Spyder BJJ is back, now operating under the name CHAANCE, with two stellar eight-man brackets each vying for a $10,000 prize.

The brackets are filled with established champions, top-tier contenders and a pool of wild cards ready to build their reputations.

Favorites:

There are three athletes in the 65kg bracket that have earned the ultimate title in gi jiu-jitsu, winning the IBJJF black belt World Championships. Consider them the favorites in this division, walking in with targets on their backs.

Jamil Hill-Taylor, Meyram Maquine Alves & Fabricio Andrey have all won world titles in the last four years of IBJJF competition. Andrey, “Hokage,” has career wins & losses against both of the other world champs, making the possibility of a rematch especially appealing. Alves & Hill Taylor have previously trained together, so it would be interesting to see how their previous experience impacts the matchup if meet each other at any point in the bracket.

Established challengers:

These grapplers have established themselves as some of the best in the world, but they’re still looking to break through to the top level.

Samuel Nagai, for one, needs little introduction. He’s an electric competitor that has the ability to finish the fight at any given moment. The Checkmat representative has fallen short on different occasions but he has beaten several world champions, including Fabricio Andrey. He has the ability to upset any of the world champs, and to run away with this bracket.

Diego Sodre has often flown under the radar in his career, but he’s a perennial finalist. He secured his spot in the CHAANCE bracket after winning an 8-man qualifier, making him the top seed in this division. Therefore, he’ll have his choice of first opponents. Last year Sodre won the Europeans and Pan Championships, but he came short in the Worlds finals. This could be the tournament where he really stands out.

Lucas Pinheiro has some of the best pressure passing in the game, especially among the lighter weight categories. The 2020 Pans champ is dangerous when he gets to top position, and he isn’t afraid to wrestle for it. Pinheiro could play bracket buster here, with an obvious ability to win the whole thing.

Wildcards:

Kevin Carrasco, was able to secure his spot in the bracket after getting third place in the qualifier where he showcased a masterclass of overhead sweeps from the double sleeve guard. He has won worlds at purple belt and pans at brown belt.

Wanki Chae is one of the major figures in the Korean Jiu-Jitsu scene. He's been a black belt for 8 years and he has competed against some of the best featherweights. Particularly known for his submission-heavy style, all he needs is a backtake scramble to cause an upset.