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
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
2017 ADCC West Coast Trials
2018 ADCC North American Trials
2019 ADCC West Coast Trials
2022 1st ADCC South American Trial
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Guevara | def. | Marco Aurellio de Queiroz | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Javier Basurto | def. | Gino Delgado | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Axel Changuan Centeno | def. | Cristhian Edu Anda Guillen | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Nythan Ariel Mantilla Siguenza | def. | Carlos Nunes Vieira Da Costa | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Mauricio Vasquez | def. | Hugo Angel Rivera Mendez | Dq | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| JEROHAM ARBOLEDA | def. | Axel Changuan Centeno | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Nelson Guerrero | def. | Javier López | Advantage | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Juan Pablo Lecaros Pérez | def. | Ivan Bolek | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Lucas Luciano Bessin Torres | def. | Patricio Loor | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Patricio Loor | def. | Hugo Borja | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Erwin Calderón | def. | Alberto Garcia | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Adrian Sebastian | def. | David Munoz | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Enrique Guerrero | def. | Carlos Eduardo Vidal | Decision | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Isaac Aviles Palma | def. | Hardy Rodriguez | Decision | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Bruno Carrillo | def. | Jeremy Alarcon | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Enrique Guerrero | def. | Xavier Ledesma | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Diego Herrera | def. | JUAN JAVIER ECHEVERRIA | Decision | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Patricio Benítez | def. | Salvador Essenwanger | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Leonidis Villagran | def. | Ronald Javier Aguado Sauñe | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Christopher Han | def. | Francisco Ugas Aurich | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open |
