The IBJJF is back with their premier invitation event The Crown, a tournament that brings together champions, veterans, and up-and-comers to battle it out for supremacy at the end of the IBJJF gi season. With expanded brackets and lots of prize money on the line, this year's event is looking to be bigger and better than last year's inaugural edition. Who has the edge leading into Sunday's action? Let's take a look at every division by favorites, contenders, and darkhorses.

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The event starts on Sunday, November 17, at 11:00 a.m. PST, exclusively streaming on FloGrappling.

Men's Featherweight

Favorites - 

• Diego Pato - Pato is maybe the best in the world right now when you consider who is doing well in gi, no-gi, absolute, and everything you can win. One of the titles that eludes the AOJ star is the Crown, though, where he took bronze last year. He's one of the most game black belts around and a master of the lapel guard and leg logs. He's won 3 of the last 4 worlds at light-feather, but will give up some size here which is his primary concern.
• Kennedy Maciel - Kennedy overall had a great gi season but left Worlds ultimately disappointed, losing in the quarters after winning the first three majors of the year. He navigated some incredibly tough brackets to do that, but the division is so deep with talent that it's hard to get true separation and that ultimately caught up to him at Worlds. Now he returns to the Pyramid to stamp his 2024 gi season with a new ending, and another potential gold. He's at his best when he's wrestling and playing the strategic game, but it would be a great development to see him open things up more.

Contenders - 

• Ademir Barreto - Ademir was one of the breakout gi athletes of the year, making the World finals in the deepest bracket after scoring wins over former World Champions. Now, after some time away to sharpen and build on that result, the GF Team black belt can show his new level.
• Jamil Hill-Taylor - Jamil is one of the trickiest, most creative black belts in the world, but he's been away from the competition scene for a few years now. He was once one of the top dogs at featherweight and if he's still at that form then he can win this bracket.

Darkhorses - 

• Osvaldo Queixinho - Queixinho is a loop choke master and a long-time veteran who is jumping back into the deep end by entering The Crown. The co-founder of Ares BJJ has still been active but as a Masters competitor, winning another Masters Worlds title this year. It will be a lot of fun to see him back in the mix, and if he can snatch that loop choke then it's a big problem for anyone.

Women's Lightweight

Favorites - 

• Janaina Maia - Janaina was one of the favorites for Worlds after a strong run to gold at Pans. Instead, she suffered an early DQ loss that sent her back to the drawing board. She's still one of the best in the world and now highly motivated to get back on top, especially with the World Champion Luiza Monteiro retiring.
• Brianna Ste-Marie - BSM was close to World gold but ultimately had to settle for silver, but now with Luiza laying down her belt in the Walter Pyramid it can be a new era in the weight class. Can the Canadian standout set the new tone and claim The Crown? This would be her biggest result ever in the gi.

Contenders - 

• Gabi McComb - Gabi is a late entry here, replacing Luiza, but that shouldn't diminish her chances. The Atos powerhouse has proven herself at every level of the sport, including an IBJJF world title, and plays a pressure-based game that wears people down over time. With a little momentum, Gabi becomes very hard to beat in any style.

Darkhorses - 

• Cassia Moura - Cassia is the dark horse to watch in any division. The fresh young black belt went blue to black in 363 days and now is getting into the toughest bracket she can. She is all around very talented but is best when hunting the back and finishing. Could this be the beginning of the Cassia era?

Men's Middleweight

Favorites - 

• Tainan Dalpra - Tainan returns to The Crown, able to become a back-to-back champion after winning gold here last year. Still, between now and then the only gi tournament he did was Worlds where he infamously lost early by DQ. This is a critical tournament for Tainan to get back his momentum and set himself up for a great run in 2025.

Contenders - 

• Andy Murasaki - Andy is so close to breaking through to the top of the podium, but he still needs that one performance. He was the runner-up here last year and a three-time silver medalist at Worlds - no doubt one of the best in the world but just not quite over the hump yet. This could be a huge weekend for him if he can fix those past mistakes and win The Crown.

Darkhorses - 

• Gabriel Galvão - Gabriel is a big question mark for the bracket after winning brown belt Worlds and he is facing off round one against the division's king, Tainan. After a win earlier this year over world finalist Francisco Lo, this could be a huge weekend for Galvão career.
• Elijah Dorsey - Big Breakfast is back in the gi, and after a year where he won his first black belt major at Euros, the TLI rep is ready for some breakouts performances. He's facing a tough run of opponents, including a possible war in round one with Matheus Luna, but if he can get rolling we could see a similar standout finish for him here like we did at ADCC.

Men's Heavyweight

Favorites - 

• Gustavo Batista - Brauginha had a stellar Worlds, going all subs to win at medium-heavy. Now, he bumps up to heavyweight where he has been before to face off with the field. If him and Adam hit in the finals, he's usually owned that series - winning 3 of the 4 meetings.
• Adam Wardziński - Adam has had a big year, finally getting over the hump to win Worlds with all submissions. While him and Gustavo are the clear favorites, he definitely isn't invulnerable to an upset - like at Pans when he lost to Machado. If Adam can win The Crown, he may be the black belt of the year.

Darkhorses - 

• Horlando Monteiro - Horlando is another veteran in the game and what makes him a threat to anyone isn't just his skill level (which is very high across the board) but his exciting style. Horlando is one of the more exciting big men in the game and that openness will lead to exciting finishes and great matches, win or lose.

Women's Super-Heavyweight

Favorites - 

• Gabi Pessanha - No one is a bigger favorite this weekend, or any weekend, than Gabi Pessanha. She has won 141 matches in a row and has only seemed to widen the gap against the field. Her consistency and dominance are to be appreciated, it is truly a rare feat.

Contenders - 

• Nathiely de Jesus - Nathiely is one of the most game athletes in the women's black belt ranks, always willing to take on anyone in any style. She's won major championships in gi and no-gi and now returns to IBJJF competition again, where she is a two-time absolute champion.

Darkhorses - 

• Maria Vicentini - 'Maca' impressed everyone at Jiu-Jitsu Con, giving Gabi her closest match in years. If just a single sequence in that match changed, she could have knocked off the queen. Now, with the benefit of having felt her already, she gets another potential crack.

Men's Ultra-Heavyweight

Favorites - 

• Erich Munis - The Fratres black belt is our favorite to win, after tearing his way to open class gold this year at Worlds. He's careful, technical, long & lengthy, and very experienced - a tough combo for anyone to beat. Erich has made it a point to open up more as he establishes separation from the field. Could we see him dominate his way to another Crown title? It's possible.

Contenders - 

• Gutemberg Pereira - Gutemberg began the year so strong, double golding at Euros, but then he stumbled as the year went with losses at Worlds in both the open class and weight. Now, with time to get healthy again he is back into the mix at The Crown, where he can put a stamp on the season and deliver on some more 2024 gold.
• Marcus Scooby - Scooby had a great year, making the podium at Worlds and securing a lot of great wins. Still, he is right on the edge of breaking through another level of success and it could begin here. He's got the mix of technique, size, and speed to get it done against anyone.

Darkhorses - 

• Felipe Costa - Felipe is a real interesting addition here, with most of his year spent in no-gi preparing for ADCC competition. He's of course no stranger to the gi, having been on the Worlds podium in 2023 at super-heavy. Since then he's lost some weight but gained a lot of experience and explosion. How he does here will be something to watch, he could make a deep run like he did at ADCC.
• Pedro Machado - Pedro is the big man for Atos this weekend, with Batista at heavyweight already (and only one per weight, per team). He's a little small for some of these guys but if he can get to his closed guard or the back, he can tap anyone of these guys and start making some real noise.

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