Pawel Jaworski lands in Rome with a mission no athlete has ever accomplished. The Polish star is registered at light heavyweight for the IBJJF European No Gi, which starts this Wednesday, the 28th, and runs through November 1 on the coast outside the Italian capital. If he reaches the top of the podium, he will become the first athlete to win every major no-gi event on the federation’s calendar in the same season.
The math is simple, and scary for his rivals. Pawel opened the season with the No Gi Worlds title last December, still in his first year as a black belt. After that, he won double gold, in his weight class and the open class, at the Brasileiro No Gi and the Pan No Gi. Now 22, he is No. 1 in the IBJJF no-gi world rankings and has five straight titles at the sport’s major championships.
FROM ROOKIE TO BENCHMARK: PAWEL JAWORSKI ALREADY KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN IN ROME
The European No Gi holds special meaning for the Polish athlete. It was at this very tournament, last year, that he showed the world the level of his Jiu-Jitsu as a black belt. At the 2025 edition, Pawel won light heavyweight against Shane Fishman and also took the open class by beating Jean Luca Maltese, another strong name on the European circuit. He left Italy with double gold and the label of breakout star of the season.
That label quickly became reality, to the point that he was booked to challenge Tye Ruotolo, ONE FC’s grappling champion, at the start of the 2026 season. A killer finisher, especially with leg locks and footlocks, the Academia Gorila athlete began piling up submission wins at the world’s top events, including in Brazil. At the CBJJ Brasileiro No Gi, he gave no one a chance. At the Pan No Gi, in the United States, he submitted David Garmo with a triangle in the light heavyweight final and then beat Wallisson Oliveira by referee decision in the open class final.
NO-GI’S MOST COVETED GOLD IS ALREADY ON HIS SHELF
As if his IBJJF run weren’t enough, Pawel also won the title every no-gi specialist dreams of. In September, at the ADCC World Championship held at home in Poland, he won the 88kg division as a first-timer in the main event. He had four wins, three by submission. The only one who made it to the end was Marlon Tajik, the silver medalist. Not since 2003, when Norway’s Jon Olav Einemo won the 99kg division, had a European taken ADCC World Championship gold.
Days before ADCC, the Polish athlete had already sent a message at ONE Fight Night 47 by submitting multiple-time champion Rafael Lovato Jr. with a kneebar and pocketing a $50,000 performance bonus. And he didn’t stop after the title. In October, Pawel also won weight and open class double gold at IBJJF Opens in Turin, Italy, and Lisbon, Portugal. His competition pace impresses even those who follow the circuit closely.
WHO CAN STOP PAWEL JAWORSKI AT LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT AT THE EUROPEAN NO GI
The favorite for obvious reasons, Pawel faces a bracket in Rome with opponents who know the way to the podium. David Garmo, runner-up at the Pan No Gi, arrives confident after his run in the United States. Luan Veras is another name to watch: the black belt rookie gave the Polish star his toughest test at the Pan No Gi, in a match decided on an advantage in the final seconds. Max Arnold and Sebastian Sonntag are dark horses as rising talents on the European circuit.
The European No Gi reaches its 13th edition sold out, with more than 2,900 registered athletes, a record for the tournament. According to the IBJJF schedule, the adult black belt division takes the mat over the weekend, on October 31 and November 1, streamed on FloGrappling. Given his recent record, no one would be surprised if Pawel Jaworski once again went home with gold in his weight class and the open class, and a historic achievement on his résumé.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
