The purple belt divisions at the 2018 Pan Championships are BEYOND stacked. Here are some of the athletes we'll be keeping a very close eye on when they take the mats Thursday in Irvine, California.

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PURPLE / Adult / Male / Rooster

Brad Johnston – ATOS

Another one of the up-and-coming competitors from the Mendes Brothers' Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy, Brad Johnston has already captured Europeans and Pans titles as a purple belt. Keep an eye out for those berimbolos.

Thalison Soares – Cicero Costha

Perhaps the purple belt with the single most hype behind him, Thalison Soares is already a household name in the world of jiu-jitsu. Known for his nasty guard game and seemingly unstoppable back attacks, Soares has won just about every major tournament in existence.  

Other Notable Athletes: Johnif De Oliveira Rocha (Cicero Costha), Gilgamesh and Solomon Blanch (Brasa CTA)

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Light-Feather

Liam Moss – Atos

Liam Moss is an AOJ student who’s game reflects his masterful teachers, Gui and Rafa Mendes.The 18-year-old purple belt has been honing his skills on the regional IBJJF circuit and is looking to make an even bigger name for himself at Pans.

Jonas Andrade – Cicero Costha

Jonas Andrade is a competition machine: be it IBJJF, UAEJJF, Grappling X, Naga, whatever — the kid is competing every single weekend. And it shows: His composure is unrivaled by most athletes in his division and his game is laser-sharp. Happy to play top or bottom, Andrade is a solid bet for a podium position at Pans.

Other notable athletes: Diego Batista(Cicero Costha), Darryl Lebus (ZR Team)

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Feather 

Andy Murasaki – ATOS

Highly touted youth athlete Andy Murasaki made his purple belt debut at the European Championships back in January. Though he probably didn’t take home the medal he wanted, we thought his bronze medal performance was excellent and indicative of big things to come. Murasaki just switched to team Atos a few weeks back in an effort to further his career, and we are looking forward to how that reflects in his performance at Pans. 

Jose Luna – Checkmat 

Not one to call attention to himself, Jose Mathias lets his jiu-jitsu do the talking. He and his brother represent Checkmat and had an amazing performance at the European Championships in Lisbon, Portugal. A relentless passer, Mathis forces players out of their comfort zones and is difficult to slow down.

Jose Luna vs Reda Mebtouche – 2018 European Championships

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Other Notable Athletes: Julio Souza Arantes (Qatar BJJ), Yaroslav Blazhko (ZR Team Ukraine) 

Purple / Adult / Male / Light

 Guthierry Barbosa – Carlson Gracie

Guthiery Barbosa looked unstoppable in his gold medal run in Lisbon. Enlisting a pressure passing style that is typically more indicative of a heavier of the heavier weight classes, Barbosa smashes through his opponents' guards like they were nothing.  

Guthierry Barbosa vs. Oscar Gugala – 2017 Worlds

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Jonatha Alves – Atos

Jonatha Alves is the next big thing out of champion factory Art Of Jiu-Jitsu. Don’t take our word for it: Here’s what Gui Mendes had to say about the young star. We saw Alves' run at No-Gi Worlds end early due to an injury, and we're glad to see him back in action so quickly.

Gui Mendes: 'Remember The Name Jonatha Alves'

Other notable Athletes: Italo Moura (Cicero Costha), Austin Oranday (Alliance), Jay Jay Wilson (Alliance)

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Middle

Igor Tanabe Guimarães – Over Limit BJJ 

Igor Tanabe is another highly talented youth athlete who has made the jump to the adult divisions in 2018. He came out of the gates strong at Euros, taking third in his weight class and silver in the absolute division.

Ronaldo Junior - Atos

Ronaldo Junior is yet another athlete to join Atos in recent months, and being surrounded by some of the top talents in the world can only mean good things for the already superbly talented young man. Ronaldo burst onto our radar when he defeated absolute monster Andrew Wiltse back at Royal II.

Ronaldo Junior vs. Andrew Wiltsee – Royal II

Other Notable Athletes: Mohammad Ibrahim (BRASA, CTA)

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Medium-Heavy

Reda Hamed Mebtouche – Mako Team Paris

Reda Mebtouche made a statement at Europeans when he blasted his way to gold in the medium-heavyweight division. The French athlete enjoyed a strong run in the absolute division as well, earning bronze in the process.

Roberto Francisco Jimenez – Alliance 

Roberto Jimenez made his long-awaited jump to purple belt this earlier this year, and with it has had some ups and downs in his competitive career. Roberto was knocked out early at Europeans but bounced back strong a few weeks later at the IBJJF Houston Open. Has Roberto had enough time to fully adjust to the level at adult? We'll find out soon. 

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Heavy

Conner DeAngelis – Atos

The young athlete that Andre Galvao once called the "best blue belt in the world" has made the jump to Faxia Roxa. Conner DeAngelis has a body type and frame perfectly suitable to learn from someone like Galvao, but he's still managed to throw in his own tricks. Look out for his sneaky Caio-Terra ankle lock from the DLR and his great X-guard.

Zane Spruce – Gracie Barra

Zane Spruce is on the verge of a breakout year. He trains under Romulo Barral and is surrounded by heaps of talent like Gabriel ARges, Edwin Najmi, and Victor Silverio, among others. Spruce took home gold at World Pro last year and will be looking to add his first major IBJJF title to his resume.

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Super–Heavy

Alessandro Borgonovo – Atos

Borgonovo splits his time training at his home academy in Italy and at AOJ with Gui and Rafa Mendes. The young purple belt exhibits a creative approach to the gentle art, mixing brutal passing and heavy pressure with quick back–takes and opportunistic submissions.  

Wilson Moreira Costa Junior - Cicero Costha

Wilson Moreira trains inside Murilo Santana's den of savages in New York City among technical wizards such as Paulo and Joao Miyao, Devhonte Johnson, and a whole lot of names you've already seen on this list. Moreira is the super-heavyweight champion from the 2018 European Championships and will be looking to steamroll his way through his second major tournament of the year.