While over a week remains for plenty of speculation about the potential seeding and brackets coming to the ADCC 2022 World Championships, sometimes it’s more fun to skip the calculus and engineer our own dream matches, regardless of the probability.  

Considering that this ADCC Championship is beyond packed with talent in every category, there was no shortage of fights that could legitimately headline any event. Here are 8 matches that we are dying to see.  

-60kg: Bia Mesquita vs Ffion Davies

The threepeat must happen.

Actually, including gi matches the figure would be higher, but in ADCC competition, Bia Mesquita and Ffion Davies currently stand with one win a piece. In 2017 Mesquita dashed the dreams of the rising European talent with her signature classic jiu-jitsu and an armbar finish; two years later, Ffion fired back with one of the biggest upsets of the World Championships, finishing Bia with a brutal armbar of her own. 

WATCH: Bia Mesquita vs Ffion Davies ADCC 2017

WATCH: Ffion Davies vs Bia Mesquita ADCC 2019

Three years have passed since these two have battled, and one can only hope that they get another crack any each other with entirely revamped skillsets and tactics.  

66kg: Garry Tonon vs Cole Abate

Garry Tonon has officially secured the role of a seasoned veteran. Already a four-time ADCC competitor and professional grappler for over a decade, Tonon has been around the globe and locked horns with the best of them. 

At the outset of his career, Tonon’s style helped usher in a new wave of leg lockers, and his arrival had a ripple effect throughout the community that saw many adopt more than a few elements of the Danaher /DeBlass student. Since then he has only continued to evolve as a grappler, always looking to stay one step ahead of the competition.  

WATCH: Garry Tonon vs Dante Leon ADCC 2019

Which brings us to our dream challenge for Tonon: teenage prodigy Cole Abate.

Abate is shockingly professional despite his young years. 

Three years after joining the Art of Jiu-Jitsu, Cole Abate has made the jump from teenage phenom to becoming a legitimate ADCC contender. Abate has gone on to clean up just about every competition he’s entered, including the 2021 ADCC East Coast Trials, making him the youngest-ever competitor to capture the honor.

If these two stand across each other at ADCC 2022, we could witness some of the most forward-thinking jiu-jitsu ever produced. 

77kg: JT Torres vs Mica Galvao

While the entire theme of the article won’t feature a generational clash, there’s no denying the intrigue surrounding the potential match of two-time ADCC JT Torres and young Brazilian superstar Mica Galvao.  

JT Torres needs little introduction: one of America’s most accomplished jiu-jitsu competitors of all time, Torres is looking to go for his third straight ADCC title. His strong wrestling couples perfectly with a brutal passing game that has seen even the very best competitors wither under the pressure.  

WATCH: JT Torres Claims His Second ADCC Title

For his part, Mica remains nearly perfect in no-gi competition so far — his most recent loss almost exactly one year ago via a razor-thin decision to Tye Ruotolo at the WNO Championships in September 2021. 

Galvao tore through the ADCC Brazilian trials earlier this year with all submissions to claim his spot in the super-stacked 77kg category, showing off a well-rounded game with a flair for the creative finish.  

The question mark surrounding this potential matchup is the wrestling. Torres is a proven quantity on the feet in this ruleset, whereas Mica has yet to tackle a similar level.

77kg: Kade Ruotolo vs Tommy Langaker

The Darce Wizard versus the Viking Berserker: this match screams excitement from the opening bell.  

Six months nobody knew what Tommy Langaker was exactly capable of in no-gi competition, and he has since blown the doors off all expectations. Langaker stormed through ADCC European trials, besting some excellent no-gi grapplers along the way.   

He followed up that performance with a dominant win over no-gi world champ and ADCC veteran Renato Canuto at ONE Championship this summer, sending the Viking Hype Train full speed ahead.  

WATCH: Tommy Langaker European Trials Submission Highlight

What is there to be said about Kade Ruotolo that isn't already known? Incredibly dynamic, aggressive, and a relentless finisher, Kade Ruotolo is must-watch TV every time he competes.  

While Tommy's wrestling isn't to be slept on, we believe Ruotolo matches him well on the feet, forcing a classic top vs bottom player brawl. 

WATCH: Kade Ruotolo Breaks Down 77kg Division

88kg: Tye Ruotolo vs Matheus Diniz

Matheus Diniz is the returning 88kg Champ.  

A Marcelo Garcia protege, Diniz is known for his explosive top-game abilities and immovable base. He's also a fearsome wrestler who knows how to dominate the pacing of a match. Never giving up an inch, Diniz makes most bouts as gritty as they can be. 

Thus the question becomes: can Tye Ruotolo upset the rhythm of Diniz?

 Like his aforementioned brother Kade, Tye's unpredictable style lends a bit of credibility to the idea, but Diniz has shut down and dominated the best of them before.  

WATCH: Tye Ruotolo Capture Submission Win Over Levi Jones-Leary 

-99Kg: Craig Jones vs Nicholas Meregali

Nicholas Meregali’s meteoric rise in no-gi grappling has been one of the most exciting stories of the year. With a perfect record of 3-0 at WNO, including a dominant win over the legendary Rafael Lovato Jr., Meregali has demonstrated he is not merely at ADCC to participate; he wants to take over.  

WATCH: Nicholas Meregali vs Rafael Lovato Jr. 

The -99kg category provides a wealth of interesting challengers for Meregali, but none captures our imagination more than the prospect of 'Australia's Deadliest Mammal' Craig Jones.  Already a three-time ADCC veteran and 2019 silver medalist, Jones has a proven and varied arsenal that has been the downfall of many great grapplers. 

+99kg: Gordon Ryan vs Felipe Pena

Enough said. 

+60kg: Rafaela Gudes vs Gabi Garcia

Gabi Garcia is the winningest woman in ADCC history. A four-time Champion, Garcia has looked unstoppable throughout the years. But at the 2021 IBJF World Championships held in December last year, Garcia had a taste of the next generation of elite female competitors, and things didn't exactly go her way.

Can the Alliance superstar stave off the next big thing in Rafaela Guedes? Garcia certainly has the tools and mindset to get it done, but it won't be easy. 

 Guedes represents the best Atos can build. An IBJJF No-Gi World Champion and Tezos WNO Heavyweight Champ, Guedes is well-rounded with great wrestling abilities and a tactile guard.  

WATCH: Rafaela Guedes vs Kendall Reusing WNO Championships