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
Vagner Rocha
33 matches
Oliver Taza
29 matches
Keith Krikorian
24 matches
André Galvão
23 matches
Jonathan Satava
22 matches
Felipe Pena
21 matches
Marcelo Garcia
21 matches
Paul Ardila-Ibarra
20 matches
Paul Barch
20 matches
Roberto Jimenez
19 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 ADCC 1st South American Trial
2007 ADCC World Championship
2024 ADCC World Championship
2011 ADCC World Championship
Match records
| Fighters | Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javier Basurto | def. | Luis Gomez | Submission | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Sebastian Guevara | def. | Mauricio Vasquez | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Lucas Luciano Bessin Torres | def. | Juan Pablo Arcos Pérez | Points | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Lucas Luciano Bessin Torres | def. | Adrian Sebastian Torres Almeida | Decision | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| Adrian Sebastian Torres Almeida | def. | Osama Mhanna | Decision | 2025 ADCC Ecuador Open | |
| James Comerford | def. | Xavier Torres | Points | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| James Comerford | def. | Brandon Austin | Submission | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Brandon Austin | def. | Xavier Torres | Submission | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Lucas Smith | def. | Isai Rios Fernandez | Dq | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Connor Holverson | def. | Gabriel Tejada | Dq | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Lucas Smith | def. | Victor Delibero | Dq | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Lucas Smith | def. | Billy Baxter | Points | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Christian Bonilla | def. | Connor Holverson | Points | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Billy Baxter | def. | Pedro Nakano | Dq | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Christian Bonilla | def. | Jorge Chavez | Decision | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Christian Bonilla | def. | Anthony O’Dell | Submission | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Joseph Snyder | def. | Aaron Smith | Submission | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Dominic Salcedo | def. | Dominic Blanco | Submission | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Julien Moreno | def. | Dominic Salcedo | Submission | 2025 ADCC Miami Open | |
| Joseph Snyder | def. | Mustafa Sadiq | Dq | 2025 ADCC Miami Open |
