Adam Wardzinski may be the best European-born grappler today. Since receiving his black belt in 2016, he’s hit six major IBJJF gi podiums, won a UAEJJF World Pro gold and four World Pro silvers, and he’s earned his way to ADCC via a victory at the 2018 European trials.

Still, the standout Polish athlete has never won an IBJJF major, not even on European soil, where — year after year — he has been a local favorite. He’s made it to the medal rounds at each of the last four editions of the IBJJF European Championships, but has always been ousted from the top of the podium by a top tier Brazilian or American athlete.

This year could be Wardzinski’s best opportunity to win a major gi title on home turf. He and Dominique Bell will be on an island in Rome; they are the only registered heavyweights who have previously reached the finals of an IBJJF major. Wardzinski has been increasingly successful over the last few seasons, earning a silver medal at the 2019 and 2021 IBJJF Pans, and hitting the final in the last four editions of the AJP World Pro.

Checkmat’s butterfly guard master has had a rough route to gold in the last four editions of Euors. After achieving a gold medal at Euros in 2015 as a purple belt, and again in 2016 as a brown belt, Wardzinski met Tanner Rice in the 2017 semifinals. Wardzinski lost via decision, and Rice went on to lose to Leandro Lo in the final.

In 2018, Wardzinski fell in the semifinal to Keenan Cornelius. In 2019, he lost to Gustavo Batista in the semis. 

2020 was Wardzinski’s best Euros performance to date; he made it through the semis with two submission victories on the way to the final. But once again, he encountered Keenan Cornelius and lost via advantage.

Despite his agonies at Euros, Wardzinski has emerged as a top-tier competitor. He’s medaled in 67% of the IBJJF gi majors he has entered since receiving his black belt. 

Among European grapplers, Wardzinski is elite. That should indicate that he’ll stand out among the pack at this edition of the IBJJF Euros, which may have the highest rate of European-born black belt champions in the last five years.

That number has been on the rise in that time frame. In 2017, Serena Gabrielli was the only European black belt to win gold at Euros. In 2018, she did it again, and was joined by Vanessa English.

In 2019, four of the 19 black belt champions were European nationals (all of them were female).

And in 2020, five Europeans took black belt gold.