Mica Galvão Announces Move To Middleweight For IBJJF Worlds In 2024

Mica Galvão has announced plans to move up from lightweight to middleweight for his 2024 IBJJF return

Jan 2, 2024 by Joe Gilpin

Mica Galvão Announces Move To Middleweight For IBJJF Worlds In 2024

Mica Galvão has announced that he will be moving up to middleweight for the 2024 IBJJF World Championships. The WNO welterweight champion had previously competed at lightweight in his IBJJF campaigns, including his gold medal run at the 2022 Brazilian Nationals.

Brazilian-based jiu-jitsu journalist Vitor Freitas was the first to break the news, sharing the following post on IG in collaboration with Mica;

Mica Galvão LAUNCHED this on his Instagram profile. A projection of what you're planning to do this season.
The black will defend the belt at Who’s Number One in February and is set to go to middleweight at Worlds 2024. The middleweight division may be one of the MOST COMPETITIVE this year.
-translated via Instagram

The move to middleweight, 181.5lbs in the gi, sets up what may be one of the most competitive divisions we have seen in years with stars like 2-time IBJJF World Champion Tainan Dalpra of AOJ, defending champion Jansen Gomes of CheckMat, and 2022 World Champion Tye Ruotolo of Atos already at the weight.

Mica had previously competed against Ruotolo at the IBJJF Worlds in the lightweight finals at black belt, where Galvão originally won by points in a result that was later overturned because of an adverse result in testing. Since his return to competition this year following a knee injury, Mica Galvão has been one of grappling's brightest stars with nominations for both submission & match of the year and impactful victories over top contenders.