ADCC East Coast Trials Preview: The Best In North America Battle For Glory

Get ready for the ADCC East Coast Trials — a stacked lineup of elite grapplers battling for their spot at the 2026 ADCC World Championships

Nov 13, 2025 by Joe Gilpin

ADCC East Coast Trials Preview: The Best In North America Battle For Glory

The ADCC East Coast Trials are almost here, bringing together one of the most competitive fields in the world.

With coveted invites to the 2026 ADCC World Championships on the line, every division is stacked with elite grapplers, hungry prospects, and dangerous unknowns.

We’ll break down each weight class — highlighting the favorites, key contenders, dark horses waiting to break through, and landmines waiting to blow up the bracket as they all battle for their shot at ADCC glory.

East Coast Trials, along with all the biggest ADCC tournaments, is streaming exclusively on FloGrappling Saturday and Sunday. There will also be an Orlando Open and ADCC Youth Trials going down the day before, with some of the best kids in the world in action.

If this follows past convention, the top-32 men and top-16 women will advance to day two of ADCC's East Coast Trials. Matches begin 10am CST both days.

2025 ADCC East Coast Trials

ADCC East Coast Trials Preview: The Best In North America Battle For Glory

Full List of 2025 ADCC East Coast Trials Entries Here.

-66kg

This division has been marked by youth over the last few cycles, with stars emerging every tournament. Last time out it was Dorian winning the Trials after a dogged run through a deep bracket. He's back now to improve on that performance, with a new arsenal installed into his game by his new coach John Danaher. It won't be easy but Dorian is the favorite here based off his stellar wrestling, pace, grit, outside passing, and mean streak. Look out for a few north south chokes from the young Texas-based prodigy.

Keith Krikorian has proven he can win any Trials bracket, with repeated runs to gold to his credit. Still, he needs to punch his ticket again and it's another deep pool to swim through here. Keith has a really fun style to watch, with submissions from everywhere and a really well-rounded game. Him and Dorian would be a really interesting one for a few reasons, especially given Keith's durability and experience.

Other contenders include world ranked guys like Julian Espinosa, Gavin Corbe, GIanni Grippo, and Dominic Mejia. Max Hanson is a wildcard here as well now that he is down at 145lbs. Watch out for young contenders like Tristan Sainz, Joshua Flores, Raphael Ferreira, Grayson Henley, and Reese Lefever, all of whom can shake things up against the more established guard.

Favorites

#6 Dorian Olivarez
#16 Keith Krikorian

Contenders

#12 Gavin Corbe
#19 Dominic Mejia
Max Hanson
#15 Julian Espinosa
#14 Gianni Grippo

Darkhorses

Reese LaFever
Raphael Ferreira
Tristan Sainz
Joshua Flores
David Stoilescu

Landmines

Lawson Grime
Andrew DeGraff
Isaac Cordova
Grayson Henley
Cameron Mellott
Emilio Hernandez
Dominic Lobo
Bernardo Delibero
Victor Delibero
Kyvann Gonzalez
Sebastian Serpa
Fabian Ramirez
Alex Vasquez
Boris Novachkov

-77kg

This division is packed with young talent and without too many established veterans this looks to be a tournament where someone will break through to the next level of their career. The favorites to win have to be Jett Thompson and Michael Sainz. Jett is one of the most dangerous guys on the sub-only circuit who just made waves by winning the PGF 155lb championship. He brings an uber-dangerous guard that is highlighted by his Aoki lock. Sainz is less of a submission threat but a better wrestler who has tons of ADCC match experience already. Michael has also been busy on WNO, winning matches against Daniel Sathler and Natan Chueng. I think it matters where these guys hit in the bracket - if it is in the finals (where Jett can't pull without a penalty) then it's a whole new match.

The best guys under that are both physical forces who are ranked at 185lbs but drop down to 77kg for this. Nick Mataya is a WNO veteran who brings pace and athleticism, often excelling in the scramble. Everyone at Simple Man Martial Arts raves about the guy's potential. This could be his moment. Cam Hurd also has all the tools for a deep run, with D1 wrestling and over half a dozen ADCC open gold medals in the last cycle.

Guys to really keep an eye on from the darkhorses include, for me, Little Jacob Bornemann of PSF (a gorilla of a grappler), Sid Tavolaro (dangerous submission threat), Kolby Gonzalez (a teenager with some of the most viral finishes of the year), and Ernesto Rivera (one of the scrappiest guys in the tournament).

Favorites

Jett Thompson
#15 Michael Sainz

Contenders

Cameron Hurd
Nick Mataya

Darkhorses

Logan Hicks
Sidney Tavolaro
Ernesto Rivera
Kolby Gonzalez
Jon Satava
PO LeClerc
Jacob Bornemann

Landmines

CJ Murdock
Jonathan Wilson
Chazz Canas
Daniel Deeder
Saul Viayra
Max Li
Logan Smith
Andrew Kochel

-88kg

This bracket is another one that doesn't have tons of ADCC veterans and world ranked guys, but does carry plenty of talent. Jon Blank is the only person in the tournament to place at ADCC before, 4th in 2019, and now he looks to begin his next run to the big show. He does have a wrestling base but the 10th Planet Allentown black belt is most at-home using vicious leg locks and choi bars. 'Thor' is a guy with serious power when he gets around a limb. If there's one area of concern for him, it's how his health can hold up through a whole grueling bracket after a few injuries over the last few years.

David Garmo is another top guy here, with a very solid wrestling base and a patient style that he uses to edge out matches again and again. If no one can knock him out of htat careful style, he will win the bracket. Given how David has been at this for a long time, this would be his biggest win yet and it's tough to get a better bracket to do it.

In their way, Angelo 'Truck' Claiborne and Sean Yadimarco have been busy competing and gaining more experience and both could make very deep runs here. Angelo in particular is a powerful, positionally strong grappler who had his teammate Elijah win this tournament last cycle - now he wants to follow up on that with his own gold. Sean has consistently been good as well, but to win this bracket he will need to elevate his game for a few big wins in a row. He's young and in the right phase of his career for that kind of jump, could happen here.

One guy I am keeping an eye on is Enrico Said. He's a lanky submission threat from VRMA who trains everyday with elite guys. I think he snaps off a few great submissions and on his best day could be on the podium. If you want to see a brawl this weekend, check out a Kevin Crane match.

Favorites

Jon Blank
#20 David Garmo

Contenders

Angelo Claiborne
Sean Yadimarco

Darkhorses

Enrico Said
Alec Baulding

Landmines

Kevin Crane
Nathan Haddad
Vince Barbosa
Maxim Cote
Anthony Robinson
Calon Sabino

-99kg

This weight has secretly filled up with interesting contenders here, but the field is headlined by young Achilles Rocha. Achilles was at -88kg last cycle but now moves up and he looked every bit of it at WNO 30. Now the flexible, aggressive, unorthodox grappler sets his sights on East Coast Trials. On his best day, he could torch the field. Still, he is having to deal with new opponents and new size - and this field has some serious contenders.

Abe La Montagne, who popularized the Abe Lock, is one of the best in the bracket with his devastating leg locks and powerful base. If he can pick up good early momentum, that will be really key for his later success in the bracket. If he has to start grinding through matches early, it's more of an issue. Steffan Banta is back and he's a really under-the-radar guy here. He's a brown belt world absolute champion with wins over guys like Luke Griffith, he trains with a great team that includes JG Rocha & Pedro Rocha, and he's a powerhouse on the mat. He plays matches very carefully, so it's a matter of if he can stay in rhythm to keep picking up wins. Daishi Goto is one of the more fun guys in the bracket, with ADCC experience and a tough style he is going to be someone that can take a win from anyone here.

A few other guys to watch include wrestler Cody Linton (beat Devhonte at West Coast Trials last cycle), Simple Man's Corbin Laporte (everyone there says he is a special talent), and John Combs bumping all the way up from -77 to -99 for a new challenge.

Favorites

Achilles Rocha

Contenders

#18 Daishi Goto
Abe La Montagne
Steffen Banta

Darkhorses

John Combs
Corbin Laporte
Cody Linton

Landmines

Brandon George
Amr Ghoneim
Andre Petroski
Jean-Sebastien Dionne-Roy

+99kg

Smaller bracket but a few favorites here. Brandon Reed is one of the favorites because of his great wrestling base and experience, having competed at ADCC and CJI over the last year+. The big man has had some hiccups but he's also shown moments of great talent - so if he can keep it consistent he'll be tough to beat. Damon Ramos always does well at these trials with his leg locking as the major factor. Kyle Boehm is another veteran who has probably the most elite experience in the bracket. He is an escape artist who has won matches at ADCC worlds but he has spent time at lower weight classes and it remains to be seen how he handles some of the stronger guys here.

Favorites

Brandon Reed
Damon Ramos
Kyle Boehm

Darkhorses

Ian Daube
Nick Hartman

Landmines

Evan Rosborough
Everett Vaccaro
Amir Allam

-55kg

Late entrant Ana Mayordomo is now the odds-on favorite to win this bracket after hopping in on the last day. She won the 1st Euro Trials with all submissions and now continues to blaze her way forward. The young Spaniard is developing into a star with her aggressive game and crowd pleasing submission finishes. Watch out for some more of those brutal arm locks.

Also in the mix here are Cindy Ung, Danielle Kelly, and Bre Stikkleman. Cindy looked good at No-Gi Pans with gold and has had moments of looking like she could break through. This could be that tournament. Danielle is coming up from 115 and has all the skill to do it - if she can navigate the size then she can pull this off.

Look out for the youth movement here - Bebe Junco and Kaloni Brown from Florida are only 15 & 16, respectively. Both are very talented and capable of winning matches. If the physical maturity isn't an issue, they could both make a run.

Favorites

#9 Ana Mayordomo

Contenders

#18 Cindy Ung
Danielle Kelly
Bre Stikklemann

Darkhorses

Shye Lilly
Bebe Junco
Kaloni Brown

Landmines

Tayler Polhamus
Veronika Gribenko
Ashley Maziol
Jayden Alexander
Claire Butterfield

-65kg

Mo Black is back and the favorite on paper here to win East Coast Trials again. She won last time against Helena Crevar in the finals, who went on to make the podium at Worlds. Mo has very solid wrestling and a great top game, if she can get on top then she has the pressure to beat up anyone in these brackets. Taylor Hishaw will be a major factor here too, with a great wrestling base that belies her youth. She had her struggles during the last Trials season, so now she gets a new chance to set a tone here in major ADCC competition.

Really beyond those two, it's a pretty open division with a middle class that is very deep. Amanda Schurtz and Leilani Bernales have already proven themselves at major tournaments, but standouts like Maka Vickers, Aislinn O'Connell, Cholena Horne, Sheliah Lindsay, Ally Wolski, and Rana Willink all litter this division. For my money, this is the deepest weight for women at East Coast Trials.

Favorites

Taylor Hishaw
#12 Mo Black

Contenders

Amanda Schurtz
Leilani Bernales

Darkhorses

Maka Vickers
Aislinn O'Connell
Rana Willink
Cholena Horne

Landmines

Sheliah Lindsey
Ally Wolski
Maggy Meier
Sharon Meguira
Nicole Mathew
Maria Golden
Taelor Moore

+65kg

Is this 13 year old about to win Trials? Joslyn has been on a tear and you'd never know she was so young just by watching her compete - she is ferocious on the mats. She has crazy pressure and a methodical style that doesn't take too many risks. She's the youngest person to ever compete at Trials and she is a standout with wins over multiple black belt no-gi world medalists.

Outside of Joslyn, watch out for veterans like Brittney Elkin and Hannah Robinson to make waves. Maia Matalon is also one to watch, she is an aggressive, athletic black belt who has had some crazy matches this year on her way to some solid gold medals in IBJJF no-gi competition.

Favorites

Joslyn Molina

Contenders

Hannah Robinson

Darkhorses

Maia Matalon
Brittney Elkin

Landmines

Gabriella Bermudez
Katie Bochenek
Nicolle Fernandez

How To Watch The 2025 ADCC East Coast Trials

Grappling fans in the United States can watch all of the action from the 2025 ADCC East Coast Trials unfold live on FloGrappling and the FloSports app.

Highlights, replays and news also will be available on FloGrappling.

Who Will Be Competing The 2025 ADCC East Coast Trials?

Any of the North American Trials are open to competitors age 14 and above, who must be citizens of one of the qualifying countries.

Here are the weight classes that will be featured at the 2025 ADCC East Coast Trials:

Men: -66.0 kg
Men: -77.0 kg
Men: -88.0 kg
Men: -99.0 kg
Men: +99 kg
Women: -55.0 kg
Women: -65.0 kg
Women: +65 kg

To see some of the familiar names expected to hit the mats at the Orange County Convention Center, click here.

For the complete list of athletes registered for the 2025 ADCC East Coast Trials, click here.

2025 ADCC East Coast Trials Schedule

All Times Eastern

Friday, Nov. 14

7-9 p.m. – Weigh ins

Saturday, Nov. 15

10 a.m. – Action begins

Sunday, Nov. 16

10 a.m. – Action begins

*The brackets, matches and a full schedule for each day will be forthcoming. Check back soon!

2025 ADCC East Coast Trials Tickets Available Now

For those in the Orlando area, tickets can be purchased at the door for $25/day, or $40 for both days (Sat/Sun). Anyone age 6 and older must have a spectator ticket.

Friday’s Orlando Open and the East Coast Trials over the weekend are separate events. Separate tickets will be required for each.

What Are The ADCC Trials?

The ADCC Trials have grown to be recognized as some of the biggest, most challenging and most prestigious no gi grappling events in the world and, in many cases, an important stepping stone for those hoping to become world champions.

Each event features top-tier talent, and winners must endure a long weekend of grappling with the most elite athletes on the planet.

At the same time, while winning does guarantee a spot at ADCC Worlds, every moment and performance along the way, win or lose, is an opportunity for the grapplers to show the other athletes, judges and ADCC what they’re made of and even how far they’ve progressed since a previous appearance.

ADCC World Championship Reigning Champions

These athletes won gold at the 2024 World Championship in Las Vegas, guaranteeing them an invitation to the 2026 event in Poland.

Their participation status has not yet been confirmed by ADCC:

66kg champion: Diogo 'Baby Shark' Reis
77kg champion: Mica Galvão
88kg champion: Giancarlo Bodoni
-99kg champion: Kaynan Duarte
+99kg champion: Felipe Pena
-55kg champion: Adele Fornarino
-65kg champion: Ana Carolina Vieira
+65kg champion: Rafaela Guedes

FloGrappling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloGrappling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloGrappling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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