This article is part of our ADCC 2024 coverage. To get live results, play by play, and commentary, we’ll have a live updates article running all weekend.
Each of the men’s divisions at ADCC 2024 are really filling up now, as four more elite competitors have received invites to different weight classes. There’s a wide variation in the grapplers who have been invited too, as they range from former champions all the way to a young competitor making his very first appearance at the world’s most prestigious no gi grappling tournament. The only things that all four of them share in common is that they will each be serious contenders in their respective weight classes, and that they will all be up against some incredibly tough competition no matter who they end up facing.
The first invite was handed out to one of the top prospects training at Melqui Galvao Jiu-Jitsu, Kaua Gabriel, and he will be making his ADCC debut in the under 66kg division. Although Gabriel was not one of the few grapplers who were able to win their invite by emerging victorious at ADCC Trials, that is how he attracted attention. He took silver at the first South America Trials and the second edition was just a week later, but he managed to put on a performance that was just as impressive as the first. Gabriel won another silver medal there and he proved that he definitely deserves the opportunity to compete at ADCC 2024.
The second invite was a much more predictable one, as ADCC confirmed that the reigning under 77kg champion Kade Ruotolo would be returning to defend his title. Ruotolo became the youngest champion ever at ADCC 2022 and he earned an automatic invite as a result, so it’s no surprise that he’s competing once again. He will no doubt be eager to become the youngest two-time champion too, and continue the legacy he’s already started building. This also means that both he and his brother Tye will be competing alongside one another again, although they will be in different weight classes just like they were last time around.
Roberto ‘Cyborg’ Abreu is the second champion that was invited to return to one of the ADCC 2024 divisions, although he actually won his title over a decade ago back in 2013. Abreu has also won a silver medal before that in 2009 and an impressive set of three bronze medals in 2011, 2013, and 2017. He’s one of the most familiar faces at the ADCC world championship and his last outing in 2022 saw him get submitted by Haisam Rida in the opening round of the over 99kg division before going 2-1 in the absolute. This time he will be competing at under 99kg instead, something that will be a new challenge for Abreu after his success in the higher weight class.
The final invite in this recent batch has been given to Roberto Jimenez, another veteran who will be changing divisions for ADCC 2024. He has only made one appearance at ADCC before, but he won his place at ADCC 2022 by taking gold at the second ADCC South American Trials earlier that year. Jimenez competed in the under 77kg division at that edition and he went 1-1 there before going out in the opening round of the absolute division against a much bigger opponent. Now Jimenez has gotten bigger himself and will be competing at under 99kg for ADCC 2024, moving up two weight classes in order to do so.
ADCC announced this latest batch of invites to their respective divisions in a series of posts to their official Instagram account:
