Ruleset
ADCC
The most prestigious no-gi ruleset: negative points for stalling, points only in the second half, and every submission legal.
How the ruleset works
The Abu Dhabi Combat Club ruleset is built to force action. Matches split into halves: no points in the first half (submission attempts only), then takedowns, passes, and dominant positions score in the second. Guard pulling costs a negative point once scoring starts, and stalling is penalized directly.
Every submission is legal, including heel hooks and slams inside limits, which makes ADCC the proving ground for complete no-gi games. Overtime extends the match rather than switching format, and referee decisions weigh aggression heavily.
The World Championship runs every two years and is widely treated as the sport's most prestigious no-gi title.
At a glance
- Attire
- No-Gi
- Format
- No points first half, points second half
- Overtime
- Extra time, then decision
- Time limit
- 10-40 min by round/division
- Submissions
- Everything legal
What wins under ADCC rules
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Most active under ADCC rules
Alexandre Ribeiro
41 matches
Vagner Rocha
40 matches
André Galvão
34 matches
Roberto Abreu
34 matches
Oliver Taza
30 matches
Marcelo Garcia
30 matches
Felipe Pena
29 matches
Vinicius Magalhães
28 matches
Rafael Lovato Jr
27 matches
Pablo Popovitch
26 matches
Rankings across every ruleset live on the stats page and the BJJ Elo rankings.
Biggest ADCC events
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabio Dantas | def. | Lucas Tavares | Other | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Gabriel Fernandes Souza | def. | Marcus Cardoso | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Lucas Marins | def. | Adriano Soares Martins | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Erick Washington Reseda | def. | Eduardo Ribeiro | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| David Santos | def. | Victor Vieira | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| VBULL Oliveira | def. | Dede Dede | Points | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Victor Gabriel | def. | Luis Gustavo | Points | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| João Pedro Saldanha | def. | Addan Gabriel | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Lucas Marins | def. | João Pedro Silva Carneiro | Points | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Gabriel Fernandes Souza | def. | Matheus Correa | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Matheus Aguiar Souza | def. | Vitor Mendonça | Unknown | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Lorenzo Bernardi | def. | Fabio Dantas | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Victor Gabriel | def. | Erick Washington Reseda | Decision | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| David Santos | def. | Mateus Mendonca | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| VBULL Oliveira | def. | João Pedro Saldanha | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Kalebe Henrique | def. | Matheus Trindade | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Matheus Aguiar Souza | def. | Lucas Marins | Points | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Lorenzo Bernardi | def. | Gabriel Fernandes Souza | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| Pedro Henrique Rocha | def. | Nicolas Rodrigues Aguiar | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open | |
| David Santos | def. | VBULL Oliveira | Submission | 2025 ADCC Sao Paulo Open |
