IBJJF Absolute No-Gi Grand Prix: full card lineup and preview
Check out the full card lineup and preview of the IBJJF Absolute No-Gi Grand Prix, set for Thursday, February 29.
This Thursday, February 29, the IBJJF will host an openweight eight-man no-gi tournament featuring some of the planet’s top BJJ competitors. The card will also feature several world-class gi matches.
Check out the full card lineup and first-round matchups below.
IBJJF Absolute No-Gi Grand Prix competitors
- Kaynan Duarte
- Haisam Rida
- Dante Leon
- Elder Cruz
- Giancarlo Bodoni
- Patrick Gaudio
- Roosevelt Sousa
- Pedro Rocha
Simply put, the bracket is packed with elite talent.
Atos representative Kaynan Duarte stands out as an early favorite. A two-time ADCC world champion, IBJJF No-Gi Pans double gold medalist, and recent Polaris absolute grand prix champion, Duarte has the size, physicality, and well-rounded, tactical game to take home the gold.
In the first round, he’ll face the B-Team’s Haisam Rida – an explosive athlete who could be the bracket’s dark horse. A talented submission hunter with top-flight judo skills, Rida lost to Duarte by submission back in 2019, but has since established himself as a world-class no-gi competitor, boasting wins over Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu and fellow grand prix participant Giancarlo Bodoni.
For his part, New Wave’s Bodoni is another early favorite. As the reigning ADCC 88kg world champion, Bodoni has proven to have the all-around game to be a threat against any grappler on the planet. He’ll square off with veteran black belt Patrick Gaudio in the first round.
Another name to watch is Dante Leon, Grappling Insider’s 2023 Male Grappler of the Year. The Canadian turned heads last year, winning the IBJJF No-Gi Pans at super heavyweight, as well as the Who’s Number One (WNO) lightweight belt to secure his spot as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound competitors.
Leon’s first-round matchup against Checkmat’s Elder Cruz has all the makings of a barnburner. Cruz is a relentless takedown artist and aggressive guard passer who, after an incredible run through the colored belts, seems to have found his stride at black belt after winning gold at the 2023 IBJJF No-Gi Pans, American Nationals, and Worlds.
Rounding out the first round will be an intriguing clash between dangerous heavyweight Roosevelt Sousa and accomplished veteran Pedro Rocha. While Sousa is likely to be the bracket’s largest competitor, Rocha, with his show-stopping guillotine choke, could play the part of spoiler.
Superfights
Main card
- Kade Ruotolo vs. Natan Chueng
- Tainan Dalpra vs. Mauricio Oliveira
- Andy Murasaki vs. Mathias Luna
- Jamil Hill-Taylor vs. Zach Kaina
- Jackson Nagai vs. Sandrey Silva
Preliminary card
- Sarah Galvao vs. Sabrina Lourenco
- Nata Tenca vs. Caleb Nascimento
- Mia Funegra vs. Isabella Agdeppa
- Steven Gomez vs. Lucas Oliveira
- Felipe Goulart vs. Graham Nascimento
- Max Schwartz vs. Jonathan Anderson
How to watch: The IBJJF Absolute No-Gi Grand Prix takes place on Thursday, February 29, and will air live on FloGrappling (subscription required) beginning at 8:00 PM EST.
