No-Gi season is officially underway. The first major IBJJF No-Gi tournament of the year– as always– is the Pan No-Gi Championship. 

Taking place at the Nat Holman Gymnasium in New York on September 15-16, No-Gi Pans sees many top athletes in action as they look to prepare for the upcoming IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, scheduled for December. Catch all the action streamed live on Flograppling.com.

Kaynan aiming to topple “King” Ryan 

Reigning ADCC 88kg champion Gordon Ryan (Renzo Gracie) making his IBJJF black belt debut at No-Gi Pans is no doubt the biggest story heading into the tournament. While some might point out that the heelhooks favored by Gordon and his ‘Danaher Death Squad’ teammates are illegal in IBJJF competition, Gordon has proven himself capable of finishing elite competitors with a variety of submissions. Keenan Cornelius, Romulo Barral, Yuri Simoes and Craig Jones count among the athletes finished by Ryan with IBJJF legal subs in the last year. 

Challenging Ryan in the ultra-heavyweight division will be Andre Galvao’s prodigy student, 20-year-old Kaynan Duarte (Atos). Duarte is 18-3 in a short black belt career since getting promoted on the podium at Worlds back in June, and has won his weight and the open class at No-Gi Worlds the last two years running (as a purple and brown belt). Duarte was also in action at the 2017 ADCC in Finland, submitting past champion Pablo Popovitch in the first round before going down to teammate Keenan Cornelius in the next match. 

Miyao going for fifth consecutive title 

Two-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion Joao Miyao (Cicero Costha) will be looking to win the light-featherweight division at No-Gi Pans for a fifth consecutive year. Miyao looked sharp last week at the UWW Grappling Worlds, putting his Russian opponent to sleep with a triangle in the no-gi final. While still largely known for his berimbolo and guard game, Joao’s pressure passing is vastly underrated and is clearly a position he thrives in without the gi.

Jackson back for more

Jackson Sousa (Checkmat, pictured top) has had plenty of success at No-Gi Pans. A three-time gold medalist here, he comes in as defending absolute champion having won in 2017. Sousa will compete in the super-heavyweight division this time, alongside opponents including Rafael Vasconcelos (Atos) and Aaron "Tex" Johnson (Unity). 

Jamil pressures Grippo from top

No Grippo-Jamil rematch 

Gianni Grippo (Alliance) won this event last year at featherweight, and is registered up at lightweight this year. Grippo will have to get past No-Gi World, No-Gi Pans and ADCC runner-up AJ Agazarm (Gracie Barra) in the lightweight division.

Although primarily a gi competitor, 2018 World champ Jamil Hill (Lloyd Irvin) made a rare appearance at a no-gi tournament at this event a year ago, placing second to Grippo at featherweight. Grippo moving up to light opens things up at feather, but Pablo Mantovani (Atos) and Silvio Duran (Vitor Shaolin) should challenge Jamil at featherweight.

Women’s divisions pack a punch 

The female black belt light-featherweight division contains three of the 2017 No-Gi Worlds medalists, in reigning champ Patricia Fontes (Checkmat) and bronze medalists Fiona Watson (Fight Club) and Sofia Amarante (Fight Sports). Adding to the depth of this weight is the 2017 brown belt No-Gi World and Pan champion, Mayssa Bastos (GF Team).

The female lightweight division will be a three woman division that features elite athletes, all with a realistic shot at the gold medal. Catherine Perret (Checkmat) won her weight and the open class at this tournament a year ago, and finished second at No-Gi Worlds. Heather Raftery (Atos) also finished second at No-Gi Worlds in 2017 after submitting Michelle Nicolini with a knee bar in the semifinal. Aarae Alexander (Lloyd Irvin) has medaled at Worlds and Pans in the gi as a black belt. 

Marcos Tinoco

Best of the rest

• Two-time No-Gi World champion Marcelo Mafra (Checkmat) and 2017 No-Gi Pan champion Dante Leon (GFTeam) should contend at middleweight.

• 2015 No-Gi Pan champion Marcos Tinoco (Alliance) is in at medium-heavyweight.

• No-Gi World, No-Gi Pan and ADCC bronze medalist Jackson Souza (Checkmat) should be the favorite at super-heavyweight and potential challenger to Gordon Ryan in the open class.

• Two-time No-Gi World champ Talita Alencar (Alliance) is in at featherweight.

• Devhonte Johnson (Unity) has won No-Gi Worlds four years in a row from blue to brown belt and will be making his black belt debut. Johnson will have to get through 2015 No-Gi Worlds runner-up Thiago Sa (Checkmat) at heavyweight.

The 2018 IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship runs on Sep 15-16. Watch every mat and every match LIVE or On Demand ONLY on FloGrappling.