If the explosive first-round matches in the black belt brackets are anything to judge by, the IBJJF World Championships is shaping up to be another memorable experience on June 1-4 in Long Beach, CA.

Here are 10 of the standout battles due to go down in the opening stage of the IBJJF Worlds! 

Gabriel Rollo vs. Yan Lucas 

This opening middleweight bout sees a clash of styles. Long and lanky (his nickname "Palito" means "toothpick"), Gabriel Rollo of Checkmat will face the short and stocky Yan Lucas of Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu. This is Lucas' first Worlds as a black belt, while Rollo has plenty of experience -- including a win over veteran Michael Langhi at last year's Worlds.


Alliance's Johnny Tama on top. Chase Smith / FloGrappling

Johnny Tama vs. Kevin Mahecha

Another bout to look forward to in the lightweight division, Ecuadorian grappler Johnny Tama will make his Worlds black belt debut against the almost always underrated Kevin Mahecha, a tough and technical grappler from Florida. Tama's aggressive style classes with Mahecha's own dangerous submission game. 

Dillon Danis vs. Lucas Barbosa 

Everybody who took one look at the brackets noticed straight away this mouth-watering match. A battle between the prodigious talent of Dillon Danis and the controlled fury of Lucas "Hulk" could have been a headline superfight anywhere else. Luckily, fans get to watch them go at it in the first round of the medium heavyweight division on Saturday. 

Thiago Sa vs. Lucas Rocha 

Though he doesn't have the same star power, don't sleep on Lucas Rocha. The ZR Team member was the one who put Danis out of Pans back in March, and he'll meet the ever-dangerous Thiago Sa of Checkmat on the other side of the medium heavyweight bracket from Hulk and Danis. Guaranteed to be entertaining. 

Gregor Gracie vs. Marcos Souza 

Two lifelong practitioners of the art of jiu-jitsu will meet in the medium heavyweight division when Gregor Gracie faces off with Marcos Souza, brother of Roberto Satoshi. The fighting traditions run strong in both families, meaning there will be plenty on the line when they meet on Saturday. 

Horlando Monteiro vs. Charles Negromonte 

Giving Monteiro his welcome to the black belt divisions at Worlds is the very tough Charles Negromonte. Little known because he is based in Europe, Negromonte's credentials are first class -- a ZR Team member and training partner of Roger Gracie in London, the Brazilian will go up against Nova Uniao's Horlando Monteiro, a brown belt champion at last year's Worlds. 


Explosive heavyweight Matheus Diniz (blue) is always one to watch. Photo: D Kline Design

Arnaldo Maidana vs. Matheus Diniz

Moving on to the heavyweight division, we see another all-Brazil affair with a match between Arnaldo Maidana of Checkmat and Matheus Diniz of Alliance. Neither man has yet to really taste true success at the Worlds as a black belt, so the stakes will be high as both fight to go through to the later rounds. 

Adam Wardzinski vs. Tanner Rice 

Europe versus the USA in this heavyweight match: Poland's Adam Wardzinski broke through into the black belt scene last year following a successful run as a brown belt. Rice's own story as a competitor has seen him get closer and closer to the top of the podium, taking silver at Europeans and Pans this year. 


Joao Gabriel Rocha of Soul Fighters attacks for a choke. Photo: Chase Smith / FloGrappling

Joao Gabriel Rocha vs. Vinny Magalhaes 

An ultra heavyweight dream match, young gun Joao Gabriel Rocha of Soul Fighters meets the veteran black belt Vinny Magalhaes. Rocha's youth, aggression, and desire will be a tough first match for Magalhaes, who will need every ounce of his experience to get past this opening match.  

Talita Alencar vs. Pati Fontes 

A first-round match in the women's black belt light featherweight division, both of these athletes are dynamic, aggressive, and exciting. Look for Fontes to use her length to keep the powerful Alencar at bay. 

Check out all of the brackets for the IBJJF 2017 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship here. 

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