Art Of Jiu-Jitsu has one of the strongest competition teams in gi jiu-jitsu, and this year’s team at Pans is one of their largest yet. While AOJ has been deep for years at the colored belt ranks, its black belt squad is now formidable across several weight categories. AOJ's black belt Pans squad features homegrown rookie talent, established veterans in the AOJ backbone, and a few new recruits hopeful to contribute to the Costa Mesa team's success.

Two days, 19 divisions, dozens of top-level athletes in the black belt division: it can be difficult to figure out exactly when to direct your attention to which mat during the 2022 IBJJF Pan Championships. We’ve got you covered.

The brackets for the 25th edition of the IBJJF World Championships are now official. Those brackets are available here via bjjcompsystem.com. The number of potentially exciting matchups is expansive, but there are a few matches guaranteed in the early rounds that you can’t miss. We’ve sifted through the black belt divisions to identify the best first round pairings — as well as likely second round matches — that are bound to provide some of the best jiu-jitsu action of the year.

The IBJJF World Championships gives jiu-jitsu fans an opportunity to watch their favorite veteran athletes as they hunt for a first, or a repeat world title. It’s a showcase for the best and most beloved grapplers on the planet. But it’s also an opportunity for brand new black belts to earn their recognition, try to ascend the ranks, and — perhaps — start dynastic runs atop the World podium.

The 2021 IBJJF Pan Championship looks to be an action-packed event, filled with several highly-anticipated black belt matches. While many division finals and semifinals may still be difficult to determine, there are a few matches in the early rounds of each division which stand out as must-watch jiu-jitsu. Here are some of the most exciting matches in the opening two rounds.

One of the best-known slogans in grappling is "jiu-jitsu for everyone". This is the motto of Gracie Barra, the world's largest network of Brazilian jiu-jitsu gyms, and it reflects their mission of getting all kinds of people onto the mats and practicing this amazing art we all love so much.

The rosters for the 2021 IBJJF Pan Championship are stacked with returning champions, fan favorites, and rookies looking to break out. Some of the divisions have clear cut favorites to win gold, while others are harder to call. Here are our predictions for the favorites to reach the top of the podium, the dark horses who could steal the show, and the disruptors who could make things difficult for their division cohorts.

The IBJJF Pan Championships is going down from September 1-5, 2021 and we're streaming all of the action. Below is a list of athletes who will be competing at Pans for the first time as fresh black belts.