By Philipp — Rollbook · Updated October 18, 2026
ADCC 2026 World Championship: Complete Guide to Krakow
How ADCC 2026 in Krakow played out: every champion, Yuri Simões' superfight win over Kaynan Duarte, the full $362,000 prize table, the eight Trials that built the field, and how the weekend worked.
On this page
- ADCC 2026 World Championship
- ADCC 2026 Results at a Glance
- Event Information
- What is ADCC?
- The Superfight
- Prize Money
- ADCC vs IBJJF Rules
- Weight Classes
- How the Field Was Built
- How the 2024 Champions Fared
- CJI and ADCC in 2026
- Amateur World Championship
- Venue: TAURON Arena Krakow
- How to Watch the Replays
- Official Sources
ADCC 2026 World Championship
The ADCC World Championship is the most prestigious no-gi grappling event in the world. Held every two years, it brings together the absolute best submission grapplers on the planet to compete under a unique ruleset that rewards finishing fights.
The 2026 edition took place September 12-13 at TAURON Arena in Krakow -- the first ADCC World Championship held in Poland -- with the Amateur World Championship scheduled for September 11. For the complete calendar of ADCC events, see the ADCC 2026 schedule.
Update (October 2026): ADCC 2026 is over, and this guide now covers how it played out: the champions, the superfight, the prize money and how the field was built. For every bracket, upset and storyline, see our full ADCC 2026 results and champions post.
ADCC 2026 Results at a Glance
| Division | Champion | Runner-up | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men -66 kg | Kennedy Maciel | Gavin Corbe | Triangle armlock, 28:41 |
| Men -77 kg | Magomed Dzharbaev | PJ Barch | Referee decision |
| Men -88 kg | Pawel Jaworski | Marlon Tajik | Penalty (0-0) |
| Men -99 kg | Luke Griffith | Kaynan Duarte | Rear-naked choke, 14:47 |
| Men +99 kg | Victor Hugo | Josh Saunders | Shoulder lock, 8:49 |
| Men's absolute | Felipe Pena | Roosevelt Sousa | Rear-naked choke, 10:03 |
| Women -55 kg | Jasmine Rocha | Ana Rodrigues | Rear-naked choke, 25:09 |
| Women -65 kg | Ana Carolina Vieira | Sarah Galvão | Rear-naked choke, 32:29 |
| Women +65 kg | Helena Crevar | Anabel Lopez | Short choke, 6:04 |
| Superfight | Yuri Simões | Kaynan Duarte | Submission, 22:26 |
The headlines: Felipe Pena became the first two-time ADCC absolute champion (2017 and 2026). Pawel Jaworski won Poland's first ADCC title, and he and Magomed Dzharbaev ended Europe's 23-year wait for a male ADCC champion. Helena Crevar, 19, became the youngest female champion in ADCC history, and 14-year-old Joslyn Molina the youngest medalist ever (bronze at -65 kg). Ana Carolina Vieira was the only 2024 champion to keep her title. Results per FloGrappling's full brackets.
Event Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | ADCC World Championship 2026 |
| Dates | September 12-13, 2026 |
| Venue | TAURON Arena Krakow |
| Address | Stanislawa Lema 7, 31-571 Krakow, Poland |
| Format | No-Gi Submission Grappling |
| Prize Money | $362,000 total |
| Streaming | FloGrappling (replays available) |
What is ADCC?
The Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Submission Fighting World Championship has been the premier no-gi grappling event since 1998. Unlike gi-based tournaments like the IBJJF World Championship, ADCC is exclusively no-gi and uses a ruleset designed to encourage aggressive, submission-focused grappling.
ADCC is an invitation-only event. Competitors qualify through continental Trials or receive direct invitations based on their competitive achievements. There are no belt requirements -- qualification is purely merit-based.
Did You Know: ADCC only happens every two years, making each edition a landmark event. Winning an ADCC title is considered by many to be the highest achievement in submission grappling, alongside an IBJJF World Championship.
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The Superfight
The ADCC superfight is the marquee attraction of each World Championship, pitting top grapplers against each other in a showcase match with extended time limits. In 2026 the title was vacant.
Gordon Ryan, widely regarded as the greatest no-gi grappler in history, last defended the superfight title at ADCC 2024 and announced his retirement from competition on February 17, 2026, after several years of serious health problems. His systematic guard passing and dominant ADCC performances redefined the sport. He still went to Krakow as a coach -- he coaches Dorian Olivarez and was in Dominic Mejia's corner -- and was caught up in the Day 1 brawl that broke out after Olivarez's match with Bekzat Kapashov. ADCC disqualified both athletes and banned them for a year.
On May 10, the superfight was confirmed: Kaynan Duarte, whose 2024 absolute title earned him the challenger's slot, against Yuri Simões, the 2022 absolute champion who had challenged Ryan in 2024. Duarte had beaten Simões in their only previous ADCC meeting, in 2019.
The rematch went Simões' way. After more than 20 minutes with little action and heavy boos from the crowd, Duarte injured his shoulder in the first scramble of overtime and tapped, giving Simões the win by submission at 22:26 and the vacant title. MMA Mania called it one of the most anticlimactic main events in ADCC history. Duarte had already lost his -99 kg title in the final to Luke Griffith, who trailed for most of the match before taking his back and finishing with a rear-naked choke, so he left Krakow without a title.
Prize Money
ADCC 2026 paid $362,000 in total prize money. Compared with 2024, ADCC roughly doubled the men's division payouts but kept the women's at their 2024 level.
Prize Money Breakdown
| Category | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Each men's division | $20,000 | $10,000 | $3,000 | $1,000 |
| Each women's division | $10,000 | $5,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 |
| Men's absolute | $50,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 | $1,000 |
| Superfight | $50,000 (winner) | $10,000 (loser) | -- | -- |
Bonuses: Best Fighter $3,000, Best Takedown $3,000, Fastest Submission $3,000, and Best Fight $1,500 for each of the two athletes. The figures come from FloGrappling's ADCC 2026 FAQ. The two biggest prizes on offer, $50,000 each, went to Felipe Pena (absolute) and Yuri Simões (superfight).
Did You Know: A women's division champion earned $10,000, half of a men's champion's $20,000. In February, Craig Jones said in a video statement that he and the Fair Fight Foundation would pay the $48,000 difference -- $16,000 for each of the three women's divisions -- "so that women and men get paid the same for ADCC" (BJJEE). ADCC's official purse did not change, and we have not found public confirmation that the top-up was paid out.
ADCC vs IBJJF Rules
For competitors and fans familiar with IBJJF rules, ADCC operates very differently:
| Aspect | ADCC | IBJJF |
|---|---|---|
| Attire | No-gi only | Gi and no-gi |
| Points (first half) | No points scored | Points from start |
| Points (second half) | Points active | Points from start |
| Submissions | Nearly all legal (inc. heel hooks) | Heel hooks restricted by belt |
| Guard pulling | Penalized (-1 point) | Neutral |
| Stalling | Aggressively penalized | Penalized |
| Match length | 10 min (qualifying rounds), 20 min (finals and superfight) | 5-10 min by belt |
Key ADCC Rules to Know
- First half of the match: No points are scored. Only submissions win. This prevents stalling and forces action. In finals and the superfight, negative points already count during this half.
- Second half: Points become active, rewarding positional dominance.
- Guard pulling penalty: Pulling guard or sitting to the mat (and staying down for three seconds) costs a negative point once points are live, in overtime, and throughout a final -- encouraging takedowns.
- Overtime: A tied qualifying-round match gets one 5-minute overtime; finals and the superfight get up to two 10-minute overtimes. If it is still level, the referees decide, and ADCC's first judging criterion is which athlete initiated the action.
- Interference rule: In late September, after Krakow, ADCC added a code-of-conduct rule: if a coach, parent or spectator enters the competition area or interferes with a match, the associated athlete can be disqualified and forfeit the match, even if they had no part in it (BJJEE).
For the full ruleset, see our ADCC rules and format explainer.
Weight Classes
Men's Divisions
| Weight Class | Limit |
|---|---|
| Division 1 | Under 66 kg (145.2 lbs) |
| Division 2 | Under 77 kg (169.8 lbs) |
| Division 3 | Under 88 kg (194 lbs) |
| Division 4 | Under 99 kg (218.3 lbs) |
| Division 5 | Over 99 kg (218.3 lbs) |
| Absolute | No weight limit |
Women's Divisions
| Weight Class | Limit |
|---|---|
| Division 1 | Under 55 kg (121.3 lbs) |
| Division 2 | Under 65 kg (143.3 lbs) |
| Division 3 | Over 65 kg (143.3 lbs) |
Note: There was no women's absolute division (and no women's superfight) at ADCC 2026. The change drew criticism from athletes and fans -- 2024 double champion Adele Fornarino cited it, along with the women's purse, when she withdrew in August.
How the Field Was Built
ADCC used a dual qualification system:
Continental Trials (~50% of spots)
ADCC held eight open-entry Trials events in the 2025-2026 cycle -- two each for Asia & Oceania, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), North America and South America -- all under full ADCC rules. Winning your weight class earned an invitation to Krakow. Men qualified at all eight events; the women's spots went to the winners of the second Trials in each region.
| Trials Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Asia & Oceania Trials | March 2025 | -- |
| 1st EMEA Trials | September 2025 | Warsaw, Poland |
| 1st North American Trials (East Coast) | November 2025 | Orlando, USA |
| 2nd EMEA Trials | February 2026 | Belgrade, Serbia |
| 1st South American Trials | March 13, 2026 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 2nd South American Trials | March 21, 2026 | Indaiatuba (São Paulo), Brazil |
| 2nd North American Trials (West Coast) | April 18-19, 2026 | Pomona, USA |
| 2nd Asia & Oceania Trials | June 21, 2026 | Carrara (Gold Coast), Australia |
See the complete ADCC 2026 field and how every athlete fared, and our North American Trials recap for the Pomona qualifiers.
Direct Invitations (~50% of spots)
The ADCC organization directly invited elite grapplers based on:
- Previous ADCC performances
- Major competition results (IBJJF Worlds, ADCC Opens)
- Overall competitive record and reputation
- Matchup appeal and divisional balance
The final field had 16 men in each of the five men's divisions and eight women in each of the three women's divisions -- 104 athletes, plus the superfight. Six late withdrawals (two each at men's -66 kg, men's -88 kg and women's +65 kg) were filled by replacements, and one of them, Gavin Corbe, took silver at -66 kg on 11 days' notice.
Pro Tip: If you are aiming for a future ADCC, your regional Trials are the open door (dates for the next cycle have not been announced yet). Train specifically for the ADCC ruleset -- the no-points first half and guard pull penalty require a very different strategic approach than IBJJF competition. Work takedowns heavily and develop a submission-first game plan.
How the 2024 Champions Fared
All eight 2024 weight-class champions earned automatic invitations, but only three defended in Krakow -- and only one kept her title:
| Weight Class | 2024 Champion | ADCC 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| M -66 kg | Diogo Reis | Not on the 2026 entry list |
| M -77 kg | Mica Galvão | Not on the 2026 entry list |
| M -88 kg | Giancarlo Bodoni | Not on the 2026 entry list |
| M -99 kg | Kaynan Duarte | Silver -- lost the final to Luke Griffith |
| M +99 kg | Felipe Pena | 4th (forfeited the bronze match), then won the absolute |
| W -55 kg | Adele Fornarino | Withdrew in August, citing athlete pay |
| W -65 kg | Ana Carolina Vieira | Gold -- the only champion to retain her title |
| W +65 kg | Rafaela Guedes | Withdrew in late August; Gabi Pessanha took her place |
| Superfight | Gordon Ryan | Retired February 2026; Yuri Simões won the vacant title |
Vieira beat Sarah Galvão with a rear-naked choke in double overtime. The other seven weight-class titles all went to first-time ADCC champions. For the full field, see our ADCC 2026 qualified athletes list.
CJI and ADCC in 2026
In March, Craig Jones said his Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) would not go head-to-head with ADCC in 2026 -- "we can coexist." In the end there was nothing to clash with: Jones cancelled CJI 3 on May 27 ("cancelled. Decided to keep the money."), and although he said in July that "CJI's back," no CJI event has been held in 2026. As of mid-October there was still no date, venue or purse; his latest word was an October 15 Instagram reel captioned "Sold my soul for CJI 3. Maybe."
CJI 2's women's bracket still shaped Krakow: its winner, Helena Crevar, took ADCC gold at +65 kg, Ana Carolina Vieira defended at -65 kg, and Sarah Galvão won silver. For the business side of the story, see CJI 3, the ADCC purse and athlete pay.
Amateur World Championship
The ADCC Amateur World Championship was scheduled for September 11, 2026 at TAURON Arena, the day before the professional event began.
Unlike the pro event, it needed no invitation:
- Registration was open to anyone, via Smoothcomp
- Multiple weight classes for men and women
- ADCC ruleset
- A chance to compete in the same arena as the pros
FloGrappling carries replays of the Amateur Worlds alongside the professional event.
Venue: TAURON Arena Krakow
TAURON Arena, one of the largest indoor arenas in Poland, hosted both days of the professional event.
Address: Stanislawa Lema 7, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
How the weekend worked:
- 15,000+ seat arena, opened in 2014
- Multiple competition areas on the arena floor, with mat-side seats sold as the premium tier
- Action started at 11:00 CEST (5 a.m. ET) on both days
- Tram stops nearby, about 15-20 minutes by car from Krakow Old Town
What Tickets Cost
Tickets were sold through the official seller, ebilet.pl:
| Tier | Description | Approximate Price |
|---|---|---|
| General Admission | Upper arena seating | ~$54 (230 PLN) |
| Category 2 | Mid-level seating | ~$86-113 (360-475 PLN) |
| Category 1 | Lower bowl seating | ~$113-143 (475-600 PLN) |
| Mat-Side | Closest to the action | ~$972+ (4,080 PLN) |
| Two-Day Package | Mid-range two-day pass | ~$172-226 |
Two-day passes covered both days of the professional event (September 12-13). Pricing generated plenty of discussion in the community, with mat-side seats at nearly $1,000, while general admission at roughly $54 was the best value.
How to Watch the Replays
FloGrappling was the broadcast partner for ADCC 2026. Replays of every match are available with a FloGrappling subscription via the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and web browsers. See how to watch ADCC 2026 for details.
Key Takeaway
ADCC 2026 in Krakow crowned a new generation: seven first-time weight-class champions, Poland's first ADCC title for Pawel Jaworski, a 19-year-old women's +65 kg champion in Helena Crevar, a 14-year-old medalist in Joslyn Molina, and a record second absolute title for Felipe Pena. Yuri Simões took the vacant superfight title from an injured Kaynan Duarte, and Ana Carolina Vieira was the only 2024 champion to defend successfully. The host and dates for ADCC 2028 have not been announced yet.
Official Sources
- ADCC Official Website - Rules and announcements
- FloGrappling: ADCC 2026 Results - Full brackets, champions and medal placements
- FloGrappling: ADCC 2026 FAQ - Prize money and start times
- BJJ Heroes: 2026 ADCC World Championship Results - Submission stats and storylines
- TAURON Arena Krakow - Venue information
Training for the next ADCC cycle or just your next no-gi round? Download Rollbook to log every no-gi session in seconds, map your game plan as a System, and see which techniques you drill most -- and which have gone stale. Rollbook is free on iOS and Android.
Oss!
