The brackets for the black belt divisions at the 2018 IBJJF European Championship are out and they are explosive! Here is a quick rundown of seven of the most intriguing matches we can expect to see go down in Lisbon, Portugal, this weekend. 

Watch the 2018 IBJJF European Championship LIVE or On Demand ONLY on FloGrappling

Roosterweight: Pedro Dias vs. Hiago Gama 

This is a replay of the brown belt final from the 2017 World Championships. Alliance’s Gama edged out Dias last year and was awarded his black belt on the podium with the gold medal around his neck. This will be the first chance for Dias to get revenge since then, and it couldn’t be on a bigger stage — the first major IBJJF tournament of the year. 

Featherweight: Kevin Mahecha vs. Isaac Doederlein 

Kevin Mahecha has thankfully been placed on the opposite side of the bracket from his twin brother, Brian, but a consequence of the seeding means he will face Alliance up-and-comer Isaac Doederlein. Training out of Cobrinha’s gym in Los Angeles, Doederlein brings a highly technical approach to competing that matches well with Mahecha’s own style. This is a key first-round matchup that has implications for how the division plays out. 

Lightweight: John Combs vs. Michael Langhi 

Man, John Combs just can’t catch a break. The Easton BJJ scrapper has been matched with one of the most credentialed lightweights in the game in the shape of Alliance spider guard wizard Michael Langhi, who is the top-seeded athlete in the bracket and shooting for a record sixth European title. The pressure is definitely on Combs in this one, but that might be a bonus for him — should he fight like he’s got nothing to lose, the incredible could happen.

Lightweight: Edwin Najmi vs. Espen Mathiesen 

This is a fascinating matchup that pits two of the most promising lightweights against each other. Gracie Barra’s Najmi has enjoyed a solid run at black belt since his 2015 promotion to the rank, and Mathiesen has enjoyed similar success having carried the momentum from a killer brown belt career into the black belt divisions since his own promotion last year. Technically, they’re very different: Mathiesen is well known for his berimbolo game and chokes from the back, while Edwin is a dynamic passer and submission hunter who loves the darce.

Middleweight: Nathan Mendelsohn vs. Alec Baulding 

Nathan Mendelsohn impressed with a gutsy performance in Lisbon last year, going head-to-head with Isaque Bahiense in the early rounds. Alec Baulding submitted Bahiense with a choke in the middleweight division. Jiu-jitsu math doesn’t always work as simple as “A beats C because A beat B and B beat C,” meaning this first-round clash could prove to be one of the most entertaining of the division. 

Medium heavyweight: Charles Negromonte vs. Rudson Mateus 

Brasa CTA’s Rudson Mateus couldn’t have asked for a tougher first opponent for his IBJJF black belt debut than Charles Negromonte, a tough-as-nails competitor out of Roger Gracie’s academy in London. Aside from a shock first-round exit at Euros last year, Mateus had a killer 2017 in winning double gold at both Pans and Worlds (closing out his weight at Pans with a teammate). Expectations of him are high, and Negromonte will be there to welcome his arrival at black belt.

Featherweight: Amanda Monteiro vs. Heather Raftery 

Monteiro of GF Team and Raftery of Atos faced off at No-Gi Pans in September of last year, with the win going to the Brazilian by points. This time they’ll tussle in the gi, making it an unmissable match.