The 2023 IBJJF World Championships are kicking off, and while most attention is going to the black belts there is still a ton of amazing action in the colored belt divisions. We are especially excited for the brown belts, where the stars of tomorrow will be taking the mats on Thursday for their shot at gold.

The favorite coming into the tournament for the elusive double gold is #8 ranked Luke Griffith, New Wave's rising star who last year won gold-silver at this same tournament. In 2023, he is 37-1 with 37 submissions - an incredible campaign at any belt level.

 We have compiled this list of some of the best brown belts to keep an eye on at Worlds, and which mats they will start out on (all times local PST).

Men's Divisions

Rooster

• Richard Wetherell, Mat 5, 11:48am
• Kaimoni Operana, Mat 5, 12:18pm

Light-Feather

• Mourece Ramirez, Mat 1, 11:40am
• Vinicius Inacio, Mat 1, 11:20am
• Cameron Mellott, Mat 2, 11:10am

Feather

• Henrique Cordeiro, Mat 1, 10:00am
• Michael Sainz, Mat 10, 9:30am
• Yigit Hanay, Mat 12, 9:40am
• Cameron Donnelly, Mat 12, 9:30
• Fabian Ramirez, Mat 11, 10:10am

Light

• Henrique Camargo Barreto, Mat 6, 10:30am

Middle

• Fabyury Texeira Freitas, Mat 5, 9:40am
• Noah Chen, Mat 5, 10am
• Anthony Briones, Mat 4, 9:40am
• Miguel Costa Campos, Mat 4, 9:50am
• Alejandro Wajner, Mat 3, 9:50am

Medium-Heavy

• Joao Matheus de Melo Assonitis, Mat 8, 10:20am
• Dory Aoun, Mat 9, 10:40am
• Joab de Oliveira Camara, Mat 9, 10:20am
• Maxim Cote, Mat 8, 9:50am

Heavy

• Takeshiro Tanino Kauan Yuuki, Mat 11, 11:10am
• Andre Fernando Vieira Soares, Mat 4, 11:50am
• Troy Mercer, Mat 4, 11:40am

Super-Heavy

• Marcin Maciulewicz, Mat 10, 11:40am
• James Johnson, Mat 10, 12:10pm
• Jean-Sebastian Dionne-Roy, Mat 10, 11:50am
• Vince Corrado, Mat 10, 12pm

Ultra-Heavy

• Luke Griffith, Mat 12, 12:18pm
• Damon Ramos, Mat 12, 12:28pm

Women's Divisions

Rooster

• Yasmyn Castro, Mat 1, 12:28pm

Light-Feather

• Marilyn Cruz, Mat 9, 11:10am
• Thaynara Victoria, Mat 9, 11:40am
• Izabella Frezzo, Mat 9, 11am

Feather

• Tabatha Watkins, Mat 3, 11:50am
• Ana Mayordomo Garcia, Mat 3, 12pm
• Sophia Cassella, Mat 3, 11:10am
• Josefine Modig, Mat 3, 11:40am
• Mona Bailey, Mat 3, 10:40am

Light

• Peyton Letcher, Mat 8, 12:18pm
• Nicole Mathew, Mat 8, 11:40am
• Miranda Maverick, Mat 8, 11am
• Leilani Bernales, Mat 8, 12:08pm

Middle

• Nadia Frankland, Mat 6, 12:18pm
• Brittney Johnson, Mat 6, 11:48am
• Amanda Schurtz, Mat 6, 12:08pm

Medium-Heavy

• Nora Schultz, Mat 7, 12:28pm
• Jaidyn Mueller, Mat 7, 11:20am
• Aislinn O'Connell, Mat 7, 11:10am

Heavy

• Nia Blackman, Mat 11, 12:48pm
• Hannah Sternblitz, Mat 11, 12:38pm