Considering the sheer numbers (250 black belts, 20 returning champs) it’s no surprise that practically every division coming to the IBJJF 2021  Pan Championships is a must-watch scenario.

But the event still. a few categories and above the rest, and we’ve crunched the numbers to determine the toughest divisions for the men's and women’s black belt categories at the IBJJF 2021 Championships. 

Light-Featherweight - Total Competitors: 24 / Returning Champs: 1

Cisneros defeats Paulo Miyao at the 2020 Pan Championships. 

Light-featherweight is shaping up to be one of the most entraining divisions of the entire event. We’ve got Josh Cisneros- returning champ - leading from the front, but he’s up against stiff competition - many of whom haven’t been able to compete in the USA due to travel restrictions - Specifically, Meyram Alves from Guigo and Fabricio Andrey of Dream Art / Alliance - both of whom are total killers and heavy favorites. 

Gabriel Sousa (ZR Team), Diego Batista (Cicero Costa), and Malachi Edmond (TLI) are certain to shake things up as well. 

We’ll also be keeping a close eye on Jordon Vaisman - a Gracie Barra competitor who crushed the IBJJF Circuit as a brown belt through 2020 and early 2021 and was promoted to black belt in July. 

Featherweight- Total Competitors: 34 / Returning Champs: 2

The featherweight division is stacked with veteran talent - We’ve got  Shane Jamil-Hill Taylor (prior World Champ,  Issac Doederlein (Brazilian National Champ), Gianni Grippo 9(a multiple time pans champ), Thiago Macedo (the defending Pan champ from 2020) Lucas Valente (Worlds Silver Medalist) Quexinho  (pans medalist) all in the mix. 

Not to be overlooked - brothers Alexssandro & Raimundo Sodre are strong candidates to make the final. Richar Nogueira is also poised to do some damage in the division as well. 

Finally, we’re also keen to see the performance of the ‘Berimbolo Bros’ Nick Salles and Daniel Maira -  two of Mikey Musuemci’s closest training partners and recent graduates to the rank of black belt.  

Lightweight - Total Competitors 34 / Returning Champs 3

Lightweight is traditionally one of the most difficult brackets of any tournament - and this set of athletes coming to pans is no different.  Two returning champs are in with Michael Liera Jr. and Johnatha Alves.  The pair have met before with Jonatha getting the better of better of their previous exchanges 4-1. 

The real x-factors in the division are rising stars Andy Mursaaki and Igor Feliz.  Murasaki from Atos is already a superstar in the making from his incredible colored belt career - he recently took home top honors at EUG with his black belt debut.  Meanwhile Igor Feliz from Future BJJ has quietly been chipping away at taking down some of the biggest names in the game.  We expect strong showings from both. 

Two of the most durable athletes in the game are also on deck with Johnny Tama and AJ Agazarm - both can beat anyone on the right day. 

Marcio Andre - a 2017 Pans silver medalist, is always a threat and has seen success after moving up from featherweight to the heavier divisions.  

Wild Card cards for lightweight include Pablo Lavaselli and Kieran Kichuk have both earned big wins over established names on the IBJJF circuit, but have yet to capture a major title - will this be it? 

Middleweight- Total Competitors 25 / Returning Champs 1

Oh boy - this is the seriously interesting division.  Straight away we have to note that Tainan Dalpra is in his first IBJJF Major as a black belt.   The AOJ star has been relentlessly crushing the IBJJF Open circuit for the better part of the year, and has picked up super-fight wins at BJJ Stars and the Artista Invitational over established black belts - but it’s a whole different beast to go through the kind of bracket he’ll face in September. 

There is a strong chance he’ll run into returning Pan champ Ronaldo Junior - one of the most physical and etertaining jiu-jitsu athletes on the scene today.  We also have fellow Atos competitor Jonnatas Gracie in the mix  - a competitor that can tangle with the best on earth. 

Other standout names in the division include Mathias Luna of Checkmat, Jaime Canuto, Felipe Cesar Silva, Italo Moura, and Diego Ramalho. 

As always, a few wild cards are In play with recently promoted Unity Black Belt Sebastian Rodriguez and the return Yago Souza - an athlete with incredible potential who was forced to compete infrequently due to injuries. 

Women’s Light-Featherweight -  Total Competitors: 10 / Returning Champs: 2

Featherweight is presenting some stellar matches with Ana Rodrigues, Pati Fontes, and Mayssa Basosts - moving up from roosterweight-  all in the mix as the favorites.  We'll also see Sofia Amarante and Thamires Quinho in the mix here, 

Featherweight: Total Competitors: 10 / Returning Champs: 2

Two returnng pan champions are present in the women's featherweight division in Bianca Basilio and Gabi McComb.  We also have fan-favorite Amal Amajid and Alexa Yanes from Rodrigo Pinheiro in the mix.  The dark horse of the division may come in the form of Sophia Flores from AOJ - an athlete with a well-established colored belt career looking to make her mark in the elite division. 

Lightweight: Competitors: 9  / Returning Champs:1

Luiza Monteiro, Nathalie Ribeiro, Margot Ceccarelli 

Luiza Monteiro - 6x Pans Champ- will open this division as the woman to beat.  She'll likely come across rival Nathalie Ribeiro - the woman she managed to beat in the 2020 Pan final – at some point in the bracket. WE also have black belt newcomer in the division in Margot Ciccaerli. 

Medium-Heavy:  Competitors: 10  / Returning Champs:2

Medium-Heavyweight may be the most talent-rich group in all of the women's black belt divisions.  We've got 3x World Champ Ana Carolina Vieira looking to earn her first pans title,  the 2020 Pan Champion and 2019 World Champ Andressa Cintra, and 2018 Pan Champion Maria Malyjasiak leading the way as front-runners here. 

There's also a group of burgeoning competitors that could knock off some of the favorites if they compete to their full potential- Thamara Ferriera, Elisabeth Clay, and Chloe McNally all stand in a great position to make this event something special.