BJJ Stars 17 is scheduled for September 20th, 2025 and we’ve put together a full preview of the featherweight no gi grand prix and every superfight at the event. The lineup for the tournament is stacked with several elite grapplers and whoever wins will have to battle their way through 3 tough opponents. Although that will be the main attraction for the event, the superfights are also going to generate a ton of entertainment. Particularly the later matches on the card that will take place between the final rounds of the tournament, as some of the best gi competitors in the world will be facing each other.
BJJ Stars 17 Full Preview
Favorites
There’s been a few changes to the featherweight grand prix lineup in the final days and some of the biggest stars have had to drop out. This has meant that there’s now two clear favorites and unless BJJ Stars decide to put them on the same side of the bracket, they are the most likely final pairing. Gabriel Sousa has had the highest level of no gi success as an ADCC silver medalist and he’s beaten some of the best in the world during his career, but his toughest test here is the gi wizard Meyram Maquine. Maquine is elite everywhere and although he hasn’t had many no gi matches, he’s looked just as flawless in them.
Contenders
There are two men who each have the ability to make a deep run here and Ruan Alvarenga probably has the best chance of doing so. He’s got a ton of experience at the highest level of the sport and he’ll be out for revenge against Sousa after losing to him at ADCC 2022. He should be able to beat most of the competitors here but beating either Sousa or Maquine would really be considered an upset. The other contender is Kalebe Pereira, who has been busy making himself known as one of the top young prospects in the world. He’s the next generation of elite grappler coming up under Melqui Galvao and if things go his way, he could make a big impact here.
Dark Horses
The other four competitors in the bracket are Kleber Barboza, Julio Arantes, Lucas Canto, and Jhonatha Frazao, with Frazao stepping in at the last minute. Arantes is probably the one to watch here as he had to earn his place by winning a qualifier tournament first, and he even beat Barboza in the final. Arantes might be the most likely to cause an upset but it’s going to be tough going for each of these men. With so much talent in the bracket, it’ll take an incredible performance for one of these four to end up leaving with the title.
Superfights
Leonardo Ferreira vs Fellipe Andrew
Fellipe Andrew is absolutely incredible on the right day and he’s beaten almost every competitor in the heavyweight division and above over the last few years. He’s not unbeatable though and Leonardo Ferreira has been on a great run over the last year, establishing himself as one of the top heavyweights in the world very quickly. He only narrowly missed out on winning the IBJJF World Championship this year on his very first attempt and is very difficult to submit, so it’s going to be a tough night for Andrew. Andrew is still the favorite, but Ferreira may well get the upset win.
Gaius Gregory vs Piter Frank
Gaius Gregory and Piter Frank are both masters competitors but they’re both known for their exciting styles and a match between them is guaranteed to be one of the most action-packed of the night. Frank has had an excellent run in masters divisions and is a frequent fixture on cards like this, owing partially to being entertaining but also because he delivers great results too. He’s the favorite here but with the way that Frank and Gregory roll, anything can happen at any time.
Nolan Stuart vs Rider Zuchi
This is another matchup between high-level heavyweights where one is a little more established than the other, as Nolan Stuart has only been competing at black belt for about two years. He’s already made a huge impact thought and came away with a silver medal at the IBJJF World Championship just a few months ago, but Rider Zuchi has seen it all before at this point in his career. This was Zuchi’s fourth consecutive year on the podium at Worlds and he has great passing and back-takes, but Stuart has a unique mastery of the omoplata that might cause him trouble. This is an incredibly tough match to call and really could go either way.
Rerisson Gabriel vs Diego Sodre
Rerisson Gabriel has gained a ton of notoriety in the sport from his run with UFC BJJ but all his major accomplishments have been in the gi, making this a much better matchup for him. Diego Sodre is one of the best gi competitors in the world though, with several medals from Worlds to prove it. He also generally competes a weight class above Gabriel too, so will likely have a small size advantage too. Sodre is the clear favorite here and although Gabriel is going to be a very game opponent, he should still come away with the win.
Jessica Dantas vs Giovanah Oliveira
Giovanah Oliveira is getting a huge opportunity at BJJ Stars 17 and she’s also one of the biggest underdogs in this preview. She won a world title at brown belt just a few months ago and was promoted on the podium, but she’s diving straight into the deep end here. Jessica Dantas is a veteran black belt with over a hundred matches at this level and she’s faced all of the best in the world over the last few years. She’s very well-rounded and has several paths to success against Oliveira, so she should be the one getting her hand raised in the end.
Jose Victor vs Maycon Gabriel
This match is coming up first on the card and it’s because both men are still on their rise through the ranks. They’re both top purple belt prospects and they’ve been making waves already, so this should be a great preview of things to come in the future. They will both likely become top contenders in just a few years’ time and this will be far from the last time that we see them facing each other. Jose Victor probably has a little edge over Maycon Gabriel based on recent performances but given that they’re developing their skills so quickly, this is anyone’s match.
The full BJJ Stars 17 event, including every match in the full preview above, will be available to watch live September 20th, 2025 on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
