The brackets for the 2018 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships are out! And once again, there are some incredible first-round matches that promise nothing less than absolute mayhem. 

Here is a handy viewing so you can stay on top of all the amazing action to come this weekend. Remember, start times are approximate and real-time mat assignments can be found here.

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Alexandre Vieira (BTT) vs Cleber Sousa (Atos) – Light-featherweight

Watch it: Mat 9, Sat Jun 2 at 03:51 PM

Owner of the most savage loop choke of 2017, Alexandre Vieira is a submission-machine with attacks from an array of unorthodox positions. Cleber Sousa, who had a standout brown belt career and made a loud noise when he beat Michael Musumeci at 2017 Pans, is a diehard competitor from Almeida JJ. 

Wellington Dias (Gracie Humaita) vs Kevin Mahecha (American Top Team) – Featherweight 

Watch it: Mat 11, Sat Jun 2 at 04:53 PM

Everybody agrees that Wellington "Megaton" Dias is a living legend of jiu-jitsu. Competing in his 22nd straight World Championships, he is the oldest man in the black belt divisions and has been training jiu-jitsu longer than many of his fellow competitors have been on this planet. Mahecha is a technical and hungry young athlete out of Florida who will know better than to take Dias lightly. The winner of this match will face Marcio Andre. 

Osvaldo "Queixinho" Moizino (Ares) vs AJ Agazarm (Gracie Barra) – Featherweight 

Watch it: Mat 12, Sat Jun 2 at 04:42 PM

Moizino– a perennial face on the podium of major tournaments everywhere– slid into the list of entrants at the last minute. Agazarm, who returns to the featherweight division once again, is a well-known face who makes every match a hard-fought, gritty affair. Either man could have made it to the later rounds, winning this match a huge obstacle will have been overcome early in the game. 

Espen Mathiesen (Kimura) vs Michael Liera Jr. (Atos) – Lightweight 

Watch it: Mat 8, Sat Jun 2 at 04:17 PM

Two of the most technical names in the lightweight division, Mathiesen and Liera Jr. share much in common stylistically: killer de la riva games, precise gripping strategies, sticky back controls and slick submissions. In most other tournaments this could have been a final, but in a loaded division such as lightweight it's simply a numbers game that this ended up a first-round match. 

Celso Vinicius (XCoach Team) vs Francisco Iturralde (Del Mar JJ Club) – Lightweight 

Watch it: Mat 8, Sat Jun 2 at 04:29 PM

Known as one of the toughest veteran competitors in any division, Celso Vinicius (aka Celsinho) is incredibly durable and tough to score on. Style-wise, he's conservative and predictable (a heavy top game an old-school half guard), making him the complete opposite of his opponent Francisco "Sinistro" Iturralde. Sinistro has one of the wildest and most unpredictable games out there, making him very hard to deal with. Whoever wins will face the winner of Mathiesen vs Liera Jr. 

JT Torres (Atos) vs Marcelo Mafra (Checkmat) – Lightweight 

Watch it: Mat 5, Sat Jun 2 at 03:45 PM

One of the hottest picks for champion in the lightweight division, JT Torres has been given a tough test in his opening match in the shape of Marcelo "Lapela" Mafra. The Checkmat veteran is a consummate pro grappler with a ton of experience, and is no easy warm-up for Torres, who eyes his first World gold medal at black belt. Mafra has the style and the smarts to disrupt anybody's plans, making this a crucial determinator of how the rest of the division will play out. 

Watch: JT Torres rolls with Super-Heavyweight Black Belt

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Johnny Tama (Alliance) vs Hugo Marques (Soul Fighters) – Lightweight 

Watch it: Mat 5, Sat Jun 2 at 04:23 PM

Put two up-and-coming names with a reputation for explosive matches together and watch the fireworks happen. Tama is a firebrand from Ecuador with a killer variation of the Estima lock, while Marques is one of Rio de Janeiro's top young athletes. As if the stakes weren't high enough, the winner will face the winner of Torres vs Mafra. 

Johnny Tama shows his footlock

Alec Baulding (Alliance) vs Josh Hinger (Atos) – Middleweight 

Watch it: Mat 2, Sat Jun 2 at 04:34 PM

Baulding is a dark horse yet should never be counted out thanks to his "short man" spider guard and his excellent crucifix attacks. Hinger's known for his fearsome guillotine game and his follow-up omoplata/gogoplata attacks. The winner of this match will likely face Brazilian National silver medalist Yago de Souza. 

Charles Negromonte (Roger Gracie) vs Thiago Sa (Checkmat) – Medium-heavyweight 

Watch it: Mat 9, Sat Jun 2 at 05:34 PM

Both Negromonte and Sa are the kind of competitor you should never underestimate and always treat with caution. Both of them have the capability to ruin anybody's day, and are true "disruptors". They sit on the side side of the bracket as Matheus Diniz (Alliance) and Lucas Barbosa (Atos), an incredibly difficult side of the medium-heavyweight division. 

Murilo Santana (Unity JJ) vs DJ Jackson (Team Lloyd Irvin) – Medium-heavyweight  

Watch it: Mat 10, Sat Jun 2 at 05:30 PM

Though they couldn't be more different in terms of shape, style or background, both Jackson and Santana are known for having some of the gnarliest top pressure in the game, and their guard passing skills have destroyed the spirits of many an opponent. Neither man will want to be on bottom in this crucial opening match, with the winner facing Atos up-and-comer Gustavo Batista in the next match. 

Felipe Pena (Gracie Barra) vs Adam Wardzinski (Checkmat) – Heavyweight 

Watch it: Mat 6, Sat Jun 2 at 05:30 PM

Pena and Wardzinski are no strangers to each other, but it is curious they should meet in the opening round of the heavyweight division as they usually meet in superfights or in the finals of other tournaments. Still, every time they compete it's an interesting affair, with Wardzinski 0-4 against Pena but doing his best to close the gap. The winner will likely face Xande Ribeiro. 

No Rest for World Pro Champ Felipe Pena, Who Eyes Next Prize

Jackson Sousa (Checkmat) vs Helton Junior (Cicero Costha) – Heavyweight  

Watch it: Mat 5, Sat Jun 2 at 06:18 PM

This heavyweight first-round bout is a rematch of their meeting at the European Championships in January, where Helton submitted Jackson with a toehold. Expect an invigorated Sousa to come out hard in search of revenge, and a determined Helton to want to repeat his earlier success.

Mahamed Aly (Team Lloyd Irvin) vs Jared Dopp (Alliance) – Super-heavyweight 

Watch it: Mat 2, Sat Jun 2 at 06:46 PM

We've practically lost count of the number of times we've seen Dopp and Aly go at it, as they've been killing each other since the brown belt days. Most recently they met at Pans with Aly winning by a massive 16-0. Now repping Alliance, Dopp will surely look even things out between them again. 

Watch: Aly vs Dopp 2018 Pans

Manuel Pontes (Gracie Barra) vs Fellipe Trovo (Ushirobira JJ) – Super-heavyweight 

Watch it: Mat 1, Sat Jun 2 at 06:46 PM

European champion Manuel "Nelton" Pontes of Portugal (aka Ironman, due to his incredible strength) will have his hands full with the ultra-flexible and tricky Fellipe Trovo, who though officially representing Ushirobira JJ has been with Romulo Barral since earlier this year. 

Max Gimenis (GF Team) vs Tanner Rice (Soul Fighters) – Ultra-heavyweight 

Watch it: Mat 2, Sat Jun 2 at 05:34 PM

Now trying his hand at ultra-heavyweight, Tanner Rice will meet another long and lanky grappler in the shape of GF Team's Max Gimenis. A tough opening round for both men, who will also have to grapple with the knowledge that winning this match puts them in front of Buchecha in the following round. 

* Update Mon, May 28: Tanner Rice has announced he will not be competing at Worlds this year. "I won’t be able to compete at this year's Worlds due to moving Rice Bros BJJ to a new location. So I’ll be wearing a tool belt instead of my gi during Worlds. I’ll be back stronger and better than before." 

Join now to watch the 2018 World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship live

May 31 to Jun 3 | Long Beach, CA