There are 14 ADCC veterans registered for the 2020 No-Gi Pans in November. 

• Paulo Miyao

• Kennedy Maciel

• Gianni Grippo

• Richard Alarcon

• Josh Hinger

• Mike Perez

• Vagner Rocha

• Murillo Santana

• Valdir Araujo

• Gabriel Almeida

• Lucas Barbosa

• Aaron Johnson

• Kaynan Duarte

• Talita Nogueira

While this is undoubtedly a list of tough competitors, only half of them have made it to the ADCC podium in any year. Aside from ADCC, their no-gi accolades are fewer. Only Paulo Miyao has previously won No-Gi Pans, while only five of the 14 have won No-Gi Worlds.

While it may defy expectations, it’s rare for an ADCC medalist to have won No-Gi Worlds and No-Gi Pans.

Since the inception of ADCC in 1998, 151 different competitors have appeared on the podium of the most prestigious tournament in submission grappling. Less than 10-percent of those competitors have earned gold medals at both of the IBJJF’s top no-gi tournaments: No-Gi Pans and No-Gi Worlds. 

There are currently 11 competitors who have ever done it.

But with a gold medal finish at this year’s No-Gi Pans, five of the above listed competitors would put themselves on the elite list of competitors who have earned a medal at ADCC and also won each of the IBJJF’s hottest no-gi tournaments. 

Kennedy Maciel earned silver in ADCC last year, and won No-Gi Worlds in 2018. 

Josh Hinger took third at ADCC in 2019, and had a three-year win streak at No-Gi Worlds in the years prior. 

Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa has collected four No-Gi Worlds titles and took third at ADCC last year in the 99 kg division.

Talita Nogueira took silver at ADCC 2017, and has won three No-Gi World championships.

Kaynan Duarte won ADCC in his weight category in 2019, and won No-Gi Worlds a few months prior in 2018.

They could each end up on the list with a successful outing at No-Gi Pans.

As it stands, here is the comprehensive list of competitors who have medaled at ADCC, and also won No-Gi Pans and No-Gi Worlds:

*denotes absolute champion      **denotes weight and absolute champion

This is a particularly special event for Kaynan Duarte, as he could join an even smaller group of ADCC champs. Duarte has previously won gold at ADCC and No-Gi Worlds, meaning he needs only to earn No-Gi Pans Gold to become one of the few competitors who has won all three. Currently, only six of the 64 individuals who have won ADCC gold have also taken first place at No-Gi Worlds and No-Gi Pans.

No competitor has ever won all three tournaments in the same year. Gordon Ryan came closest, taking double-gold at No-Gi Pans and No-Gi Worlds a year before his double-gold ADCC run in 2019. Gordon Ryan is also the only person to earn double gold in all three events.

There are a few other ADCC winners in Duarte's position. Gabi Garcia, for example, has four ADCC titles and four No-Gi Worlds titles, but has never won No-Gi Pans. Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu is an ADCC champ and a six-time No-Gi Worlds winner without a No-Gi Pans title. And Beatriz Mesquita has five No-Gi Worlds titles alongside her ADCC gold, but she is also missing a No-Gi Pans championship.

None of those three competitors will pursue No-Gi Pans gold this year. 

Paplo Popovitch vs Kaynan Duarte at ADCC 2017

Worth noting, the first installments of No-Gi Pans and No-Gi Worlds were in 2007, nearly a decade after the first ADCC. This means some of the early ADCC medalists did not have an opportunity to win those tournaments in their primes; but one legendary competitor managed to win them nonetheless. Saulo Ribeiro won No-Gi Pans in 2007, five years after his final ADCC gold medal. He won No-Gi Worlds the following year.

There have been 42 individual ADCC gold medalists since 2007. Only five of them have also won No-Gi Pans and No-Gi Worlds.

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