The brackets are out for the 2018 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship! The first thing we always do when they come out is to circle the unmissable first-round matches that are guaranteed to deliver fireworks. 

From feather to ultra-heavyweight, here are 10 of the most explosive matches to look forward to this weekend in Irvine, California.

Watch every match and every mat of the IBJJF 2018 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship LIVE or On Demand ONLY on FloGrappling from March 8-11. 

All Times Pacific

FW: Samir Chantre vs. Isaac Doederlein 

(Mat 4) Sunday, March 11, at 9:48 AM — link to bracket

Isaac Doederlein of Alliance is one of the brightest up-and-coming stars of the featherweight black belt division, and he’ll certainly have his hands full with veteran competitor Samir Chantre. 

Vitor Oliveira secures the pass. 

LW: Vitor Oliveira vs. John Combs

(Mat 6) Saturday, March 10 at 9 AM — link to bracket

Olveira is a tough-as-nails GF Team athlete with incredible takedowns and a merciless top game. Combs, an energetic scrapper who trains in Colorado, has a habit of going hard after his opponents, which can either result in an epic win or spectacular defeat. These two together are a mouth-watering combination. 

LW: Hugo Marques vs. Victor Silverio 

(Mat 7) Sunday, March 11, at 9:12 AM — link to bracket

Very much cut from the same cloth, Marques and Silverio have a lot in common: They’re both fast, explosive, incredibly hard to score on, and tricky as hell. Silverio has looked good at lightweight since moving to Gracie Barra from GF Team, and Marques is coming off a big win at the Spyder Invitational tournament in Korea. 

MW: Nathan Mendelsohn vs. Rolando Samson 

(Mat 4) Sunday, March 11, at 11:24 AM — link to bracket

Opening rounds often feature matches between grapplers looking to establish their names in the grand scheme of things. The Atos athlete Rolando Samson, a double bronze medalist at brown belt in 2017, will face a tough test in Mendelsohn, who recently took bronze at the IBJJF European Championship. 

MW: Diego Ramalho vs. Otavio Sousa 

(Mat 5) Sunday, March 11, at 10:36 AM — link to bracket

Ramalho and Sousa last faced off at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in Los Angeles, with the ZR Team black belt beating Sousa via one advantage. Sousa has always performed well at Pans, and the Gracie Barra black belt will be looking for his fourth Pan title this weekend. He’ll have the chance to avenge that recent loss in his opening round of the tournament. 

Marcos Tinoco gets the sweep. 

MW: Michael Perez vs. Marcos Tinoco 

(Mat 5) Sunday, March 11, at 11:12 AM — link to bracket

Brash, young Atos black belt Michael Perez is in the deep end at Pans, and that’s just how he likes it. With a fearless approach and an in-your-face style, Perez will face off with Marcos Tinoco, a world silver medalist and Euro champ who has yet to medal at Pans. Perez couldn’t ask for a tougher test. 

MW: Tommy Langaker vs. Dante Leon 

(Mat 5) Sunday, March 11, at 11:24 AM — link to bracket

Two men who were known for having exceptional brown belt careers, the Norwegian Langaker and Canadian Leon have yet to face off. Now black belts, they’ll be able to cross that off their list in the first round of the middleweight division at Pans. The hyper-aggressive submission hunter Langaker will meet his match in Leon, a gritty competitor known for his athleticism and focus. 

Keenan on the attack.

SHW: Keenan Cornelius vs. Fellipe Trovo 

(Mat 1) Sunday, March 11, at 12:24 PM — link to bracket

Two-time Pan champ Keenan Cornelius is on a tear right now, and he’s a heavy favorite to win the super-heavyweight division at the 2018 Pans. His opening match will be a very interesting affair as he meets Romulo Barral’s new recruit in Trovo, a distinguished brown belt competitor with a tricky guard game that will surely see things get creative. 

SHW: Gutemberg Pereira vs. Jared Dopp 

(Mat 1) Sunday, March 11, at 12:48 PM — link to bracket

One of the toughest wrestlers in the game, Jared Dopp is known for going headfirst at his opponents, something GF Team black belt Gutemberg Pereira will surely appreciate. Pereira has been working on his wrestling but we could well see him pull to guard — either way, this is a badass match. The winner will face Mahamed Aly. 

Dany Gerard of Atos.

UHW: Max Gimenis vs. Dany Gerard 

(Mat 5) Sunday, March 11, at 1:12 PM — link to bracket

Gimenis and Gerard have never fought before, but this is a crucial clash between the two big men. The winner will go on to meet 2017 champ Joao Gabriel Rocha, making this opening-round matchup a key match for making it through to the later rounds.