The IBJJF Pan Championship 2024 is taking place from March 20th to 24th, 2024 and the full brackets for both of the absolute divisions have now been released. This is one of the four major IBJJF events of the calendar year and as such, it always attracts some of the best grapplers on the planet. There will be plenty of great matches taking place in every weight class, but the absolute division is where competitors will attempt to defy the odds and beat the best across all the divisions for another gold medal. The regular weight classes have yet to take place too, so it’s still a little too early to confirm who will be on track for a coveted double gold performance.
IBJJF Pan Championship 2024 Absolute Division Brackets
Men’s Division
There are plenty of big names competing in the men’s absolute division at the IBJJF Pan Championship 2024 and the brackets are stacked with 22 elite grapplers. The top seed is Gutemberg Pereira and rightfully so, as he stands out as the favorite to take home the title despite plenty of tough opposition. The top seeds are all naturally the heavier competitors, with Marcus Ribeiro coming in second and Guilherme Augusto right behind him in third. Pedro Alex is seeded fourth but really there’s not much in it at all between these four men, and the most likely outcome here is that they all stand on the podium in some order.
It wouldn’t be an absolute division without some David and Goliath stories though, and there’s plenty of incredible lighter competitors who might be able to cause an upset. Andy Murasaki has been seeded in 8th and he should get through his first match with Jackson Sousa, setting up a potential quarter-final meeting with Pereira. Even more interesting than that is the prospect of Diego ‘Pato’ Oliveira making a run through the division, as he’s been seeded in 7th. It definitely won’t be easy for the light-featherweight though, as he has drawn super-heavyweight Felipe Figueiredo in the opening round and will most likely meet Ribeiro in the quarter-final if he wins.
Women’s Division
The women’s absolute division brackets at the IBJJF Pan Championship 2024 is less than half the size of the men’s, with just 10 women entering. Gabrieli Pessanha is the obvious favorite and it’s been so long since she’s tasted defeat that it almost seems like a foregone conclusion at this point. The second seed is Izadora Silva and she stands out as the most likely woman to stop Pessanha, but there are several other competitors who might cause an upset. Elizabeth Mitrovic in particular had a fantastic year in 2023 and she’s seeded 4th, so will be meeting Pessanha in the quarter-final if both women win their opening round matches.
