This article on the return of four veterans 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.
As always, there are several ADCC veterans who have been invited to make their return across every single division being contested at ADCC 2024. Four more big names have now been added to that list and they all represent a tough challenge for anyone competing in their respective divisions. The favorites to win each bracket are almost always going to be the returning champions or medalists, but the veteran competitors with years of experience are always capable of having deep runs and potentially even reaching the podium. Nobody should be overlooking anyone before they step on the mats and if they do, they might just find themselves on the receiving end of an upset.
The first in this recent batch of invites is Roosevelt Sousa, who will be entering the over 99kg division for the second time in his career. He won his place at ADCC 2022 in the most difficult fashion, winning ADCC South American Trials earlier on in that year. Sousa submitted all 4 of his opponents there and looked like a top contender as a result. He delivered on that promise on the first day by winning both of his matches, only losing in the semi-final to Gordon Ryan. He finished with a bonze medal in the end after his opponent chose not to compete in it, and he’ll be looking to improve his standing this time.
Joining Sousa in the over 99kg division is John Hansen, who has far more experience under the ADCC ruleset than most competitors. He was first invited to compete at over 99kg at ADCC 2019 after receiving a silver medal at ADCC Trials that year, and he made it to the second round after a solid performance. Hansen then went back and won ADCC Trials in 2021, securing his second appearance at ADCC 2022. He went out in the second round once again but came back for another attempt at qualification, winning a bronze medal at ADCC Trials last year. Hansen will now be returning to the over 99kg division for the third time at ADCC 2024, looking to make it in to the medal-rounds for the first time.
The next of these four veterans invited to ADCC 2024 is another former ADCC Trials winner, Kyle Boehm. Boehm actually won ADCC Trials at over 99kg in 2022, shortly before the world championship that year took place. He was able to move down to under 99kg though and he made it through to the second round before being submitted by Craig Jones. Boehm stayed in that division for ADCC Trials earlier this year and won a bronze medal this time around, but now he’s been invited to make his second appearance regardless.
The final man invited in this recent wave of announcements is also the most successful on the ADCC mats, Vagner Rocha. Not only has he won ADCC Trials on three separate occasions dating all the way back to 2010, but Rocha has also stood on the podium of the world championship three times too. He improved from his first few ADCC appearances to win a bronze medal at under 77kg in 2017, before adding a silver medal from the same division to his collection in 2019. Rocha moved up to under 88kg for ADCC 2022 to win another bronze medal, and now he’ll be returning to the same weight class this year.
ADCC announced the four most recent veterans who were invited to ADCC 2024 in a series of recent posts to their official Instagram account:
