By Mike Calimbas (BJJ Journalist / Photographer)
2013 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship happening this weekend in Beijing, China
The brainchild of UAE’s Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ADCC is universally regarded as most prestigious invite-only submission grappling (no gi) in the world and happends every two years with the last edition being held in 2011. Though many of its competitors come from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the art features all grappling arts as well – including Sambo, Judo, Catch Wrestling, along with Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling. In short, the event routinely features the very best grapplers in the world and this year’s edition is no different.
The 2013 ADCC Submission Wrestling Championship features notable champions like Rafael Mendes, Kron Gracie, Marcus Buchecha Almeida, Dean Lister and many more in the divisional brackets this year while some of those NOT competing include injured athletes like Rodolfo Vieira and Jeff Glover while four-time champ Marcelo Garcia has also bowed out to make way for a new champion.
Here’s the 2013 ADCC Worlds LIVE stream link for this weekend –
http://www.adcombat.com/
Let’s take a look at the entire ADCC Worlds competitor list and offer preview and predictions on each category:
2013 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship Preview and Predictions
Men’s Category – 66 kg / 145 pounds
The lightest male weight division is predictably strong once again and is led by two-time ADCC champ Rafael Mendes out of Team Atos and Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa, CA. He’s joined in the brackets by 2013 revelation and IBJJF gi world champ Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes (Soul Fighters) along with old Mendes nemesis Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Alliance). Some of the young guns looking to compete with the recognized top three include Joao Miyao (Ciao Paulista) and Marcio Andre (Nova Uniao) while the usual veterans like Baret Yoshida (Undisputed) and Justin Rader (Lovato) are also in the mix.
► Favorite – Rafael Mendes
► Contenders – Ruben Charles, Augusto Mendes
► Finals Prediction – Rafael Mendes over Ruben Charles
ADCC Worlds 2013 Competitor List – 65.9 kg
1. Rafael Mendes – Brazil
2. Timo Juhani Hirvikangas – Finland
3. Darson Hemmings – Canada
4. Robert Sabaruddin – Australia
5. Joao Miyao – Brazil
6. Mark Ramos – USA
7. Yuta Sasaki – Japan
8. Rubens Charles – Brazil
9. Nicolas Renier – France
10. Yoshioka Takahito – Japan
11. Baret Yoshida – USA
12. Ricardo Vieira – Brazil
13. Augusto Mendes – Brazil
14. Justin Rader – USA
15. Tetsu Suzuki – Japan
16. Marcio Andre – Brazil
Men’s Category – 77 kg / 169.5 pounds
The absence of Alliance’s Marcelo Garcia (ADCC G.O.A.T.) means that the 77kg division will see a new champion this year. Aside from Pablo Popovitch in 2009, the bracket hasn’t seen another champion besides Marcelo Garcia since Gracie Barra’s Marcio Feitosa won in 2001. Before that the division belonged to the old timers like Renzo Gracie. This year, one grappler will looking to bring it back to that family and his name is Kron Gracie. Following a fairly impressive ADCC performance in 2011 and a short-lived run in the equally short-lived Metamoris organization, Kron will look to win in China over notable grappling such as Jonathan “JT” Torres (Atos) and Otavio Sousa (Gracie Barra). Two-time champ Leo Vieira also returns looking to recapture the magic he had in 2003 & 2005 when he won the tournament at 66kg.
All in all this is one of the categories that could be anybody’s ballgame considering the depth of talent in the division which also includes Leonardo Nogueira (Alliance), DJ Jackson (Team Lloyd Irvin), Luicas Lepri (Alliance), and even guys like former UFC champ Benson Henderson. Kron will go in as the favorite but it won’t be easy for him. This one will be hotly-contested.
► Favorite – Kron Gracie
► Contenders – Otavio Sousa, JT Torres, DJ Jackson, Lucas Lepri, Leo Vieira
► Finals Prediction – Kron Gracie over Lucas Lepri
ADCC Worlds 2013 Competitor List -76.9 kg
1. Kron Gracie – Brazil
2. Tero Pyylampi – Finland
3. AJ Agazarm – USA
4. Youngnam Noh – Korea
5. Leonardo Nogueira – Brazil
6. Gary Tonon- USA
7. Sotaro Yamada – Japan
8. Andy Wang – Taiwan
9. Benson Henderson – USA
10. JT Torres – USA
11. Leo Vieira – Brazil
12. Satoru Kitaoka – Japan
13. Eduardo Rios – Norway
14. Lucas Lepri – Brazil
15. DJ. Jackson – USA
16. Otavio Sousa – Brazil
Men’s Category – 88 kg /193.8 pounds
If we had to watch one category match-by-match until the very end, this one might be it considering the depth at 88 kg this year. Atos leader André Galvão won in 2011 but will be featured in a superfight with Braulo Estima at this year’s event, paving the way for a new champion to join the likes of Galvao and Estima and Demian Maia and Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza before them as champions at 88 kg.
Competing in 2013 will be a stacked field that including Lucas Leite (CheckMat), Claudio Calasans (Atos), Romulo Barral (Gracie Barra), Rafael Lovato Jr. (Lovato) along with other heavy hitters like Michael Langhi (Alliance), Clark Gracie (Clark Gracie JJ), David Avellan (FFA) and Pablo Popovitch (Team Popovitch). How one could pick a winner from that crowd is anybody’s guess. We’ll take ours below.
► Favorite – Pick’em
► Contenders –Claudio Calasans, Romulo Barral, Rafael Lovato Jr. Pablo Popovitch, ETC.
► Finals Prediction – Romulo Barral over Pablo Popovitch
ADCC Worlds 2013 Competitor List – 88 kg
1. Lucas Leite – Brazil
2. Oskar Piechota – Poland
3. Keenan Cornelius – USA
4. Doorwang Jeon – Korea
5. Claudio Calasans – Brazil
6. Josh Hayden – USA
7. Shinsho Anzai – Japan
8. Rustam Chsiev – Russia
9. Rafael Lovato Jr. – USA
10. Clark Gracie – USA
11. David Avellan – USA
12. Romulo Barral – Brazil
13. Kim Dong – Korea
14. Rodrigo Caporal – Brazil
15. Pablo Popovitch – USA
16. Lukasz Michalec – Poland
► Favorite –
► Contenders –
► Finals Prediction –
Men’s Category – 99 kg / 218 lbs.
Dean Lister (Fabio Santos) returns to the ADCC this year looking for his second consecutive title in the division after winning the bracket in 2011. This time he won’t be contested by two-time category champion Xande Ribeiro (Gracie Humaita) who is out this year after winning in 2007 and 2009. Also notable absent is Rodolfo Vieira (GFT) who is out due to injury, paving the way for Lister to repeat and become a two-time champ. He’ll be challenged by a field led by Joao Assis (CheckMat) and Leonardo Nogueira (Alliance)
► Favorite – Dean Lister
► Contenders – Joao Assis, Leonardo Nogueira
► Finals Prediction – Dean Lister over Leonardo Nogueira
ADCC Worlds 2013 Competitor List – 99 kg
1. Dean Lister – USA
2. Tomasz Narkun – Poland
3. Mikael Knutsson – Sweden
4. Allan Drueco – Philippines
5. Abdula Isaev – Dagestan
6. James Puopolo – USA
7. Yukiyasu Ozawa – Japan
8. Kamil Uminski – Poland
9. Cristiano Lazzarini – Brazil
10. Henry Jorge Martin Ottaviano – Argentina
11. Jeremy York – USA
12. Ezra Lenon – USA
13. Jia Jing Yang – China
14. Joao Assis – Brazil
15. Leonardo Nogueira – Brazil
16. Liu wen Bo – China
Men’s Category +99 kg
The heaviest men’s weight category should prove for some of the most exciting matches of the event considering the presence of finish-hunter and IBJJF revelation Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida (CheckMat). Buchecha will be joined by 2011 winner Vinny Magalhães as the two favorites going into the event and they won’t be joined by Fabricio Werdum this year so it looks to be a two-man race even though it would unwise to sleep on guys like Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (FightSport) and Joao Gabriel (Soul Fighters).
► Favorite – Vinny Magalhaes, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida
► Contenders – Roberto Abreu, Joao Gabriel
► Finals Prediction – Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida over Vinny Magalhaes
ADCC Worlds 2013 Competitor List + 99 kg
1. Vinny Magalhaes – Brazil
2. Antwain Britt – USA
3. Wang Yan Bo – China
4. Jared Dopp – USA
5. Michael Wilson – Australia
6. Robby Donofrio – USA
7. Hideki Sekine – Japan
8. Janne Pietilainen – Finland
9. Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” – Brazil
10. Kitner Mendoga – Brazil
11. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu – Brazil
12. Orlando Sanchez – USA
13. Joao Gabriel de Olivera – Brazil
14. Mike Martelle – Canada
15. Amir Allam – USA
16. Jimmy Friedrich – USA
Women’s Category -60 kg
A new champion while be crowned this year with 2011 winner Kyra Gracie opting not to participate. Leading the way this year will be 2009 winner Luanna Alzuguir. She’ll be joined by fellow Brazilian Michelle Nicolini and American Nyjah Easton as some of the likely favorites at the event.
► Favorite – Luanna Alzuguir
► Contenders – Michelle Nicolini, Nyjah Easton
► Finals Prediction – Luanna Alzuguir over Michelle Nicolini
ADCC Worlds 2013 Competitor List – 60 kg
1. Yan Liu – China
2. Ana Michelle Tavares – Brazil
3. Nyjah Easton – USA
4. Laura Hondorp – Netherlands
5. Luanna Alzuguir – Brazil
6. Michelle Nicolini – Brazil
7. Seiko Yamamoto – Japan
8. Kristina Barlaan – USA
Women’s Category +60 kg
In perhaps the easiest category to predict in the entire tournament, Gabrielle Garcia enters 2013 as the undisputed favorite in the women’s+60kg category. She’s won everything in sight including absolutes divisions everywhere and the 2011 ADCC in the same division. This year she’ll be contested by Tammy Griego, Penny Thomas, Fernanda Mazelli, and Ida Hansson but she should win out once again.
► Favorite – Gabrielle Garcia
► Contenders – Tammy Griego, Penny Thomas, Fernanda Mazelli, Ida Hansson
► Finals Prediction – Gabrielle Garcia over Fernanda Mazelli
ADCC Worlds 2013 Competitor List +60 kg
1. Gabrielle Garcia – Brazil
2. Fernanda Mazelli – Brazil
3. Tara White – USA
4. Yurika Nakakura – Japan
5. Ida Hansson – Sweden
6. Maria Malyjasiak – Poland
7. Penny Thomas – South Africa
8. Tammy Griego – Brazil
ADCC Worlds 2013 – Superfight Predictions
► Braulio Estima over Andre Galvao
► Mario Sperry over Fabio Gurgel