There are nearly two dozen first year black belts registered for the 2022 IBJJF World Championship. This year's will be one of the most stacked Worlds in recent memory, but the rookies should not be counted out. In some divisions, they may even be the favorites to win the whole thing.

Only one of the ten men’s black belt champions at 2021 Worlds represented a country other than Brazil. The lone non-Brazilian champion was 4x black belt gi world champion Mikey Musumeci (USA), who won his fourth title defeating Bruno Malfacine 6-0 by points. This year, a slew of veterans and rookies alike are lined up for their shot at gold, and the roster of non-Brazilians is showing signs that this year’s podiums could be the most nationally diverse in history.

The IBJJF 2022 World Championships are nearly upon us, and with just a few days left in the registration, it’s worth reviewing the batch of returning World Champions that have decided to defend their crown.

The ultra heavyweight division at this year’s IBJJF World Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in a long time. The division once dominated by Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida is now open to be taken by another dominant force; and several key competitors are lining up to put their stamp on the federation’s heaviest weight division.

The IBJJF Grand Slam refers to the four major IBJJF Championships that take place throughout the year and around the world. In order of occurrence they include: Europeans, Pan Americans, Brasileiros (or Brazilian Nationals) and finally, the IBJJF World Championships.

Though we are still in the early days of the registration period for the IBJJF 2022 World Championship, a quick scan of the competitor's list reveals that the black belt featherweight division is shaping up to be one of the toughest brackets of the tournament.

BJJ Stars just announced the official bracket for tomorrow's middleweight grand prix live on Instagram, and there will be no need to wait for some of the best possible matches.

Three IBJJF world champions will try to fend off some of the next generation’s fastest rising talent in the BJJ Stars 8 middleweight grand prix next weekend in Sao Paulo.

Now the dust has settled on Pans I've had time to reflect on the events of the second-most important event on the IBJJF calendar.

The stacked black belt divisions have been whittled down to just eight men and just two women each. By the end of the day, nineteen IBJJF Pans black belt champions will be crowned. Follow the action here all day long as the fields narrow in each weight category. These are the latest results (updated by the minute) at the 2022 IBJJF Pan Championships.

Mikey Musumeci and Geo Martinez are slated to face off for the second time in the co-main event of Tezos WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Jacob Couch presented by Fat Tire. Their rivalry has been steadily growing since last June, when the first match was announced. From subtle jabs to heated commentary, this is how one of grappling's biggest feuds came to be.

Mikey Musumeci will put his WNO bantamweight title on the line against rival Geo Martinez in the  main event of Tezos WNO Presented By Fat Tire on March 25 in Frisco, TX.

The 2022 IBJJF European black belt final rounds are underway. Today, all of the women's finals, plus the male quarters, semis, and finals will hit the mats, and 19 new European champions will be crowned for the first time since 2020.

The black belt divisions have been set for the IBJJF European Championships and the men and women’s brackets are looking beyond stacked.

The 2022 IBJJF European Championships has drawn some big names from across the world. But unlike several previous editions of Euros, most of the key athletes this year are European-born.