The brackets are set for the 2026 ADCC World Championships in Krakow, Poland, and several intriguing storylines emerged from the bracket reveal ahead of competition.
- Subscribe To FloGrappling To Watch The 2026 ADCC World Championship
- What's Streaming On FloGrappling? Take A Look At The Schedule
- Here's What Happened At The 2024 ADCC World Championship
From potential championship matchups to hometown favorites and returning champions, here are five things to know before the action begins.
1. Kaynan Duarte And Felipe Pena Earned The Top Seeds
Two of the biggest names in submission grappling landed where many expected.
Four-time ADCC champion Kaynan Duarte received the No. 1 seed at -99kg and will open against Atos teammate Nico Maglicic. At +99kg, returning champion Felipe Pena secured the top seed and a first-round matchup against Belal Etiabari.
Both competitors enter the tournament among the favorites to add another ADCC title to their resumes.
2. Adam Wardzinski Faces A Difficult Opening Test
Polish star Adam Wardzinski will have a tough challenge in front of a home crowd.
The No. 13 seed drew No. 4 seed Eoghan O’Flanagan in one of the most anticipated first-round matches in the -99kg division. With the championships taking place in Poland, Wardzinski is expected to receive strong support throughout the tournament.
3. Several First-Round Matchups Stand Out
The bracket reveal produced a number of opening-round contests that could have major implications on the tournament.
Among the matches highlighted as must-watch bouts are Wardzinski vs O'Flannigan, Declan Moody vs Achilles Rocha, and Michael Pixley vs Daniel Schuardt in the -99kg division.
At -77kg, Tommy Langaker vs Taylor Pearman and Oliver Taza vs Jacob Bornemann also stand out as compelling first-round matchups.
4. A Potential Helena Crevar-Gabi Pessanha Final Looms
The women's +65kg bracket created the possibility of a highly anticipated championship showdown.
Helena Crevar earned the No. 1 seed and Gabi Pessanha landed on the opposite side of the bracket, meaning the two could meet in the final if both advance through their respective sides.
A matchup between the two would feature some of the most accomplished competitors in women's grappling.
5. Top Seeds Are Spread Across Every Division
The bracket reveal rewarded many of the sport's most accomplished competitors with favorable positions entering the tournament.
Diego "Pato" Oliveira earned the No. 1 seed at -66kg, Vagner Rocha received the top seed at -77kg, Felipe Costa was seeded first at -88kg, Kaynan Duarte led the -99kg field and Felipe Pena topped the +99kg division.
On the women's side, Jasmine Rocha, Ana Carolina Vieira and Helena Crevar all received No. 1 seeds in their respective brackets.
With the brackets now official, the road to ADCC gold is set as competitors prepare to take the mats in Krakow for one of the most prestigious events in submission grappling.
Watch The 2026 ADCC World Championship
Watch the 2026 ADCC World Championships live on FloGrappling on Sept. 12-13. Action starts at 5 a.m. ET and carries on throughout the weekend.
Additionally, watch full replays of submissions and key moments from the tournament throughout the weekend on FloGrappling.
Watch More BJJ On FloGrappling
FloGrappling is the streaming home to the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu events and news coverage.
FloGrappling is the streaming home of:
Join The Conversation On Social
- Follow us on Twitter @flograppling
- Follow us on Instagram @flograppling
- Watch us on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook