IBJJF 2017 Worlds Black Belt Breakdown: Favorites & Underdogs

Read our take on the black belt divisions at this year's Worlds. With 247 male and female black belts signed up, this promises to be one of the most competitive years we've ever seen!

May 24, 2017 by Hywel Teague

IBJJF 2017 Worlds Black Belt Breakdown: Favorites & Underdogs

Read our take on the black belt divisions at this year's IBJJF 2017 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. With 247 male and female black belts signed up to compete in Long Beach, CA, on June 1-4, this promises to be one of the most competitive years we've ever seen!

Men's Black Belt Divisions

Roosterweight

Bruno Malfacine (right) is back, and if his stellar performance at Pans is anything to go by then he is a heavy favorite to become a record-breaking nine-time rooster weight world champion.

His longtime rival Caio Terra is also in, and the smart money will be on a showdown between them in the final.

However, don't count out the tough Lucas Pinheiro (2017 Pan silver medalist) or Rodnei Barbosa.

Light Featherweight

With 2016 champ Paulo Miyao serving a two-year anti-doping ban, there are a number of athletes who could emerge as No. 1.

Isaac Doederlein of Cobrinha's team has looked great in recent tournaments, as has the always impressive Michael Musumeci (who won Euros and World Pro this year already).

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Cicero Costha has a dangerous trio in Joao Miyao, Hiago George, and Jose Thiago Barros, who could literally take three of the podium spots if the cards fall in their favor.

Samir Chantre and Kim Terra are perennial faces on the podium, as is the veteran Gabriel Moraes.

Last but not least: don't forget Ary Farias (pictured right) who took silver last year but was retroactively awarded gold following Miyao's positive test.

Featherweight

With no Rafa Mendes due to his retirement at 27 years old, the door is open for someone else to take his spot as king of the featherweights. Marcio Andre came close last year, giving Mendes the fight of his life in the final and is back at featherweight to try again.

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Cobrinha (pictured right) is facing a possible Grand Slam in what he has teased to be his last year of competition -- he already won Euros, Pans, and Brazilian Nationals this year, an incredible feat.

Gianni Grippo, Queixinho, and Jamil Hill are all in the mix to make it to the podium. A surprise appearance from AJ Agazarm in the division will raise a eyebrows, given his historic position as a lightweight.

Lightweight

Lucas Lepri is back to defend his 2016 crown, a title he won without conceding a single point.

A stacked 29-man division features a mix of hungry up-and-comers (Johnny Tama, Renato Canuto, Andris Brunosvkis, Yan Lucas) with veterans (Marcelo Mafra, Gabriel Rollo, Michael Langhi, Celso Vinicius) and the cream of the current generation in athletes such as Edwin Najmi, Francisco "Sinistro," and Roberto Satoshi.

Middleweight

The joint-biggest division along with lightweight, middleweight sees the return of Gracie Barra's Otavio Sousa and Gabriel Arges (pictured right), who closed out last year.

Among the many names vying for the title are stalwarts Josh Hinger, Jon Satava, Marcos Tinoco, Isaque Bahiense, Diego Ramalho, and Felipe Silva. Dark horses include the likes of Mansher Khera and Lachlan Giles, both poised to deliver upsets.

GF Team and NS Brotherhood have both fielded big teams, with Jaime Canuto, Victor Silverio, Vinicius Marinho, and Vitor Oliveira repping GF Team, and Manuel Ribamar, Matheus Spirandeli, and Vinicius Carvalho Garcia for NS Brotherhood.

Medium Heavyweight

Leandro Lo, the 2016 champ, has of course gone up to heavyweight, leaving the door open for somebody to take his place. Could it be Gracie Barra's Felipe Pena (pictured right) or Romulo Barral, strong candidates to close out, or will Andre Galvao close out with his student Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa? Only the brackets will tell.

Look for the Alliance team -- comprising Tarsis Humphreys, Renato Cardoso, and Dillon Danis -- to shine, and don't forget the tough contenders Patrick Gaudio, Kit Dale, Horlando Monteiro, Gregor Gracie, Lucas Rocha, or Diogo Araujo.

Heavyweight

Since moving up to heavyweight at the start of the year, Leandro Lo (pictured right) has been the man to beat, and he looks set to win the Grand Slam this year (Euros, Pans, Brazilians Nationals and Worlds).

Heavyweight features a mix of young talent with veteran black belts. You've got the likes of Nicholas Meregali and Adam Wardzinski making their black belt Worlds debuts. There are the young veterans such as Jackson Sousa, Tanner Rice, and Matheus Diniz and then the real veterans in Lucas Leite and Dimitrius Souza.

Super Heavyweight

Erberth Santos (pictured right) is the No. 1 pick for super heavyweight, although he's facing a stacked division of 15. Among them is Bernardo Faria, back for the first time since Santos put him out with a savage armbar at Worlds last year.

Roberto "Cyborg" has thrown his hat into the ring, keen to get down with young guns such as Mahamed Aly, Jared Dopp, or Luis Panza.

Dark horses include Dany Gerard, Eliot Kelly, and Felipe Bueno. Leo Nogueira, the 2016 champ, is of course absent due to a failed doping test following last year's championship (and subsequent overturned result).

Ultra Heavyweight

King of the big men, Buchecha (pictured right) is back to defend his 2016 world title and add another gold to his trophy case. He's also looking at a record-breaking fifth absolute world title, a feat never achieved by anyone else.

Competitors with the best chance of challenging Buchecha's supremacy include Joao Gabriel Rocha and Alexander Trans. Waiting in the wings are a host of tough guys, such as James Puopolo, Gabriel "Fedor" Igor Schneider, and even Vinny Magalhaes.

Women's Black Belt Divisions

Roosterweight

Rikako Yuasa is by far the most dominant athlete in this category, traditionally one of the shallowest talent pools in women's jiu-jitsu.

Light Featherweight

Bolstered by the arrival of a number of women fighting Worlds as a black belt for the first time, light featherweight features reigning champion Gezary Matuda (pictured right).

Her position as champ will be challenged most by the likes of Kristina Barlaan, Pati Fontes, and Talita Alencar.

Featherweight

Mackenzie Dern was on fire last year, choking Michelle Nicolini in the final with her "choke-a-plata."

The toughest challengers to her title will be Bianca Basilio and Aarae Alexander, both making their Worlds black belt debuts.

Lightweight

Beatriz Mesquita (pictured right) has been on fire this year, but she'll need to maintain her focus to face off with Tammi Musumeci (they're 1-1 this year), Luiza Monteiro, and newcomer Danielle Alvarez, recently promoted to black belt.

Middleweight

A mix of young and old make up middleweight, with 2016 champ Monique Elias of Alliance returning. Ana Carolina Vieira of GF Team will be hungrily eyeing that top spot though.

Medium Heavyweight

Andresa Correa of Alliance reigned last year, but the arrival of new black belt Jessica Flowers has already disrupted the status quo. Flowers submitted Correa at Pans and is a top talent among the division, but so is Nathiely Jesus, last year's brown belt champ.

Heavyweight

The 2016 gold medal winner, Fernando Mazelli, returns. All four of the other women in the division pose a threat, with no clear favorite among them.

Super heavyweight

With only Tayane Porfirio and Venla Luukkonen in the division, it's a safe bet to say that European and Pan absolute champ Tayane will likely take the gold.

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