The ADCC European, Middle-Eastern, and African Trials 2026 is scheduled for February 14th and 15th, 2026 and we’ve put together a preview of all 8 divisions being contested. This is the first time that any women will be qualifying for ADCC 2026 too, so there’s going to be a lot of exciting matches taking place. There’s hundreds of elite grapplers hitting the mats and several of them have even competed at ADCC before, either in 2024 or even further beyond. There’s also plenty of talented youngsters and less well-known competitors making the journey too, and any one of them could cause an upset and announce their arrival on the biggest stage in the sport.
ADCC European, Middle-Eastern, And African Trials 2026 Full Preview
Men’s Divisions
Under 66kg
Favorites: There’s 88 competitors in the lightest men’s division but the major standout here is Ashley Williams, who has been a pretty consistent fixture in the semi-finals of this weight class ever since he won it in 2021. Although Williams should make it through his first few matches without much issue, his first major test will be a potential semi-final matchup with Yigit Hanay. Williams has much more experience than Hanay but Hanay did actually manage to place above him the last time they both stood on the podium in the 2024 edition of the European Trials. That match may well end up determining who wins the division as the other side of the bracket isn’t as stacked, but Jack Sear is there and he will likely make a run straight to the final. If Sear can build up good momentum then he might take the whole thing.
Dark Horse: Veteran Scottish black belt Seany Stewart actually won a bronze medal here just last year and although he’s older than most of the men in the bracket, he’s a real threat regardless. He should make it through the first few matches but his final three might end up being Williams, Hanay, and Sear; which is an incredibly tough series to get through.
Under 77kg
Favorites: This is the biggest division of the whole event but surprisingly, it’s also looking like the easiest one to predict. Taylor Pearman and Tom Barry stand out as the top contenders and they have also been placed on opposite sides of the bracket, making them the most likely final pairing. Pearman in particular won the under 88kg division at the ADCC European Trials in 2024 after submitting everyone he faced and moving down in weight should only help him. He’s improved a lot since then too and although Barry is an excellent competitor in his own right, Pearman is the favorite to win here.
Dark Horse: Carson Coles has been on fire lately, putting on excellent performances all around the UK and beating much of the country’s top talent. He will definitely be one to with over the next few years but he’s been set up with a very early meeting with his teammate Barry if the two men make it through to the third round. If Coles can beat him or Barry ends up losing earlier, he may well make it all the way to the final.
Under 88kg
Favorites: Santeri Lilius is the clear favorite out of the 92 competitors at under 88kg, as he’s won this division twice before and has only looked better each time. He has a great draw too and looks pretty clear through to the semi-final, where he’ll probably face either Davis Asare or Faris Ben-Lamkadem. They should both make good runs and will end up facing each other in the quarter-finals if they make good on that promise.
Dark Horse: Ben Bennett has left ADCC Trials with a silver medal before and he won every match by submission, so he can’t be overlooked here. He’s also got a favorable draw other than a tough opening round match, and he won’t run into any of the favorites until the final.
Under 99kg
Favorites: There are 41 men competing at under 99kg and two of them have actually won gold here before. Marcin Maciulewicz won this division just two years ago and won a silver medal last year, so he has the most recent track record of success. On the opposite side of the bracket is one of the most dangerous leglockers in the world though, as Eoghan O’Flanagan has moved up to this division. He normally competes at lighter weight classes and he won his Trial by submitting everyone at under 88kg back in 2021, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him do the same here other than a final with Maciulewicz.
Dark Horse: There’s a few people in this division who could spring an upset on the right day but the favorites are going to be very tough to beat. Moritz Kollensperger is a great competitor and he’s on the same side of the bracket as Maciulewicz so he could potentially make it to the final, but beating both him and O’Flanagan is a tall order.
Over 99kg
Favorites: This division is the smallest men’s bracket with just 36 competitors and one man has won this division multiple times before, Heikki Jussila. The Finnish grappler has the perfect style to succeed under ADCC rules and it’ll be difficult for anyone to stop him from winning here. There is one big challenge on the opposite side of the bracket though, as fellow ADCC veteran Haisam Rida is also competing. Jussila should beat him on paper but Rida is a very unpredictable grappler who has submitted some of the best in the world.
Dark Horse: Although the two favorites are almost certainly going to meet in the final, Christian Ozbek is more than capable of providing an upset or two. He’s a solid competitor in all areas but his standing grappling is elite and that usually pays off at ADCC. He’s on Rida’s side of the bracket too and that’s a winnable match if he plays it perfectly, but a potential final with Jussila would be a huge challenge.
Women’s Divisions
Under 55kg
Favorites: Ana Mayordomo is undoubtedly the favorite even though this is the biggest women’s division in this preview of the ADCC European, Middle-Eastern, and African Trials 2026 with 36 entrants. Mayordomo is well-rounded and has already won two other Trials last year, but no invite was available for women. She will probably end up with a tough semi-final match with top UK competitor Libby Genge but beyond that it’s hard to imagine Mayordomo stumbling before the final. On the other side of the bracket, fellow UK competitor Ashley Bendle is the top contender and will most likely be the one making it to the final there.
Dark Horse: Although Bendle is unlikely to fall before the final, there is one woman who might take her place there. Italian black belt Martina Zola can hang with the best of them and she should make a run to at least the quarter-final, which is where a potential meeting with Bendle awaits.
Under 65kg
Favorites: This is a fairly big bracket with 34 women competing and truthfully, there’s quite a few who could realistically end up winning. Sula-Mae Loewenthal is one of the beat in Europe and she does have a great chance of winning, but there’s a big hurdle for her to get over very early on. Ane Svendsen has already won Trials before and will almost certainly end up meeting Loewenthal in the second round. Then whoever makes it out of there will probably face Peyton Letcher in the quarter-final, and one of these three women are the most likely finalists from that side of the bracket. Injana Goodman is the top contender on the other side of the bracket and after winning gold here for the first time last year, she looks set to make the final again at least.
Dark Horse: A real unknown here is Rana Willink; a name who will probably come as a shock to anyone looking at the bracket. She qualifies for the European Trials due to her mother being English and although she’s had some electric performances lately, this is definitely a step up in competition. It’s hard to gauge how she will do but she’s on Goodman’s side of the bracket so may end up putting together a deep run.
Over 65kg
Favorites: This is the smallest women’s division with just 20 competitors, and both of the last two winners are competing. Nia Blackman won in 2025 and Jessika Torttila won in 2024, so a final between them looks likely now they’ve been put on opposite sides of the bracket. Salla Simola has a good chance of throwing a spanner in the works though, as she’s stood on the podium multiple times in the past and will likely meet Blackman in the semi-finals.
Dark Horse: Over 65kg has quite a few young stars in the mix and on Torttila’s side of the bracket, there is also 20 year-old Spanish black belt Anabel Lopez. Lopez has already won the IBJJF No Gi World Championship and she’s got great leg-attacks too, so she has all the tools necessary to make it to the final at the very least.
The full ADCC European, Middle-Eastern, and African Trials 2026 live event, including all of the divisions in the above preview, is available to watch on February 14th and 15th on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
