The 2021 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship or World 2021 IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship was an international jiu-jitsu event organised by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJFF) and held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, from 9-12 December 2021. This 25th edition of the most prestigious Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament was the first one to take place following the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 season, it saw the emergence of a brand new generation of world champions.
Background The 2021 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship was the first season of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the most prestigious event in the sport, to take place following the 2019 IBJJF World edition. The previous 2020 edition was cancelled by the organising International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This 25th edition took place for the first time at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California instead of the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach where it had been held since 2007 after moving from Brazil to the United States. This edition also took place for the first time at the end of the year instead of the beginning of the year like previous edition, giving more time for athletes to be able to participate. The black belts competition took place towards the end, on 11 December and 12 December (two days); the elimination round and the open class / absolute division matches took place on the first day, Saturday 11 December followed by the quarterfinals all the way to the finals on Sunday 12 December, the last day of the tournament.
This Championship saw Checkmat winning its first world team title, Dream Art competing for its first year as a team and a new generation of black belts winning their first gold medals, such as Tainan Dalpra who was the first black belt to represent Art Of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) at the IBJJF World final.
Men's division In the roosterweight division, Mikey Musumeci became world champion for the fourth time in a row, the first American to do so at black belt, representing his new team, Pedigo Submission Fighting for the first time, after beating ten time world champion Bruno Malfacine by points. In the ultra heavy division semifinal Nicholas Meregali was disqualified from the tournament, after winning his match, for giving the finger to a heckler in the audience.
Men's medallists Adult male black belt results Rooster (57.5 kg) Mikey MusumeciPedigo Submission Fighting Bruno MalfacineAlliance Jonas AndradePSLPB Cicero Costha USA Rodnei BarbosaQatar BJJ Brasil Light-feather (64 kg) Diego Oliveira Batista PSLPB Cicero Costha USA Malachi EdmondTeam Lloyd Irvin Meyram MaquinéDream Art Rene Eduardo LopezJiu-Jitsu Methods Feather (70 kg) Fabricio AndreyFight Sports Shane Hill-TaylorTeam Lloyd Irvin Alex SodréNova União Diego SodreNova União Light (76 kg) Renato CanutoCheckMat Matheus GabrielCheckMat Lucas ValenteGracie Barra Murilo AmaralAlliance Middle (82.3 kg) Tainan DalpraArt of Jiu Jitsu Isaque BahienseDream Art Jonnatas GracieAtos Jiu-JitsuTommy LangakerNova União Medium-Heavy (88.3 kg) Gustavo BatistaAtos Jiu-Jitsu Lucas BarbosaAtos Jiu-Jitsu André PorfirioFight Sports Leandro LoUnity Jiu Jitsu Heavy (94.3 kg) Kaynan DuarteAtos Jiu-Jitsu Luan AzevedPSLPB Cicero Costha USA Dimitrius SouzaAlliance Gabriel OliveiraAlliance Super-Heavy (100.5 kg) Erich MunisDream Art Fellipe AndrewAlliance Devhonte JohnsonUnity Jiu Jitsu Felipe PenaGracie Barra Ultra-Heavy (over 100.5 kg) Victor Hugo Marques Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu Max GimenisGFTeam Igor SchneiderDream ArtOpen Class(any weight divisions) Felipe PenaGracie Barra Fellipe AndrewAlliance Kaynan DuarteAtos Jiu-Jitsu
Women's division After one of the longest career in the sport and 13 years since receiving her black belt from Fabio Gurgel, "the queen of the heaviest weightclass" Gabi Garcia, after getting submitted for the first time in over 10 years, announced her retirement from gi competition to concentrate on her MMA career. Bia Mesquita won her 7th world title after defeating Luiza Monteiro by points while Gabrieli Pessanha won double gold.
Women's medallists Adult female black belt results Rooster (48.5 kg) Mayssa BastosGFTeam Jessica DantasUnique Logic Jiu-Jitsu HQ Brenda LarissaFight Sports Serena GabrielliFlow Light-feather (53.5 kg) Ana RodriguesDream Art Tammi MusumeciPedigo Submission Fighting Jessa KhanArt of Jiu Jitsu Rose-Marie El SharouniCheckMat Feather (58.5 kg) Gabrielle McCombAtos Jiu-Jitsu Bianca BasílioAtos Jiu-Jitsu Gabriela FechterCheckMat Larissa CamposGracie Humaita Light (64 kg) Bia MesquitaGracie Humaita Luiza MonteiroAtos Jiu-Jitsu Margot CiccarelliUnity Jiu Jitsu Nathalie RibeiroCheckMat Middle (69 kg) Andressa CintraGracie Barra Thamara FerreiraGuigo JJ Claire NorthTAC Team BJJ Raquel Pa’aluhi CanutoCheckMat Medium-Heavy (74 kg) Ana Carolina VieiraAviv Jiu-Jitsu Elisabeth ClayAres BJJ Chloé McNallyUnity Jiu Jitsu Fernanda Yukari Makiyama CristoEvox BJJ Heavy (79.3 kg) Melissa CuetoAlliance Izadora Cristina SilvaDream Art Maggie GrindattiFight Sports Maria MalyjasiakAbmar Barbosa Association Super-Heavy (over 79.3 kg) Gabrieli PessanhaInfight JJ Yara SoaresDream Art Gabi GarciaAlliance Mayara CustódioCheckMat Open Class(any weight divisions) Gabrieli PessanhaInfight JJ Yara SoaresDream Art Bia MesquitaGracie Humaita Gabi GarciaAlliance
Teams results For this season Checkmat brought 102 competitors, Gracie Barra counted 87, Grappling Fight Team known as GFTeam 48, Unity Jiu Jitsu 46, and Art of Jiu-Jitsu who had just separated in early 2020 from Atos 29 athletes.
RankMen's divisionTeamPoints1Checkmat622 Alliance523Atos Jiu-Jitsu474Gracie Barra355R1NG BJJ326Unity Jiu Jitsu277Art of Jiu Jitsu238Nova União229Renzo Gracie Academy2110GFTeam19 RankWomen's divisionTeamPoints1GFTeam632Dream Art493CheckMat394Infight JJ275Atos Jiu-Jitsu276Unity Jiu Jitsu267Gracie Barra248 Alliance249Art of Jiu Jitsu2110Zenith BJJ – Las Vegas18
See also World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship
References