AOJ athlete Jessa Khan has had one of the best runs of success at the colored belts over the last few years. The 18-year-old has already won Worlds four times, No-Gi Worlds three times, Pans four times, No-Gi Pans, Europeans twice, the Abu Dhabi World Pro, and the Asian Games. Recently promoted to brown belt by Guilherme Mendes after winning double gold at the IBJJF Long Beach Open, Jessa is one step closer to competing at the highest level in the sport at black belt.

The BJJ Fanatics Submission Only Grand Prix is bringing together the best the no-gi scene has to offer, from ADCC and IBJJF No-Gi World champions to submission only specialists. We have already covered who we think the favorites in this bracket are (minus Trator, who recently pulled out of the event, and Gordon Ryan, who has been replaced by Nick Rodriguez), but there are a bunch of dangerous athletes registered for the event.

Marcio Andre is one of the most successful athletes of his generation, whether talking about in the gi or no-gi. Marcio is a 2016 No-Gi Worlds champion and has won Europeans three times in the gi to go with two silver medals from Worlds. He has wins in his career over athletes such as Rubens Charles "Cobrinha," Paulo Miyao, Gianni Grippo, Isaac Doederlein, and Leo Saggioro.

2019 ADCC silver medalist Nick Rodriguez has stepped up to replace his teammate Gordon Ryan at the BJJ Fanatics Submission Only Grand Prix. While everyone was no doubt excited to see Gordon compete at the event before he pulled out, the No. 2-ranked 99+ competitor in the world is about as good of a replacement as you can get.

The disappointing news that Rodolfo Vieira won’t be facing Gordon Ryan at Third Coast Grappling III on Dec. 7 has been tempered by the fact that none other than the Brazilian bad boy Erberth Santos will be stepping in to take his place.

With the success of Tye Ruotolo at F2W, we ask if it's time to rethink the way the belt structure exists.

Sixteen-year-old Tye Ruotolo (Atos) defeated Vagner Rocha (Fight Sports) in his Fight 2 Win debut, while Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa, Jaime Canuto, and Josh Hinger also won big in Richmond, California. 

Dante Leon has had a breakout year in 2019, storming the no-gi circuit with submission wins over Isaque Bahiense, Edwin Najmi, and Matheus Lutes to go with a fourth-place finish at ADCC. Dante was no slouch in previous years, winning Pan No-Gi twice and finishing third at No-Gi Worlds, but he has no doubt gone up a level in 2019.

Tex Johnson is one of the most feared submission artists in the no-gi scene, with leglock victories over big names like Felipe Pena, Jackson Souza, and Jon Blank. Sixty-six percent of Tex’s wins have come by submission, most by straight ankle lock, with a painful sounding scream typically being the method his opponents use to tap.

Three-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion and ADCC bronze medalist Josh Hinger is not one to hold back his opinions. As fans of his Matburn Podcast have come to know, Hinger is quick to share his unfiltered thoughts on a wide range of topics.