The IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, held December 11-13 in Las Vegas, United States, stood out for crowning mostly new champions at the elite level, from a variety of nationalities. At the top of the podium, eight of the champions represented different countries, further undeniable proof of Jiu-Jitsu’s global reach. Panama and Scotland had their first adult black belt champions in history. The open class champions, a Brazilian man and an American woman, won double gold at the competition. Roosevelt Sousa closed a landmark season in his career, and Elisabeth Clay drew heated reactions at the Convention Center by submitting Gabi Pessanha in the open class final.
Elisabeth Clay’s run at the IBJJF Worlds was flawless. A strategy of complete dominance, a streak of eight submissions and two gold medals, at middleweight and in the open class. Elisabeth came into the competition aggressive and kept that approach until the end. Now a six-time IBJJF no-gi world champion, she submitted none other than Gabi Pessanha, the super-heavyweight world champion, in the open class final. With that, she also became the first and only athlete to submit the Márcio de Deus black belt, whose winning record had cemented her dominance. Before that, she eliminated another favorite, knocking featherweight champion Adele Fornarino out of the open class. In the women’s middleweight final, Clay scored a quick win over Rebeca Lima.
Roosevelt Sousa’s golden season began at the Worlds in California, when he won his weight class for the first time, competing in the gi at the IBJJF event traditionally held at the Pyramid. A No-Gi Worlds title was not new for him, but double gold was. The Fight Sports athlete stood atop the podium twice, at ultra-heavyweight and in the open class, on the final day of the No-Gi Worlds in Las Vegas. Already in the masters age bracket, Roosevelt made his way with authority among the adults in both divisions. In the finals, he submitted Heikki Jussila at ultra-heavyweight and Elder Cruz in the open class.
After a bronze medal last season, Thaís Loureiro fixed her mistakes and took first place in 2025. Her first black belt world title came with a win over Faye Lynn in the women’s roosterweight final.
Ashlee Funegra joined her sister Mia as a black belt world champion. Promoted at the Worlds at the Pyramid, where her sister won the world title, Ashlee competed twice before stepping onto the IBJJF mat at the No-Gi Worlds. In the light featherweight final, the AOJ athlete beat Checkmat’s Anne Elizabeth Druckrey.
ADELE FORNARINO GETS THE BETTER OF SPAIN’S ANA MAYORDOMO IN THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FEATHERWEIGHT FINAL
The featherweight final between Adele Fornarino and Ana Mayordomo was one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament’s last day, the 13th. Adele is one of the deadliest grapplers today, and Ana has been on an enviable run, with a very impressive string of results in her first year as a black belt. In the matchup, experience won out. Fornarino, who did not yet have an IBJJF no-gi world title, won gold without breaking a sweat. The ankle lock submission, a strong card she keeps up her sleeve, came in just 16 seconds.
Lillian Marchand, a talent from André and Angélica Galvão’s ‘Dream Team’, can now say she has her first IBJJF black belt world title, just a few months after entering the elite level of competition. At the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, Lillian was the best athlete in the women’s middleweight division. In the final, she won by submission against Amanda Bruse, also from Atos.
HELENA CREVAR REIGNS AT MEDIUM-HEAVYWEIGHT AND CASSIA MOURA PROVES SHE IS SPECIAL BY TOPPLING BIGGER COMPETITORS
Helena Crevar continues to show flawless consistency on the no-gi Jiu-Jitsu scene. In her debut year at black belt, the athlete, just 18 years old, won gold at the No-Gi Worlds in Las Vegas. Helena competed at medium-heavyweight, submitted everyone with Gordon Ryan in her corner and stood on the top step of the podium.
Cassia Moura entered the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds with a goal that got people talking. The featherweight champion last year, she moved up four divisions and made her mark among the heavyweight competitors. A gold medalist at the tournament for two consecutive seasons, the Rio native proved her superiority with efficient technique against bigger and heavier athletes. The gentle art in its purest form. In the final, the Bruno Bastos black belt beat Nia Blackman on points.
The first Scot to win the No-Gi Worlds at the sport’s elite level was Shay Montague. In the roosterweight final, he faced Lucas Castro, a familiar opponent. In an interview with FloGrappling, he said this was the third time he had faced Lucas in a world championship final. When he won the same event at purple and brown belt, he had to beat Castro in the final. In the 2025 edition, with both at black belt, Shay fought a war with his opponent to come out on top in the closing stretch of the match, finishing with a triangle.
AOJ’s Marcos Gomes took the champion’s spot on the light featherweight podium after knocking off rising prospects Vinicius Inacio, from Atos, and Kleber Barbosa, the Dream Art athlete he faced in the final. Under Guilherme Mendes’ guidance, Marcos, who also teaches classes at the team, won the match with a heel hook.
WITH SMART TECHNIQUE, MARCO MENDES DETHRONES GIANNI GRIPPO AT THE NO-GI WORLDS
At this season’s No-Gi Pans in New York, Marco Mendes made it abundantly clear that his arrival at the Worlds in Las Vegas would not go unnoticed. He had four matches and four submissions at that previous competition. Warmed up for the No-Gi Worlds, Marco closed the first day, the qualifying rounds, with two submissions. In the featherweight final, Marco Mendes beat Gianni Grippo on points, managing the match with technical clarity to secure the coveted gold over a renowned grappler with more than one IBJJF no-gi black belt world title.
Cole Abate reigned in the colored belts and is now enjoying a period of stability at black belt, a complex challenge for many. Riding high on his recent gi title at The Crown, in the lightweight final at the No-Gi Worlds, the athlete who is the face of AOJ beat Julián Espinosa with authority, racking up 14 points on the scoreboard and then finishing. This is Cole’s second title at the tournament. In 2024, he won competing at featherweight. Curiously, in that final he also faced and beat Espinosa.
Perhaps no one at the No-Gi Worlds wanted to win more than Tarik Hopstock. An athlete known for his resilience, he made his way through the middleweight division with consistent Jiu-Jitsu that took him all the way to the last match of the bracket. Tarik faced and beat Checkmat’s Marcelo Fausto in the final. On social media, he recalled the silver he won in 2015 as a purple belt. “I chased this title. It was years of coming close, years of doubt and moments when I considered stepping away from competition,” Tarik said.
POLAND’S PAWEL JAWORSKI LIVES UP TO HIS FAVORITE STATUS AT THE NO-GI WORLDS WITH HIS TRADEMARK STYLE
Paweł Jaworski arrived at the No-Gi Worlds with a well-built reputation as a leg locker, a skill developed tirelessly since the colored belts. At the IBJJF No-Gi Grand Slam, the Pole showed he was a strong contender for the top spot at the Worlds in Las Vegas. Third in the open class, Paweł took first place in the light heavyweight division. In the final, he faced Brazil’s Gabriel Brod and delivered his very best. He hunted the leg with skill and got the finish. The gold goes to Poland.
Javier Barter put his name at the top of the heavyweight podium at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds in Vegas and brought the tournament’s first gold to Panama. In the final, Javier came up against Faris BenLamkadem, a competitor with experience and fame on the grappling competition scene. With his technique on point, the Panamanian athlete shot in for a takedown, took the match to the ground and slid to Faris’ back. After silver at the Brazilian Nationals and gold at the Pans, both in no-gi, it was his turn to stand on the top step of the podium once again, but this time at the Worlds.
Nicholas Maglicic also made his historic contribution to this season’s No-Gi Worlds: the first Australian-born athlete in a men’s division to win gold. Before the competition in Las Vegas, Nico won the ADCC Asia and Oceania trials with a 100% submission rate and booked his spot at the organization’s World Championship next year in Poland. A student of André Galvão, Nicholas won on points in a tough match against Austin Morris in the super-heavyweight final.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
