The IBJJF Master World Championship 2025 is scheduled for August 28th to 30th and as always, there are some incredible competitors taking to the mats. Although the event is reserved for grapplers over the age of 30, that doesn’t mean that the technique on display is any less impressive. In fact, several former world champions or current elite competitors are already signed up for it. Even though they’re all going go be favorites to take home gold in their divisions, the competition is still fierce at this level. Even the least well-known entrants are all tough opponents with years of experience under their belts.
10 Competitors To Watch At IBJJF Master World Championship 2025
Joao Miyao
Joao Miyao is one of the best roosterweight competitors of all time and even though he’s fully transitioned in to masters divisions in recent years, he hasn’t got any less entertaining. He still puts on a crazy pace and he’s even continued his skill development over the years as well. Miyao is the same elite guard-player he’s always been and his mastery of the berimbolo is incredible, but now he’s added lethal barataplatas to his game too. Miyao will be competing in the Master 1 roosterweight division and he’s the reigning champion there too, so it’s unlikely that anyone stops him from winning gold again.
Jackson Nagai
Jackson Nagai is one of the top competitors to come out of Checkmat in recent years and although he’s here at the IBJJF Master World Championship 2025, he’s still at the top of the sport in general. He won the IBJJF World Championship last year and has medalled at major events just a few months ago. He’s competing in the Master 1 middleweight division and obviously he’s one of the favorites, but he has a massive bracket of 45 other grapplers to get through. His biggest opposition is going to be the division’s reigning champion, another veteran competitor who has won major events at the highest level; Jaime Canuto.
Faris Ben-Lamkadem
Faris Ben-Lamkadem is another man who’s been winning world titles at the adult level pretty recently, as he became the first British man to win the IBJJF No Gi World Championship last year. Here he is in the Master 1 heavyweight division and although the bracket isn’t as big as some of the other weight classes, there’s a few tough opponents who present a threat. Dory Aoun and Thomas Bracher are probably the other contenders and fans will likely get at least one interesting matchup between these 3 men. Then when Ben-Lamkadem has finished competing himself, he’ll be off to coach Team Misfits Europe at the Craig Jones Invitational 2.
Patricia Fontes
Patricia Fontes is another former world champion at the adult level, although her last title was a little while ago now. She won the IBJJF No Gi World Championship for three years in a row from 2015 to 2017, and she medalled at major gi events during the same period. She will be competing here in the Master 1 light-featherweight division, just like she was last year too. She came away with a silver medal last time and will be looking to do one better now, but she has tough opposition from the likes of Thamires Aquino in the division.
Ffion Davies
Ffion Davies is one of the best female grapplers in the world right now and she’s achieved more than most competitors ever will. She’s still actively competing at the highest level too but has been focusing more on no gi lately and even announced a short break from competing recently. The break didn’t last long though and now she’s back in action, in her first gi matches in over 2 years. She’s the heavy favorite to win in the Master 1 lightweight division and although the reigning champion Luciane Santos is also competing, Davies will still be the most likely winner.
Elizabeth Mitrovic
Elizabeth Mitrovic is a highly-entertaining competitor and although most of her success has been in no gi competition, she’s medalled at a few gi majors over the last few years too. She’s also still very active at the adult level and actually won a silver medal at heavyweight here last year, so has a great chance of winning without last year’s champion present. Her biggest opposition in a small division of 8 women will be Maggie Grindatti Lira, and that should be a great matchup that will be well-worth watching if they do cross paths.
Melissa Stricker
Melissa Stricker is actually last year’s Master 1 heavyweight champion, but she’s still been winning major titles as recently as this year. Just 8 months ago she won the IBJJF European Championship 2025 and she had to beat some of the best competitors in the world to do that. By comparison this year’s division doesn’t have the same level of opposition and she should be able to put on some great performances on her way to gold.
Tayane Porfirio
Tayane Porfirio is another reigning champion back to her defend her title, and she will be competing in the Master 1 super-heavyweight division. Porfirio recently ended Gabrieli Pessanha’s four-year unbeaten run so she’s still right at the top of the sport and capable of beating anyone in the world on the right day. There’s just 3 opponents for her here and she’s by far the most successful competitor out of them, so this should be another fun run to watch.
Piter Frank
Piter Frank is one of the most famous masters competitors in the world, and for very good reason. He has a high-flying and aggressive style that not only makes for entertaining matches, but also plenty of highlight-reel finishes. He’s the reigning champion in the Master 2 middleweight division but there’s 55 other competitors signed up this year so he’s going to have to make it through a gauntlet of matches. Veteran competitor AJ Agazarm is also competing in the same division and that’s a wild matchup that fans should look forward to, as Agazarm is one of the toughest grapplers in the world to submit.
Wellington ‘Megaton’ Dias
There is nobody in the world who can live up to the legacy that Wellington ‘Megaton’ Dias has built in terms of longevity. Not only is Dias still competing at 57 years old but he’s often doing so at the adult level as well. He’s actually the only coral belt to ever compete at the IBJJF World Championship and it’s unlikely that any of the others join him there too. Here he gets the chance to compete against his peers instead though, as he has entered the Master 6 lightweight division alongside 23 other black belts in their late 50s. He’s the reigning champion and the heavy favorite to win again, but every time you see him compete is a treat.
The full IBJJF Master World Championship 2025 event will be available to watch live on August 28th to 30th, 2025 on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
