The first phase of the black belt rounds at the 2022 IBJJF No-Gi World Championships are underway. Today, the absolute finalists in the male and female divisions will earn their spots, as will the final eight athletes in each of the men's divisions, and the finalists in the women's divisions.

The IBJJF has released the brackets for the black belt absolute divisions coming to No-Gi Pans beginning at 11:30 am ET on Saturday, October 15.

Only a small fraction of the top-performers at the 2021 ADCC East Coast Trials were rewarded for their efforts with a ticket to the ADCC World Championship in September. The rest will have to try again this weekend in Las Vegas. This is their last opportunity to guarantee their spots, but they'll each be up against a field of talented opponents at the largest-ever ADCC trials.

Everybody knows how tough it is to get into ADCC. The biggest and most prestigious no-gi event in the world, participation is limited to an exclusive few who qualify one of three ways. First, podium finishers get invited back. Second, a handful of invites are reserved for standout names from the world of grappling, with only elite caliber athletes getting the call.

The 1st North American ADCC Trials, which is one of seven trials leading to the ADCC 2022 World Championships, is set to take place this weekend. It’s a record setting event, with the most registered athletes in the history of the ADCC Trials.

Some champions were ruthless in their pursuit of victory, catching nothing but submission at the 2021 IBJJF No-Gi Pans. Others were more content with barely doing enough to win gold. In this edition of the Grappling Bulletin we discuss the biggest winners from the 2021 IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship, and we highlight a destructive and disappointing trend that is starting to affect the no-gi competition scene.

The 2021 No-Gi Pan Championships kick off on Saturday, May 15. The divisions are loaded with some of the biggest names in grappling. And this year, there's a new wrinkle in place; heel hooks and reaping are legal for black belts. New faces have come out in droves, and we could see the crowning of some first-time IBJJF No-Gi Pans champions. But those new faces will still have to get through some of the best in the world.

The super heavyweight division at No-Gi Pans is up for grabs, as the 2020 champion, Kaynan Duarte, is not returning to defend. That leaves this division open for several long-time contenders to slide in and collect a title.

Atos and the Danaher Death Squad have been jousting for supremacy atop the no-gi scene for several years now. So it seems fitting to open 2021 with another installment of this intense rivalry in the main event at Who’s Number One.

It did not take long for registration to close for No-Gi Pans. The IBJJF announced the Pan No-Gi Championships and it has reached capacity very quickly. Here are the key names to watch in each black belt division.