The Road to ADCC was unique in that it was the first time an event ever featured a series of head-to-head matches held under ADCC superfight rules. As Mo Jassim, the 2022 ADCC World Championships organizer, explained, it was conceived to kick start the process that will culminate in September next year at the World Championships.

Nobody could have predicted the end of the no-gi match between Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa and Matheus Diniz at BJJ Stars VI. A candidate for the most surprising, complicated and controversial finish to a grappling match in living memory, Diniz put Barbosa to sleep with a choke but it was deemed to have been applied after time had run out. Below, I’ll attempt to clarify what happened and you can even see my analysis of the video to determine whether the choke was legit or not.

Stop the press, Gordon Ryan's abrupt departure from all upcoming matches has thrown the no-gi grappling scene into disarray. What does Gordon do next if he can't compete? Who replaces him as the #1 in the world? And will professional grappling ever be the same without him?

The biggest IBJJF gi event in the U.S. to date this year, the IBJJF American National Championships is set to kick off on Thursday, June 24 in Las Vegas. Some of the biggest names in jiu-jitsu will make their return to the blue and yellow mats, including 2020 Pan champs, Thiago Macedo, Ronaldo Junior, Fellipe Andrew, Nathalie Ribeiro and more.

With all the buzz around heel hooks and the focus on no-gi oriented leglocks, it’s easy to forget how powerful the straight ankle lock can be. The footlock is more than a way to earn the favor of the judges or score an advantage in a close match. When applied correctly, it’s a powerful submission responsible for some of the most brutal-looking breaks in jiu-jitsu.

To state the obvious, 2020 was an unusual year for competitive jiu-jitsu. Still, several competitors found ways to set themselves apart, and to impress us in ways few other athletes can.