed, well-rounded performance that belied her underdog status.

Joslyn Molina, described as the youngest Trials medalist in the event's history at 14 years old after earning bronze at the 2025 edition, again reached the podium. After losing to Elizabeth Mitrovic via Armbar in the semifinals, Molina rebounded with an emphatic 11×0 third-place victory over Natalie Levesque.

Nick Hartman, a Robert Drysdale black belt competing for Zenith, entered the Over 99kg division as a pre-event dark horse. His bracket run defied that designation entirely, as he finished four of five opponents on the way to the title.

Hartman opened with a 3×0 decision over Andrew Delaney in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he defeated Austin Baker via Guillotine Choke, showcasing the neck attack that featured prominently throughout his run. In the final, he submitted Francis Pana with a Straight Ankle Lock, adding a leg attack dimension to his finishing arsenal. The pre-event preview had noted that an outright win from Hartman "would be a significant surprise" — his four-submission performance validated exactly that potential.

Following his finals victory, Hartman delivered a post-match speech in which he raised awareness about his daughter's eye condition, a moment that drew attention well beyond the competitive result.

The 2026 West Coast Trials featured a high volume of submission finishes across all eight divisions, with a diverse range of techniques represented at every stage of the brackets.

Rear Naked Choke

The Rear Naked Choke was the most frequently applied finish of the tournament. Sheliah Lindsey used it twice — against Emily Leyva in the quarterfinals and Madison Porcelli in the semifinals. Sarah Galvao closed the women's Under 65kg final with it against Jadeya Reber. Paige Ivette used it to eliminate Maia Matalon in the quarterfinals, and Rana Willink finished Aaremey Cathey with it in the women's Under 65kg bronze match.

Armbar

The Armbar appeared across multiple divisions: Nathan Haddad's comeback submission over Jayden Groner in the Under 88kg semifinals; Elizabeth Mitrovic's wins over Melissa Sheppey in the quarterfinals and Joslyn Molina in the semifinals of the women's Over 65kg bracket; and Sarah Galvao's quarterfinal finish of Aislinn O'Connell in the women's Under 65kg bracket.

Straight Ankle Lock

The Straight Ankle Lock decided three matches: Nick Hartman over Francis Pana in the Over 99kg final; Jayden Groner over Sean Yadimarco in the Under 88kg quarterfinals; and Michael Sainz over Ernesto Rivera in the Under 77kg semifinals.

Additional Techniques

Gianni Grippo relied on the Short Choke to finish both his semifinal over Elias Anderson and his final over Dominic Mejia, making it the signature technique of the 66kg champion's run. The Triangle Choke appeared three times: Dominic Mejia over Tristan Sainz in the Under 66kg semifinals, Breylor Grout over Abraham Montagne in the Under 99kg quarterfinals, and Michael Liera over Ernesto Rivera in the Under 77kg bronze match.

Dominic Mejia also utilized a Katagatame to finish Victor Delibero in the Under 66kg quarterfinals. Nick Hartman added a Guillotine Choke finish over Austin Baker in the Over 99kg semifinals. Ryan Aitken eliminated Angelo Claiborne via Outside Heel Hook in the Under 88kg semifinals. Joslyn Molina opened her bracket with a Darce Choke finish of Raien Sky in the women's Over 65kg quarterfinals.

Three bronze matches were decided by forfeit due to injury: Jayden Groner received third place in the Under 88kg after Angelo Claiborne withdrew; Breylor Grout received third in the Under 99kg after Colin Carr was unable to compete; and Austin Baker received third in the Over 99kg after Vinicius Ferreira forfeited.