By Michael Sears | The last major IBJJF event of the year has brought out some big names, particularly in a deep middleweight division. Here is a look at who to keep an eye on this weekend at the IBJJF World No-Gi Championships.

Josh Hinger - Atos

A hole has opened up at middleweight when 2016 champ Marcelo Mafra moved up from Adult to Master 1 (30+). This was quickly filled by 2016 medium-heavyweight champ Josh Hinger, dropping down a weight to middle. 

On the reasoning behind switching weights when a defending champ in a different division Hinger said: “I already won the medium-heavy division. New group of guys. New dietary challenge. New title.”

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Hinger has been easily one of the most active competitors this year, competing in 62 matches in 2017 with an impressive 51-11 record. Along the way Hinger became the American National No-Gi champion in weight and the open class, and tapped his way through a stacked bracket at ACB 7 in Rio de Janeiro.

He cruised through the medium-heavyweight bracket in 2016, and didn’t give up a point in his weight class. He submitted his first opponent with a triangle, and then outscored his semifinal and finals opponents with a combined score of 15-0.

Jonathan Satava – Alliance

Jonathan Satava won No-Gi Worlds at brown belt and has taken home the silver medal at this event two years in a row. Recently losing in the final of No-Gi Pans on advantages to Lucas Rocha, Satava will be looking to finally get that black belt No-Gi World Championship that has eluded him so far. 

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With a butterfly and X-guard game similar to his coach (the legendary Marcelo Garcia) Satava’s game adapts to no-gi competition well and he’s been successful without the gi throughout his career. To get to the top of the podium Satava will most likely have to avenge a loss to Hinger, who submitted him with a gogoplata in the gi at Pans.

Mansher Khera – Unity 

Another former brown belt No-Gi World champ, Khera has reached the podium twice at black belt with a silver medal in 2015 and bronze in 2016. The black belt has moved teams across Manhattan since then, and is now training under Murilo Santana at Unity Jiu-Jitsu. Khera has been very active in no-gi over the last couple months, competing in ADCC and the Kasai Pro.

Dante Leon – GF Team

2016 No-Gi World and Pan champion at the brown belt level, GF Team athlete Dante Leon will be looking to make it three for three at major IBJJF no-gi tournaments in his first year as a black belt. Already taking home gold in his first year as a black belt at the No-Gi American Nationals and No-Gi Pans, Leon has showed himself more than capable of competing at this level.

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On his first No-Gi Worlds as a black belt, he had this to say: “I’m very excited! So many great athletes in the division, and I’m excited to test myself. War ready!”

Michael Liera – Atos

Certainly thought of more as a gi competitor, Michael Liera is a big name in the sport regardless, and should contend for the title in Anaheim. Liera had success at this event in the lower belts, winning No-Gi Worlds in 2012 at purple. Training under Andre Galvao at the Atos HQ in San Diego, Liera has no shortage of ADCC and black belt No-Gi World champs in the room to train with.

Manuel Ribamar – NS Brotherhood

Ribamar has been on a roll as of late, winning the New York BJJ Pro and San Antonio Open. In New York he would defeat Marcos Tinoco and Dante Leon to close out a tough middleweight bracket with Felipe Silva. Liera vs Ribamar is an interesting potential second-round matchup to look out for at this tournament.

Victor Silverio – Gracie Barra 

Silverio was another big name competitor in this bracket to switch camps in 2017, moving to Gracie Barra Northridge and training under ADCC champ Romulo Barral. Silverio has seen some success in the gi over the last couple months, winning a deep division at the UAEJJF Los Angeles Grand Slam and closing out the semi of another loaded bracket at the San Diego BJJ Pro with teammate Otavio Sousa. Bracketing certainly wasn’t in the favor of Silverio at this tournament, as he will potentially have to face Hinger in the quarterfinals.

Francisco “Sinistro” Iturralde – Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club

Ecuadorian athlete Francisco Iturralde – better known as “Sinistro” – took third at this event a year ago. He would go down in that tournament to Jon Satava in a close 2-0 match. With one of the more exciting styles in the sport, a potential early matchup between Sinistro and Felipe Silva might be one of the best of the tournament.

Felipe Silva – Barbosa

Representing Barbosa but training out of New York at New York at Unity, Silva is coming off an ADCC camp and should be more than ready for No-Gi Worlds. Felipe recently defeated Victor Silverio on points at the New York BJJ Pro. 

Watch the 2017 IBJJF World No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championships LIVE or On Demand ONLY on FloGrappling