2016 Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF ChampionshipMar 14, 2016 by Hywel Teague
IBJJF Pans 2016 Preview: Who’s In, Who’s Out?
IBJJF Pans 2016 Preview: Who’s In, Who’s Out?
With a total of 209 black belt competitors in the men’s and women’s adult divisions, the 2016 IBJJF Pan Championship in Irvine California has brought out so
With a total of 209 black belt competitors in the men’s and women’s adult divisions, the 2016 IBJJF Pan Championship in Irvine California has brought out some of the best gi competitors in the world.
There are some big names notable for the absence, so we’ve put together a list of who’s in and who’s out ahead of next week’s grappling extravaganza.
UPDATED Wednesday, March 16: A number of final changes have been made to the divisions and we've reflected these below
In: Mikey Musumeci
Following his highly successful debut at black belt last year, Mikey Musumeci returns to the gi for a shot at his first major tournament victory. The super technical Art of Jiu-Jitsu rep is among the favorites to win the division, but will face tough opponents such as European silver medallist Koji Shibamoto of Tri-Force.
Out: Caio Terra
Caio Terra will be on the sidelines during Pans coaching his students and teammates throughout the tournament. We’ve got word that he’ll definitely be back for Worlds though.
__________
Out: Kim Terra
Following a botched flying triangle attempt during a no-gi match in a small local tournament, Kim Terra suffered a concussion and neck injury that will see him out until further notice. Amazingly, even though he knocked himself out Terra recovered and went on to win by submission, although he has no memory of the rest of the match!
Out: Samir Chantre
It’s rare to go to an IBJJF tournament in the U.S. and not see Samir Chantre in action, but the light featherweight is injured and will have to sit this one out. He hopes to be back for Worlds.
__________
In: Bruno Frazatto
We last saw Bruno Frazatto in action during the 2016 Europeans where he competed in the Masters 1 category. He’s back now in the adult division, and he’ll probably be using this tournament as preparation for his upcoming superfight with Gianni Grippo in April.
In: Marcio Andre
Following his win at the Euros, Marcio Andre is back after missing last year’s Pans during to a knee injury. He’ll look to ride the wave of success following his points win over Paulo Miyao, who he beat in Portugal by points.
Out: Gianni Grippo
This is the second major IBJJF tournament Gianni Grippo was forced to miss, having been stuck on the sidelines during the Euros. He’s already back on the mat following his knee surgery for a torn meniscus, but is overweight and didn’t have enough time to train properly for. He’ll be back for Worlds.
__________
In: The Young Guns
The lightweight division is stacked with up and coming black belt talent, including the likes of Mansher Khera, Edwin Najmi, AJ Sousa, Michael Liera Jr, Francisco 'Sinistro', Andris Brunovskis, Rafael Mansur.
Out: AJ Agazarm
Golden-haired Gracie Barra scrapper Agazarm (2015 silver medallist) is out but will no doubt matside to coach his GB comrades.
__________
In: Dillon Danis
Amazingly, Marcelo Garcia-trained stud Dillon Danis is already back and looking in top shape following the horrific elbow dislocation he suffered at the Copa Podio Lightweight Grand Prix in January. Not only does he say he’s 100% and ready to go, but he’s back in the weight category he calls home.
In: JT Torres
Atos black belt JT Torres made his return to competition just last month after a six-month layoff due to knee surgery. Torres took gold in 2015 at lightweight but his knee surgery and time out last year saw him pile on the pounds making a return to leve impossible. He has a stacked division of 33 hungry opponents to take on if he wants to double up.
__________
In: Romulo Barral
Romulo Barral is back in the gi once again. If his thunderous performance at the 2016 Euros is anything to go by, we could see fireworks in the medium heavyweight division.
In: Leandro Lo
Consistently one of the most exciting grapplers in any weight class, Leandro Lo will look to cement his position as number one-ranked medium heavyweight by going for gold once again. He’s become increasingly selective about which tournaments he enters, but the allure of a gold at Pans has brought him back to the action.
Out: Keenan Cornelius
Jiu-jitsu prodigy and technical wizard Keenan Cornelius is out of Pans this year. He’ll actually be competing in Guam at the Marianas Open (where there is a tasty cash prize) and is saving himself for the World Pro and Worlds.
__________
In: Tim Spriggs
Team Lloyd Irvin rep Tim Spriggs isn’t the most technical of grapplers, but he’s absolutely one of the toughest and also one of the smartest tacticians. Spriggs knows how to score when needed and has defense that’s very tough to crack. He’s a strong candidate for a podium finish.
Out: Felipe Pena
Unfortunately Felipe Pena is still nursing the arm he injured in that crazy match against Erberth Santos at the Euros. He told us he’s already back training hard, but wants to give it a little while longer before coming back to compete. Expect to see him at the World Pro and Worlds.
Out: Jackson Sousa
Checkmat star Jackson Sousa, who lives in Europe, will not be making the trip to California this year to compete in Pans, the reason being that he is signed up to compete in the London Grand Slam which takes place at the same time.
__________
In: Yuri Simoes
Yuri Simoes powered through a serious neck injury to win the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships last August and managed to come back for a no-gi match against Preguica in November on Berkut. Now we finally get to see Simoes back in the gi, and at super heavyweight no less.
Out: Erberth Santos
A straight-up badass who presents a danger for anyone in his division, Erberth Santos is unfortunately absent from Pans this year for the same reason as Jackson Sousa – he has elected to compete in the London Grand Slam. Santos narrowly leads the rankings in the UAEJJF Grand Slam series and with $25,000 on the line can’t afford to miss the final stage in London.
__________
In: Andre Galvao
Yes, you read that right. Natural medium heavyweight Andre Galvao will compete in the +100kg (220lb) division. With two of his teammates already at medium heavy, Atos co-founder Galvao decided to go up three whole weight classes.
In: Joao Gabriel Rocha
Soul Fighters black belt Joao Gabriel is back at ultra heavyweight and chasing after absolute gold. Check out what he had to say about his return to his fighting weight.
Out: Gabriel Lucas
Checkmat ultra heavyweight Gabriel ‘Fedor’ Lucas has decided not to go to Pans this year (or the Brazilian Nationals) as he says he’s focused instead on the two big targets of the Abu Dhabi World Pro in April and the IBJJF Worlds in June. With so many tournaments back to back between now and then, he says he doesn’t want to risk getting injured and wants to be 100% for a world championships medal.
__________
In: Gezary Matuda
With a gold at Worlds on her resume, not to mention her lightning-fast submission of Michelle Nicolini last year, Gezary Matuda is a hot favorite for top spot at this year’s Pans.
In: Tammi Musumeci
2015 was a year of ups and downs for Tammi Musumeci, and this is her first big tournament of 2016. How she’ll perform considering she balances her punishing training schedule with law school remains to be seen, but no doubt she’ll fight with the same intensity and aggression she’s so well known for.
Out: Angelica Galvao
As we recently reported, Angelica Galvao suffered a terrible knee injury in training that will see her out until the end of the year. Her absence leaves a big gap in the middleweight division.
In: Dominyka Obelenyte
Grappling phenom and Marcelo Garcia rep Dominyka Obelenyte got her black belt last year at only 19 years of age, and promptly went on to win gold at Worlds. This is her first major competition in the gi since then, and she’s moved up to super heavyweight as she’s had difficulty finding tournaments with enough competitors in her weight class. With four competitors in her bracket she’s finally back in business.
Sign up to watch the 2016 IBJJF Pans – we've got coverage of every mat, every day both LIVE and on replay!
There are some big names notable for the absence, so we’ve put together a list of who’s in and who’s out ahead of next week’s grappling extravaganza.
UPDATED Wednesday, March 16: A number of final changes have been made to the divisions and we've reflected these below
Black Belt Roosterweight
In: Mikey Musumeci Following his highly successful debut at black belt last year, Mikey Musumeci returns to the gi for a shot at his first major tournament victory. The super technical Art of Jiu-Jitsu rep is among the favorites to win the division, but will face tough opponents such as European silver medallist Koji Shibamoto of Tri-Force.
Out: Caio Terra
Caio Terra will be on the sidelines during Pans coaching his students and teammates throughout the tournament. We’ve got word that he’ll definitely be back for Worlds though.
Black Belt Light Featherweight
Out: Kim Terra Following a botched flying triangle attempt during a no-gi match in a small local tournament, Kim Terra suffered a concussion and neck injury that will see him out until further notice. Amazingly, even though he knocked himself out Terra recovered and went on to win by submission, although he has no memory of the rest of the match!
Out: Samir Chantre
It’s rare to go to an IBJJF tournament in the U.S. and not see Samir Chantre in action, but the light featherweight is injured and will have to sit this one out. He hopes to be back for Worlds.
Black Belt Featherweight
In: Bruno Frazatto
We last saw Bruno Frazatto in action during the 2016 Europeans where he competed in the Masters 1 category. He’s back now in the adult division, and he’ll probably be using this tournament as preparation for his upcoming superfight with Gianni Grippo in April.
In: Marcio Andre Following his win at the Euros, Marcio Andre is back after missing last year’s Pans during to a knee injury. He’ll look to ride the wave of success following his points win over Paulo Miyao, who he beat in Portugal by points.
Out: Gianni Grippo
This is the second major IBJJF tournament Gianni Grippo was forced to miss, having been stuck on the sidelines during the Euros. He’s already back on the mat following his knee surgery for a torn meniscus, but is overweight and didn’t have enough time to train properly for. He’ll be back for Worlds.
Black Belt Lightweight
In: The Young Guns
The lightweight division is stacked with up and coming black belt talent, including the likes of Mansher Khera, Edwin Najmi, AJ Sousa, Michael Liera Jr, Francisco 'Sinistro', Andris Brunovskis, Rafael Mansur.
Out: AJ Agazarm
Golden-haired Gracie Barra scrapper Agazarm (2015 silver medallist) is out but will no doubt matside to coach his GB comrades.
Black Belt Middleweight
In: Dillon Danis
Amazingly, Marcelo Garcia-trained stud Dillon Danis is already back and looking in top shape following the horrific elbow dislocation he suffered at the Copa Podio Lightweight Grand Prix in January. Not only does he say he’s 100% and ready to go, but he’s back in the weight category he calls home.
In: JT Torres
Atos black belt JT Torres made his return to competition just last month after a six-month layoff due to knee surgery. Torres took gold in 2015 at lightweight but his knee surgery and time out last year saw him pile on the pounds making a return to leve impossible. He has a stacked division of 33 hungry opponents to take on if he wants to double up.
Black Belt Medium Heavyweight
In: Romulo Barral Romulo Barral is back in the gi once again. If his thunderous performance at the 2016 Euros is anything to go by, we could see fireworks in the medium heavyweight division.
In: Leandro Lo
Consistently one of the most exciting grapplers in any weight class, Leandro Lo will look to cement his position as number one-ranked medium heavyweight by going for gold once again. He’s become increasingly selective about which tournaments he enters, but the allure of a gold at Pans has brought him back to the action.
Out: Keenan Cornelius
Jiu-jitsu prodigy and technical wizard Keenan Cornelius is out of Pans this year. He’ll actually be competing in Guam at the Marianas Open (where there is a tasty cash prize) and is saving himself for the World Pro and Worlds.
Black Belt Heavyweight
In: Tim Spriggs Team Lloyd Irvin rep Tim Spriggs isn’t the most technical of grapplers, but he’s absolutely one of the toughest and also one of the smartest tacticians. Spriggs knows how to score when needed and has defense that’s very tough to crack. He’s a strong candidate for a podium finish.
Out: Felipe Pena
Unfortunately Felipe Pena is still nursing the arm he injured in that crazy match against Erberth Santos at the Euros. He told us he’s already back training hard, but wants to give it a little while longer before coming back to compete. Expect to see him at the World Pro and Worlds.
Out: Jackson Sousa
Checkmat star Jackson Sousa, who lives in Europe, will not be making the trip to California this year to compete in Pans, the reason being that he is signed up to compete in the London Grand Slam which takes place at the same time.
Black Belt Super Heavyweight
In: Yuri Simoes
Yuri Simoes powered through a serious neck injury to win the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships last August and managed to come back for a no-gi match against Preguica in November on Berkut. Now we finally get to see Simoes back in the gi, and at super heavyweight no less.
Out: Erberth Santos
A straight-up badass who presents a danger for anyone in his division, Erberth Santos is unfortunately absent from Pans this year for the same reason as Jackson Sousa – he has elected to compete in the London Grand Slam. Santos narrowly leads the rankings in the UAEJJF Grand Slam series and with $25,000 on the line can’t afford to miss the final stage in London.
Black Belt Ultra Heavyweight
In: Andre Galvao Yes, you read that right. Natural medium heavyweight Andre Galvao will compete in the +100kg (220lb) division. With two of his teammates already at medium heavy, Atos co-founder Galvao decided to go up three whole weight classes.
In: Joao Gabriel Rocha
Soul Fighters black belt Joao Gabriel is back at ultra heavyweight and chasing after absolute gold. Check out what he had to say about his return to his fighting weight.
Out: Gabriel Lucas
Checkmat ultra heavyweight Gabriel ‘Fedor’ Lucas has decided not to go to Pans this year (or the Brazilian Nationals) as he says he’s focused instead on the two big targets of the Abu Dhabi World Pro in April and the IBJJF Worlds in June. With so many tournaments back to back between now and then, he says he doesn’t want to risk getting injured and wants to be 100% for a world championships medal.
Black Belt Female Light Featherweight
In: Gezary Matuda With a gold at Worlds on her resume, not to mention her lightning-fast submission of Michelle Nicolini last year, Gezary Matuda is a hot favorite for top spot at this year’s Pans.
Black Belt Female Lightweight
In: Tammi Musumeci
2015 was a year of ups and downs for Tammi Musumeci, and this is her first big tournament of 2016. How she’ll perform considering she balances her punishing training schedule with law school remains to be seen, but no doubt she’ll fight with the same intensity and aggression she’s so well known for.
Black Belt Female Middleweight
Out: Angelica Galvao
As we recently reported, Angelica Galvao suffered a terrible knee injury in training that will see her out until the end of the year. Her absence leaves a big gap in the middleweight division.
Black Belt Female Super Heavyweight
In: Dominyka Obelenyte Grappling phenom and Marcelo Garcia rep Dominyka Obelenyte got her black belt last year at only 19 years of age, and promptly went on to win gold at Worlds. This is her first major competition in the gi since then, and she’s moved up to super heavyweight as she’s had difficulty finding tournaments with enough competitors in her weight class. With four competitors in her bracket she’s finally back in business.
Sign up to watch the 2016 IBJJF Pans – we've got coverage of every mat, every day both LIVE and on replay!