Jake Watson is a professional combat sports commentator and jiu-jitsu competitor with over a decade of experience.

The black belt class of 2021 is a who's who of top notch competitors, many of whom are likely to grace the top of black belt podiums in the coming months. Below are the athletes who earned the rank of black belt in December.

Day one of the IBJJF World Championships was filled with the action, submissions and incredible stories expected of an event of this caliber. Day two is sure to deliver as well, as the male purple and brown belts will take their place on the mats in search of the most coveted title in jiu-jitsu. With hundreds of competitors in search of just a few medals, we're guaranteed  thrilling action throughout the day.

The 2021 IBJJF American National Championships begin on Thursday June 24. The black belts take the mats on Friday, June 25, and switch into no-gi attire on Saturday, June 25. We could see any number of potential matches in the semifinals and finals, but we're promised some exciting matches even earlier in the tournament. Here are our favorite first and second round matchups.

Fight To Win 167 features Victor Hugo vs Tim Spriggs, Osvaldo Queixinho Moizinho vs Gabriel Sousa, Pedro Marinho vs Jake Watson, and more. As usual, the FloGrappling team has given their picks for who is set to come out with the w from the top matches on the card. 

Here's how to watch Fight to Win 167 on FloGrappling.

The long-anticipated debut of heel hooks in the IBJJF no-gi format has finally arrived. The Dallas No-Gi Open went down on Sunday, March 7. It was a historic event as the first tournament in the history of the IBJJF to allow heel hooks for adult brown and black belts. 

10th Planet’s Grace Gundrum had a lot to prove in the main event at Fight to Win 155. She’s worn the title of “next big thing” since she was 12 years old. After earning her black belt in July, she finally had an opportunity to live up to that hype.

Another weekend in Philadelphia means another weekend of East Coast competitors itching to get back on stage. Fight to Win will make its second consecutive appearance in PA, for Fight to Win 155. In the main event, the 10th Planet prodigy, Grace Gundrum, will make her Fight to Win debut — and also her black belt debut — against Pati Fontes.

Another weekend in Philadelphia means another weekend of East Coast competitors itching to get back on stage. Fight to Win will make its second consecutive appearance in PA, for Fight to Win 155. In the main event, the 10th Planet prodigy, Grace Gundrum, will make her black belt debut against Pati Fontes.

Hot on the heels of other major grappling promotions, Jitzking will return and they're hosting a stacked 16-man middleweight bracket. 

Third Coast Grappling is back! They just announced they will be hosting an eight-man tournament on June 6 in Houston, TX! 

The IBJJF World No-Gi Brackets are out, and they are available here. The black belt adult divisions will be competing on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, there are some crazy first-round matches.