By Michael Sears

Purple belt is where future stars of the sport begin to shine, and we expect no less at the 2018 IBJJF World Championships.

Join PRO to watch the 2018 IBJJF World Championship live and on demand.

We’ve seen many a future black belt world champion cut their teeth in these hyper-competitive, massive divisions. A true survival of the fittest scenario, purple belt offers the chance for athletes to make a name for themselves and prove their skills in a world-class arena. 

Always one of the toughest and most exciting divisions, the sheer number of purple belts signed up to compete can be overwhelming for fans looking to follow the action. Here’s an in-depth preview of the key names you should look out for. 

Related: Purple Belt: Pound-for-Pound Top 15 Ranking

Roosterweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 1st Thalison Soares (Cicero Costha), 2nd Shoya Ishiguro (Bonsai), 3rd Cory Walker (Lloyd Irvin)
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Demian Balderrama (Atos), 2nd Robert Vu (De Been)
• 2018 European champion: Johnif Rocha (Cicero Costha)
• 2018 Pan champion: Thalison Soares
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Thalison Soares

Soares has been on a tear in the purple roosterweight division around the world over the last two years, and if you include a closeout with his teammate Rocha at Euros he has the chance to Grand Slam at purple two years in a row. 

Thalison Soares. 

The Cicero Costha team prodigy has also won the Abu Dhabi World Pro in 2017 and 2018, and has not lost at rooster in over two years. This two year long winning streak is made even more impressive by the fact that he does EVERYTHING, competing almost every weekend. A third Cicero competitor in this bracket, Jonas Andrade, took third at purple light-feather at the 2016 Worlds.

Balderrama was the blue belt World champion a year ago up a weight at light-feather, and two of the other three remaining 2017 purple World medalists at this weight are returning in Shoya Ishiguro and Cory Walker.

The Blanch brothers from Caio Terra, Solomon and Gilgamesh, should also contend in this bracket. Gilgamesh took second at Pans. 

Light-Featherweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 1st Diego Batista (Cicero Costha), 3rd Joao Oliveira Costa (GFTeam), 3rd feather Daniel Amorim Junior (Atos)
• Incoming 2017 blue World Medalists: 1st Christian Fisher (Amazonas Rice Bros), 1st juvenile Meyram Maquine Alves (Lloyd Irvin), 2nd Roberto Fonseca (Alliance), 3rd juvenile Rico Staton (Lloyd Irvin), 3rd Liam Moss (Atos)
• 2018 European champion: Diego Batista
• 2018 Pan Champion: Raul Basilio (Atos)
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Diego Batista

Diego Batista is the returning champion and has won Euros and Brasileiro this year, closing out the Europeans with Cicero Costha teammate Jonas Andrade. Batista has however recently lost to Raul Basilio in the Pan final and Lucas Rodrigues at the Abu Dhabi World Pro.

Pan champ Basilio and World Pro champ Rodrigues are part of a log-jam of talent at this weight for Atos, with six competitors entered at purple light-feather. Also included in this group would be returning World bronze-medalists Liam Moss and Daniel Amorim.

Meyram Maquine Alves won gold a year ago in the blue belt juvenile 2 division, and recently took first at the 2018 Pans in the featherweight division. 2017 blue belt roosterweight World champ Cristian Fisher is signed up at light-feather this year.

With the two Cicero (Batista/Andrade) and Lloyd Irvin (Alves/Staton) representatives split on opposite sides of the bracket, the 6 Atos entries and three other returning medalists, light-feather is arguably the deepest bracket at purple.

Featherweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 3rd Mathias Luna (Checkmat)
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Israel Souza (GFTeam), 1st juvenile Andy Murasaki (Atos), 3rd Marlon Ferreira (GFTeam), 3rd juvenile Julio Arantes (Qatar BJJ)
• 2018 European champion: Mathias Luna
• 2018 Pan champion: Meyram Maquine Alves
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Jackson Rubens Pinheiro (Atos)

Mathias Luna is the lone returning purple medalist in this weight, and came away with the gold at the Euros in January. He will be challenged by a pair of incoming blue belt World champs in Murasaki and Souza.

Mathias Luna

Israel Souza ran through the competition at blue featherweight a year ago, but injuries have kept him off the circuit for the most part this year. Murasaki has looked strong in his first year up at adult, getting on the podium at the Pans and Euros. 2017 juvenile 2 World bronze medalist Julio Arantes took third at Brasileiro and silver at Europeans this year.

Lightweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 3rd Matheus Luna (Checkmat) 
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Johnatha Alves (Atos), 3rd Martin Gonzalez (Atos)
• 2018 European champion: Guthierry Barbosa (Carlson Gracie)
• 2018 Pan champion: Johnatha Alves 
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Guthierry Barbosa 

AOJ prodigy Alves has not been as active as some of the other big names in this divsion, but won the Pans in a dominant fashion, choking Guthierry Barbosa in the final.

Guthierry Barbosa has displayed incredible fortitude on two occasions this year, fighting his way through stacked brackets at the Euro and Brasileiro. Barbosa was a 2016 blue belt World champ at lightweight, before failing to make the podium last year at purple middle.

Guthierry Barbosa. Photo by Michael Sears

Italo Moura was a bronze-medalist in this division two years ago, and has been on the podium this year at the Euros and Pans. Moura also took gold at the Abu Dhabi World Pro last month.

A name to watch would be Alliance Mario Reis prospect Dionatan Wiggers. Wiggers fought his way through a deep Rio Grand Slam bracket, and along the way defeated both Barbosa and Moura. Barbosa however won the latest meeting with Wiggers in the Brasileiro final.

Mathias Luna is the only returning purple medalist at this weight, and recently looked sharp on his way to winning gold at the World Pro.

Middleweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 2nd Lucas Gualberto (Alliance)
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Scott Perry (Unity), 3rd Thiago Graca (Gracie Barra)
• 2018 European champion: Rafael dos Anjos (Alliance)
• 2018 Pan champion: Lucas Gualberto 
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Lucas Gualberto 

Another member of the Alliance Mario Reis team, Lucas Gualberto has to be considered the favorite heading into Worlds at purple middle. He not only took second a year ago at purple light but won the 2018 Pan and Brasileiro, defeating Ronaldo Junior in the Pan final. At Brasileiro, Gualberto closed out with Alliance teammate Rafael dos Anjos, who was also the Euro champ.

Gualberto (black gi) vs Ronaldo Jr.

The aforementioned Ronaldo Junior of Atos could certainly finish on top of the podium in this bracket. Ronaldo won the Royal Invitational a year ago, and closed out the Pan absolute with his teammate after losing to Gualberto in weight. 

Taylor Pearman of ZR team took third at Euros after submitting Roberto Jimenez. Unity Jiu-Jitsu has pair of tough competitors registered at this weight, in 2017 blue middle World champ Scott Perry and Sebastian Rodriguez.

Medium-Heavyweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 2nd Andrew Wiltse (Pedigo)
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Pedro Machado (Gordo), , 1st juvenile Igor Tanabe (Brasa CTA), 3rd Dante Cano Junior (Alliance), 3rd Adam Bradley (Atos)
• 2018 European champion: Mebtouche Reda (Mako Team)
• 2018 Pan champion: Pedro Machado
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Pedro Marinho (Gracie Barra)

Returning silver medalist Andrew Wiltse, three 2017 blue belt World champions, the 2018 Euro and Brasileiro champs plus the Euro open class champion add up to a brutal road to World champion in the purple medium-heavyweight division.

Wiltse, himself a former blue belt World champion, lost a close match to Kaynan Duarte in last years World final. Machado won not only medium-heavy but the open class a year ago at blue, and has won Pans and the Abu Dhabi World Pro so far at purple.

Cemil Karahan

European and Brasileiro champs Reda and Marinho are registered for Worlds, along with European open class champion Cemil Karahan. Incoming juvenile World champ Tanabe has been consistently getting on the podium at major tournaments.

The entire open class podium from Euros will actually be in this weight. Karahan defeated Tanabe in the final and Reda in the semi of that bracket, with Antonio Alencar of Alliance being the other bronze medalist. Tacio Carneiro took second at Euros and third at Brasileiro this year in the medium-heavyweight division. Atos competitors Pete O’neal and Adam Bradley should be in contention for the title.

Heavyweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 3rd Eric Bergmann (Gracie Barra)
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Conner Deangelis (Atos), 1st juvenile Roberto Jimenez (Alliance),  2nd Davi Silva (GFTeam), 1st juvenile Yago Neves (Gracie Barra)
• 2018 European champion: Conner Deangelis 
• 2018 Pan champion: Conner Deangelis 
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Anderson Munis (Nova Uniao) 

This weight seemed destined to be a showdown between Deangelis and the Munis brothers, Anderson and Erich who closed out Brasileiro at weight and open and dominated the World Pro. Visa issues however have kept both Munis brothers out of this year’s Worlds.

The purple belt absolute podium at 2018 Pans. 

Deangelis is no doubt the heavy favorite to take this division at Worlds. The Atos competitor won this weight at blue a year ago and took the gold at both Euros and Pans this year. Eric Bergmann is the sole returning purple medalist, but a few impressive new purple belts should figure in next week.

Deangelis should be challenged in this weight by the athlete he met a year ago in the blue final, Davi Silva, along with juvenile World champs Yago Neves and Roberto Jimenez and 2018 Pan and Euro medalist Alessandro Borgonovo.

Super-Heavyweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: none
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Hudson Taylor (Alliance), 3rd Taylor Kettler (Renato Tavares)
• 2018 European champion: Wilson Moreira Junior
• 2018 Pan champion: Wilson Moreira Junior
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Jackson Batista (Cicero Costha)

This years Pan and European champ Wilson Moreira is registered at rown belt, opening the path for a new competitor to take control of this division.

Incoming blue belt World champion Hudson Taylor from Alliance Marcelo Garcia could be a potential problem for not just super-heavyweight but also the open class. Not only is Taylor already an IBJJF World champ, but while at the University of Maryland was an all-American wrestler and is ranked fifth in NCAA history with 87 pins. 

Andre Porfirio of Cicero Costha was a two-time World champion and also World runner-up at blue belt. Taylor Kettler medaled in his weight and the open class in 2017 at blue.

Ultra-Heavyweight

• Returning 2017 purple World medalists: 2nd Pedro Pimenta (GFTeam)
• Incoming 2017 blue World medalists: 1st Wallace Costa (GFTeam), 3rd Renan Cruz (Marcio Cruz)
• 2018 European champion: Mason Fowler (Dethrone)
• 2018 Pan champion: Wallace Costa
• 2018 Brasileiro champion: Pedro Pimenta

All three major IBJJF tournaments plus the Abu Dhabi World Pro have been won by different athletes this year at ultra-heavyweight. All four competitors are registered for Worlds and will make for an intriguing bracket in Long Beach.

Although much smaller at 220 pounds than some of the massive ultra-heavies present in this division, Mason Fowler has dominated the larger opponents over the past year. Fowler made his run to gold at the 2018 Euros look easy and should certainly contend at Worlds.

Pedro Pimenta is the returning silver medalist and current Brasileiro champ. Recently however in Abu Dhabi, Pimenta went down to eventual champ Roosevelt Sousa of Halavanca BJJ.

Pimenta’s GFTeam teammate Wallace Costa was the blue champ a year ago and Pan champ in March. The massive Costa and Pimenta will be split on opposite sides, and potentially facing them back-to-back is a daunting task for the rest of the division. 

Watch the 2018 World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship live

May 31 to June 3 | Long Beach, CA

Schedule:

All times PDT

THURSDAY, MAY 31

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Rooster 09:00 AM

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Light Feather 09:36 AM

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Feather 09:00 AM

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Light 10:12 AM

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Middle 11:51 AM

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Medium Heavy 11:42 AM

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Heavy 01:12 PM

Adult / Male / PURPLE / Super Heavy 01:21 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Rooster 01:30 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Light Feather 01:39 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Feather 02:42 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Light 02:42 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Middle 03:18 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Medium Heavy 03:27 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Heavy 03:27 PM

Adult / Female / PURPLE / Super Heavy 04:30 PM