ADCC 2024 took place this week, and we saw many great No-Gi matches. Many veteran athletes stayed on top, while more unknown grapplers made a name for themselves.
Read the full results and highlights of ADCC 2024 below!
ADCC 2024 Day 1 Highlights
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The first day of ADCC 2024 started with massive upsets and an unexpected super-fight war. Check out the highlights of ADCC day one below.
Nicholas Meregali Goes Down
The biggest story of day 1 at ADCC 2024 was the elimination of Nicholas Meregali. The former Gi world champion called his shot and claimed he was the best grappler at this year’s tournament.
After a quick first-round win, Meregali met Daisy Fresh‘s Michael Pixley. The Daisy Fresh athlete is a purple belt and a former Division 2 college wrestling champion.
Pixley hit a huge uchi-mata on Meregali that dislocated his shoulder on impact. The former wrestling champion locked on an anaconda choke, and Nicholas quickly tapped.
This was easily the most shocking tournament moment, and Michael Pixlety made a name for himself.
Big Upsets
On day one, we saw some huge upsets among numerous veteran ADCC competitors. Meregali was probably the biggest, but there were four other huge upsets.
Mateusz Szczecinski probably had one of the biggest wins by a Polish grappler. He shocked the crowd by submitting long-time ADCC vet Garry Tonon with a nice armlock.
Next, Ryan Aitken made a name for himself by upsetting WNO light-heavyweight champ Pedro Marinho. Stunning the WNO champ with a beautiful inside heel hook.
Many assumed that Australian grappler Izaak Michell would make his way to the podium this year. Brazilian trials winner Charles Negromonte dashed his hopes with a sick kneebar.
Then, B-Team member Owen Jones made a name for himself by submitting Gabriel Sousa with a nice armlock.
Gordon Ryan vs. Felipe Pena
This was the fourth meeting between Gordon Ryan and Felipe Pena. Like many grappling fans, we assumed this would probably be another walkover for Ryan.
Surprisingly, Pena proved us all wrong, and the two had a war of attrition. Neither grappler gave an inch for the first round, forcing the match into an overtime round.
With just two minutes left in the match, Ryan was able to score two points on Felipe and get the win. Gordon Ryan won the match, but Pena got his respect back.
Gordon Ryan wins by points 2-0.
ADCC 2024 Day 2 Highlights
Felipe Pena Returns to Form
The last few years haven’t been kind to former world champion Felipe Pena. Fans counted him out after he lost his previous grudge match against Gordon Ryan and failed to win gold at ADCC 2022.
Throughout social media and BJJ forums, grappling fans have been ruthless in their assessment of Pena. However, this year, Felipe came back and proved everybody wrong.
This was the best Preguica we’ve seen in a few years. His guard was impenetrable, and his transitions were on point. He performed well en route to winning his second ADCC gold medal.
Not only did Felipe Pena get back on top, but the fans who doubted him had to give him his respect.
Mica Galvao Reaches the Mountain Top
This year, Mica Galvao wouldn’t be denied from becoming an ADCC champion. However, it wasn’t easy for Mica to get the title.
The young grappling star had to battle PJ Barch in the semifinals and Vagner Rocha in the finals. Galvao showed that he is a generational talent and will likely be on top for years to come.
Repeat Champions
This year, we saw many former champions find their way back to the top of the podium. Baby Shark, Kaynan Duarte, Giancarlo Bodoni, and Felipe Pena repeated as champions.
They have cemented their legacies as some of the greatest No-Gi grapplers in the sport’s history.
Gordon Ryan vs. Yuri Simoes
This was another long super fight, and Gordon earned a decision by grinding out Yuri Simoes for a fifth time. It went as most fans thought it would.
Gordon Ryan wins by points.
-66kg
Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis – Gold
Diego Pato – Silver
Josh Cisneros – Bronze
-77kg
Mica Galvao – Gold
Vagner Rocha – Silver
PJ Barch – Bronze
-88kg
Giancarlo Bodoni – Gold
Jay Rodriguez – Silver
Felipe Costa – Bronze
-99kg
Kaynan Duarte – Gold
Rafael Lovato – Silver
Cyborg Abreu – Bronze
+99kg
Felipe Pena – Gold
Luke Griffith – Silver
Daniel Manasoiu – Bronze
-55kg
Adele Fornarino – Gold
Bianca Basilio – Silver
Jasmine Rocha – Bronze
-65kg
Ana Carolina Vieira – Gold
Helena Crevar – Silver
Bia Mesquita – Bronze
+65kg
Rafaela Guedes – Gold
Nathiely De Jesus – Silver
Kendall Reusing – Bronze
Absolute Men
Kaynan Duarte – Gold
Cyborg Abreu – Silver
Dante Leon – Bronze
Absolute Women
Adele Fornarino – Gold
Bia Mesquita – Silver
Amy Camp- Bronze
The Biggest Takeaways From ADCC 2024
This year, numerous grapplers repeated as champions, showing they’re still the world’s best. At the same time, many young grapplers made a name for themselves.
It will be interesting to see how ADCC will compete with CJI. Now that high-level grapplers have another choice, the landscape of professional no-gi will completely change.
Bobby is martial artist for almost 20 years with a BJJ black belt under Professor Sergio Miranda. He is also a karate black and former combat sports athlete, who loves all things grappling.
