Mica Galvao joins Team New Wave for CJI 2
Mica Galvao will represent Team New Wave in the 77kg division at CJI 2.
With CJI 2 rapidly approaching, Team New Wave has added one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound grapplers to its already formidable squad.
On Friday, at WNO 29, decorated young phenom Mica Galvao announced that he would be representing Team New Wave in the 77kg division at the team-based competition. While the Brazilian doesn’t currently train with New Wave, he will be the team’s wild card pick.
Galvao joins teen standout Dorian Olivarez, two-time ADCC world champion Giancarlo Bodoni, ADCC silver medalist Luke Griffith, and ADCC bronze medalist “Big” Dan Manasoiu on the team, which John Danaher coaches. View the full and updated list of every athlete competing at CJI 2 here.
Long hailed as a bona fide prodigy, Galvao will be one of the most feared grapplers competing at CJI 2 across all weight classes. Still just 21 years old, he is already a two-division WNO champion and the reigning ADCC 77kg world champion.
Galvao has found plenty of success competing in the gi, as well. In 2024, he completed the IBJJF grand slam, winning gold at the Euros, Pans, Brasileiros, and Worlds.
Galvao will come into CJI 2 riding high with momentum, having lost just once since 2023. That lone defeat came in the absolute division at the 2024 ADCC World Championships against fellow pound-for-pound standout Dante Leon. As Leon will be competing for Team Daisy Fresh at CJI 2, Galvao could soon have his shot at revenge.
Stylistically, Galvao has the skills to make a serious impact for his team. Although he typically competes at 77kg, he’s proven himself to be dangerous against larger opponents. What’s more, his explosive, submission-hunting approach makes him a legitimate threat against any grappler he faces in the submission-only, Quintet-style competition.
How to watch: CJI 2 takes place on August 30-31, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will air live and free on YouTube.
