Full bracket revealed for first $100K Sapateiro World Championship Qualifier
View the full bracket for the first Sapateiro World Championship Qualifier, set to go down this Saturday in Tampa, Florida.
Earlier this year, Sapateiro Invitational announced plans to hold a 160-pound world championship tournament with up to $100,000 on the line.
In the lead-up to that event, the promotion will hold eight, 16-man qualifying tournaments. The first of those tournaments is set to go down this Saturday, March 9, in Tampa, Florida, and the winner will punch his ticket to the Sapateiro World Championship.
Check out the full bracket for the Tampa Sapateiro qualifier below.
Several names stand out as early favorites.
On one side of the bracket, ADCC East Coast Trials silver medalist Dominic Mejia will be an athlete to watch. The New Wave representative possesses a well-rounded, aggressive game that has served him well on his ascension to the elite no-gi ranks in the past year. He’ll come into the tournament following a hard-fought decision loss to Keith Krikorian at Grapplefest.
If he makes it to the quarterfinals, Mejia could look forward to a potential matchup with the highly touted Max Hanson, who recently put on a stellar performance at the Enigma Middleweight Grand Prix, moving up two weight classes to claim gold while picking up victories over the likes of Johnny Tama and Oliver Taza.
Sitting on the other side of the bracket are brothers Gavin and Deandre Corbe, both of whom might be early picks to take home the tournament title. Gavin Corbe is a 2022 IBJJF No-Gi Pans champion, while Deandre Corbe is a multiple-time ADCC Open champion. Neither brother presents any real weaknesses, each capable of wrestling on the feet, imposing his will with pressure passing from top position, or attacking leg locks and sweeps from the guard.
All matches will be conducted under ADCC rules.
Following this weekend’s event in Tampa, the next qualifying tournaments include April 13 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania April 14 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (open registration), and May 25 in Chicago, Illinois.
How to watch: The Sapateiro World Championship Qualifier takes place on Saturday, March 9, and will air live on Enigma TV (subscription required) beginning at 7:00 PM EST.
