2024 ADCC World Championships Presented by FloGrappling

FloGrappling Analysts Predict How The ADCC -99kg Bracket Will Be Seeded

Corey Stockton, Joe Gilpin & Carlos Arthur Jr. make their seeding and bracket predictions for the -99kg division at the 2024 ADCC World Championships.

Jul 26, 2024 by Corey Stockton

FloGrappling Analysts Predict How The ADCC -99kg Bracket Will Be Seeded

The countdown to the 2024 ADCC World Championships is coming to an end. We're just 22 days away from biggest event in grappling at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Aug. 17-18.

As the all star brackets fill up, we're beginning to anticipate which matches we may see, which athletes will be seeded where, and what the brackets may look like.

Three FloGrappling analysts tried our hands at predicting how the brackets will be drawn, including the unpredictable 88kg division. Take a look at our best guesses below.

Corey Stockton

Kaynan Duarte is the reigning back to back ADCC champion, including a title at -99kg in 2022, making him the clear no.1 seed in this bracket. And Nicholas Meregali, who took a bronze at -99 and a silver in the absolute, is the obvious no.2.

Kaynan will face Daishi Goto, who was the last man invited to -99kg. Kaynan is locked to Atos teammate Javier Zaruski, making Zaruski the 9.

My no.3 seed: Rafael Lovato Jr, a multiple-time ADCC medalist who took fourth place at -99kg in 2022. Cyborg gets the no.4 for his various ADCC titles and Vinicius Trator gets the no.4 for his 2019 ADCC silver medal.

I would have given the no.6 to ADCC veteran Patrick Gaudio, but he lost to ADCC vet Henrique Ceconi in the South American Trials finals, so Ceconi goes to the no.6, and Gaudio to the no.7 spot.

For the no.8, it's four time ADCC trials winner Paul Ardila.

The then through 15 spots are a bit more difficult to seed, but I'm favoring ADCC Trials winners over invitees. The favorite among them is Michael Pixley, who won the always difficult West Coast Trials. That would put him up against Patrick Gaudio, although I could also see him in match with Cyborg, Trator, Ceconi or Lovato sheerly for entertainment value.

Declan Moody has been one of the most promising Trials winners in this division, so I'm giving him the no.11, and the Polish Punisher, Marcin Maciulewicz the no.12, giving them both interesting stylistic matchups.

The no.13 through no.15 seeds are anybody's guess. I went with Alex Grandy for a matchup with Cyborg, Trials winner Daniel Schuardt for a match with Lovato, then Eli Braz at the no.15 to take on the no.2, Nicholas Meregali.

Joe Gilpin

Pretty easy for the top spots, returning gold and bronze Kaynan Duarte and Nicholas Meregali get separated as the one and two. Because they are both Atos, Kaynan at the one moves Zaruski into the nine spot.

Next up will be Rafael Lovato Jr and Roberto Cyborg, but to prevent a potential rematch issue I think Lovato works better as the three seed - and considered Cyborg lost first round in his weight last time I think it’s warranted. The only other past medalist here is Trator, so I gave him the fifth. I moved Lovato so they don’t meet again in the quarters like they did in 2022 - better to mix things up.

Now things get a little more complicated. The only other guy here who has won a match at ADCC before is Gaudio - in 2019 - so he deserves a high seed but he lost at Trials to Ceconi (also an ADCC veteran) so we are going with Ceconi at six and Gaudio at seven. Only Ardila has any ADCC experience of everyone left, so he goes into the eight (and has Zaruski first round).

Now we move into the Trials winners. Michael Pixley won West Coast Trials, historically the toughest Trials, so he will slot in next at the ten - and a first round with Gaudio. Next up, the most impressive through Trials season was likely Declan Moody of B-Team so we will include him as the eleven (first round against Ceconi). He was also recently very impressive against fellow Trials winner Felipe Costa (now down at -88kg).

With five grapplers left, I could see this group going a lot of different ways. Because Diashi Goto didn’t place at any of the Trials, I think he’s likely the 16. We still have two Trials winners, Schuardt and Macielewicz. Alex Grandy placed at East Coast Trials and beat ADCC Worlds veteran Devhonte Johnson. Braz placed second at South American Trials twice this cycle. So what order do these last four go in - for spots 12-15?

I ultimately decided to go with Grandy next, as he had the most impressive win and placed at the toughest region. After Alex, Marcin won Euro Trials and I slot him in next in a big match for ‘The Punisher’ against Cyborg. Next up, I went with Gabriel Braz - he lost at two Trials to tough guys and was very impressive even in defeat and this sets him up for a first round with Trator. That leaves Asian Trials winner Daniel as the 15, and Meregali’s first round.

Carlos Arthur Jr.

Kaynan Duarte comes in as the no.1 seed with his two ADCC golds and for being the reigning champion. He will probably face newcomer Daishi Goto in the first match. After that, we have Javier Zaruski, an Atos teammate of Kaynan, facing Brazilian Trials runner-up Elionai Braz. Still in the first half of the bracket, former ADCC Absolute Champion Roberto Cyborg is my no.4 seed and will face 10th Planet's Alex Grandy, while Vinicius Trator has a good challenge against B-Team's Declan Moody.

Nicholas Meregali is the no.2 seed and will face leglocker Marcin Maciulewicz in the other half of the bracket. Right after, New Wave's teammate of Nicholas, Daniel Schuardt, will fight against ADCC veteran and 2024 Brazilian National Champ Patrick Gaudio. Rafael Lovato is my no. 3 seed with his ADCC experience and strong run in 2022. He will face Michal Pixley. Closing the bracket, Henrique Ceconi will challenge Paul Ardila.