Five New Black Belts Draw World Champions in the 2026 IBJJF Crown Brackets
All 24 first round matches are set for November 8 in Long Beach, and eight of them pair two medalists from this year's Worlds. Every match is below with both athletes' credentials.
Update, Nov. 8: Matheus Luna took Uanderson Ferreira's place in the middleweight bracket. Every result from the night is in our IBJJF Crown 2026 results post.
The IBJJF posted the brackets for the 2026 IBJJF Crown on October 26, and all five of the newest black belts in the field open against world champions.
The fourth Crown runs Sunday, November 8, at the Pyramid in Long Beach, California, live on FloGrappling. Each of the six divisions is an eight-athlete bracket, and three straight wins are worth $20,000.
Janaina Lebre, who opens against brown belt world champion Nikolett Kis, beat Sarah Galvão in this year's world lightweight final:
Five New Black Belts, Five World Champions
Five athletes in the field won medals at brown belt at this year's Worlds and have been promoted since. The draw paired each of them with a world champion, and three of those opponents won their titles this year.
- Andy Murasaki vs. Rafael Gamba (middleweight): the Crown champion in 2024 and 2025 and the 2022 No-Gi world champion at middleweight, against the 2026 brown belt world champion at middleweight.
- Vinicius Liberati vs. Omar Nada (heavyweight): the 2026 world super heavyweight champion against the 2026 brown belt world champion at super heavyweight and in the open class.
- Seif-Eddine Houmine vs. Thierry Felipe (ultra heavyweight): the 2026 world ultra heavyweight champion against the 2026 brown belt world silver medalist at ultra heavyweight.
- Janaina Lebre vs. Nikolett Kis (women's lightweight): the world lightweight champion in 2025 and 2026 against the 2026 brown belt world champion at lightweight.
- Hazel Butcher-Salazar vs. Anabel Lopez (women's super heavyweight): the 2026 brown belt world champion at heavyweight and in the open class against the 2024 No-Gi world heavyweight champion.
Felipe has already competed at two Opens as a black belt this month, and he won the open class at the Sacramento Fall Open.
Gamba's run to brown belt gold at this year's Europeans:
Eight Matches Between 2026 World Medalists
Eight first round matches put two medalists from this year's Worlds against each other, and three of them are in women's super heavyweight.
- Natan Chueng vs. Tarcisio Santos (middleweight): silver at middleweight against bronze at lightweight.
- Nicholas Maglicic vs. Leo Ferreira (heavyweight): gold and silver at heavyweight.
- Erich Munis vs. Francisco Papasidero (ultra heavyweight): gold in the open class against bronze at heavyweight.
- Sabrina Gondim vs. Elisabeth Clay (women's lightweight): gold at featherweight against silver at middleweight.
- Sarah Galvão vs. Giovanah Oliveira (women's lightweight): silver at lightweight and in the open class against bronze at featherweight.
- Gabi Pessanha vs. Maria Vitória Ruffatto (women's super heavyweight): gold at super heavyweight and in the open class against bronze in the open class.
- Larissa Dias vs. Ingridd Alves (women's super heavyweight): gold at heavyweight against silver at medium heavyweight.
- Yara Soares vs. Maria Alencar (women's super heavyweight): bronze and silver at heavyweight.
Maglicic and Ferreira did not meet at the Worlds. Both moved up one place on the heavyweight podium when the IBJJF removed Rider Zuchi from its results after his anti-doping suspension.
Three Replacements Since the Field Was Set
Three names have changed since we covered the full field on October 20. The IBJJF announced on October 21 that Jackson Nagai was out of middleweight because of illness, and Natan Chueng took his place on less than three weeks' notice.
Chueng won silver at middleweight at this year's Worlds, beating José Steve on the way, and he opens against Tarcisio Santos.
At ultra heavyweight, the bracket lists Anderson Kauan in the place Helder Rodrigues held on the IBJJF's contender list. The IBJJF has not posted a notice about Rodrigues.
Kauan won bronze at ultra heavyweight and in the open class at this year's Worlds, and he took silver at ultra heavyweight at the 2026 Pans.
At middleweight, Matheus Luna took Uanderson Ferreira's place in the bracket and opened against José Steve.
Featherweight: The 2025 World Champion Draws a Two-Time Asian Champion
Featherweight has crowned a different champion in each of its three years, and the first of them, Sam Nagai, is back. So is João "Bisnaga" Mendes, who reached the last two finals and won the 2025 world title in between.
- Sam Nagai vs. Keven Carrasco: the 2023 Crown and world featherweight champion, silver at the 2026 Worlds, against the 2024 world bronze medalist at light featherweight.
- Will Wilson vs. Ademir Barreto: the 2026 European lightweight champion against the 2024 world silver medalist at featherweight.
- João Mendes vs. Jun Yong Cho: the 2025 world featherweight champion and a Crown finalist in 2024 and 2025 against the Asian featherweight champion in 2025 and 2026.
- Rerisson Gabriel vs. Mateo Cardona: the 2026 Brasileiro and 2025 Pan champion at light featherweight against the 2026 Asian lightweight champion, silver at the 2026 Europeans.
Middleweight: Mica Galvão Opens Against a European Champion
Mica Galvão makes his Crown debut against Leonardo Souza, the 2025 European lightweight champion. Andy Murasaki starts his bid for a third straight title against Gamba.
- Mica Galvão vs. Leonardo Souza: the 2024 world lightweight champion and 2024 ADCC champion at 77 kg against the 2025 European lightweight champion, bronze at middleweight at the 2026 Pans.
- Uanderson Ferreira vs. José Steve: the 2026 Asian medium heavyweight champion against the 2026 world bronze medalist at middleweight.
- Andy Murasaki vs. Rafael Gamba: the Crown champion in 2024 and 2025 against the 2026 brown belt world champion at middleweight.
- Natan Chueng vs. Tarcisio Santos: the 2026 world silver medalist at middleweight and 2024 Pan No-Gi middleweight champion against the 2026 world bronze medalist at lightweight, who beat Murasaki at that event.
Heavyweight: Nolan Stuart Starts His Defense Against a European Champion
Nolan Stuart won last year's final by finishing Adam Wardzinski with an omoplata, and no heavyweight has won the Crown twice. His bracket has three world champions in it: Maglicic, Liberati and Fellipe Andrew.
- Vinicius Liberati vs. Omar Nada: the 2026 world super heavyweight champion and 2026 European and Brasileiro champion against the 2026 brown belt world champion at super heavyweight and in the open class.
- Nicholas Maglicic vs. Leo Ferreira: the 2026 world heavyweight champion and 2025 No-Gi world champion at super heavyweight against the world silver medalist at heavyweight in 2025 and 2026.
- Nolan Stuart vs. Davi Vetoraci: the 2025 Crown champion and Pan super heavyweight champion in 2025 and 2026 against the 2025 European medium heavyweight champion.
- Fellipe Andrew vs. Windson Torres: the 2023 Crown champion, 2023 world heavyweight champion and 2021 world open class champion against the 2025 European super heavyweight champion, bronze at super heavyweight at the 2026 Worlds.
Ultra Heavyweight: Erich Munis Opens Against Last Year's Bronze Medalist
Erich Munis has won every Crown ever held at ultra heavyweight, and his first opponent, Francisco Papasidero, took bronze in the division last year. Anderson Kauan, the late addition, opens against Pedro Machado.
- Erich Munis vs. Francisco Papasidero: the Crown champion in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and world open class champion in 2024, 2025 and 2026 against last year's Crown bronze medalist, bronze at heavyweight at the 2026 Worlds.
- Alexander Sak vs. Matheus Vetoraci: the 2026 Asian champion at ultra heavyweight and in the open class against the 2026 European silver medalist at heavyweight.
- Seif-Eddine Houmine vs. Thierry Felipe: the world ultra heavyweight champion in 2024 and 2026 and the 2026 Pan and European champion against the 2026 brown belt world silver medalist at ultra heavyweight.
- Pedro Machado vs. Anderson Kauan: the 2024 Pan heavyweight champion, silver at the 2023 Worlds, against the 2026 world bronze medalist at ultra heavyweight and in the open class.
Women's Lightweight: Sarah Galvão Starts Her Defense Against a World Bronze Medalist
Sarah Galvão won this division last year in her first months as a black belt. Lebre, who beat her in this year's world final, has reached the last two Crown finals.
- Janaina Lebre vs. Nikolett Kis: the world lightweight champion in 2025 and 2026 and a Crown finalist in 2024 and 2025 against the 2026 brown belt world champion at lightweight.
- Sabrina Gondim vs. Elisabeth Clay: the 2026 world and Pan No-Gi featherweight champion against the No-Gi world champion in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025, silver at middleweight at the 2026 Worlds.
- Sarah Galvão vs. Giovanah Oliveira: the 2025 Crown champion and 2026 European, Pan and Brasileiro lightweight champion against the 2026 world bronze medalist at featherweight.
- Aghata Rabelo vs. Keanna Klay: the 2026 American Nationals open class champion, bronze at middleweight at the 2026 Pans, against the 2026 Asian champion at lightweight and in the open class.
Women's Super Heavyweight: Gabi Pessanha Opens Her Bid for a Fourth Straight Crown
Gabi Pessanha has won all three Crowns held at this weight. Behind her in the draw, Larissa Dias meets Ingridd Alves and Yara Soares meets Maria Alencar, two more matches between 2026 world medalists.
- Gabi Pessanha vs. Maria Vitória Ruffatto: the Crown champion in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and world super heavyweight and open class champion every year since 2021 against the 2026 world bronze medalist in the open class.
- Hazel Butcher-Salazar vs. Anabel Lopez: the 2026 brown belt world champion at heavyweight and in the open class against the 2024 No-Gi world heavyweight champion, silver at +65 kg at the 2026 ADCC Worlds.
- Larissa Dias vs. Ingridd Alves: the world heavyweight champion in 2022, 2025 and 2026, bronze at last year's Crown, against the world silver medalist at medium heavyweight in 2025 and 2026.
- Yara Soares vs. Maria Alencar: the 2026 European and Brasileiro heavyweight champion, bronze at the 2026 Worlds, against the 2026 world silver medalist at heavyweight.
How to Watch
The Crown streams live on FloGrappling on Sunday, November 8. The start time has not been announced, and tickets are on sale through Long Beach State.
What Comes Next
Our IBJJF Crown 2026 page has every bracket in one table, and the results go there on the night. Every event between now and Long Beach is on the calendar.
All brackets, results, records and videos in this story come from official channels.
