The IBJJF Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) 2024 takes place from April 20th to 28th, 2024 and we’ve conducted a full preview of every division being contested at the event. This is one of the four major tournaments in the IBJJF calendar and as both the IBJJF European Championship and IBJJF Pan Championship have already been completed, only a handful of competitors are eligible for a grand slam already. Not only will those elite grapplers be looking to come away with the gold medal in their division, but there are also several returning champions from last year who will be doing everything they can to retain their titles.
IBJJF Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) 2024 Full Preview
Men’s Divisions
Roosterweight
Favorites: There’s no reigning champion returning at roosterweight, but Thalison Soares is in fantastic form this year and he hasn’t lost a single match yet. He’s on course for an IBJJF grand slam and he’ll be the top contender in this division, but he does have some tough opponents waiting for him. The last man he lost to back in 2023 was Yuri Hendrex and he had a good match at ADXC 1 recently against Zayed Alkatheeri, so both of these men stand out as his biggest opposition.
Dark Horse: The roosterweight division is relatively small with just 10 competitors, so one good performance against a top contender might be enough to make it to the podium. Welerson Goncalves should be able to beat the rest of the field but he’s got a 2-2 record against Hendrex and has yet to beat either Alkatheeri or Soares. He’s a fantastic grappler though, so if he can put on the best performance he’s capable of then he might just be able to cause an upset here.
Light-featherweight
Favorites: All of the biggest names who might normally compete at the light-featherweight are surprisingly absent from the IBJJF Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) 2024, so last year’s silver medalist Cleber Sousa is the favorite in this preview. Jefferson Fagundes and Anderson Duarte should both be tough opponents for Sousa though, and they actually both managed to make it to the podium of the IBJJF European Championship earlier this year.
Dark Horse: The light-featherweight division really is wide open this year, so there could be quite a few surprises as the bracket unfolds. Leonardo Mario is definitely one to keep an eye on though. He’s not that active on the IBJJF circuit but he’s a pretty popular competitor at AJP Tour events, and he could pose some serious challenges for the top contenders.
Featherweight
Favorites: Kennedy Maciel is on track for an IBJJF Grand Slam this year and he’s now won 16 matches in a row across all competitions. Another Alliance Jiu-Jitsu representative who has been seeded on the other side of the bracket is the other top contender to take home the title at featherweight; Isaac Doederlein. It’s unlikely that they will compete against each other but Alex Sodre is on the same side of the bracket as Doederlein and he has been able to beat him before, so he may be able to make it to the final in his place.
Dark Horse: Diego Sodre has been positioned on the same side of the bracket as Maciel, so naturally he’s going to have an uphill battle if he wants to make it into the final. He’s already lost to him twice before, most recently earlier this year, but if he can get revenge against Maciel then he has just one more match separating him from the gold medal.
Lightweight
Favorites: Lightweight is the biggest and most unpredictable division in the tournament, with 24 competitors and nobody who has won an IBJJF major in the last year. Pedro Maia has come the closest, and he was actually the silver medalist from the middleweight division of this tournament last year. He stands a decent chance of doing one better now that he’s dropped down to lightweight, but Lucas Protasio beat him earlier this year at ADXC 3 and might be able to repeat that. Rolando Samson has also moved down in weight and he might be poised to make an impact given how wide open the division is here.
Dark Horse: Luiz Paulo has been focusing on no gi competition for quite a while now and he’s been getting some brilliant results, most notably when he won an invite at the first ADCC South American Trials this year. He’s a great competitor all round though and if he’s made those same leaps forward in his gi grappling game then he could be a real threat in this bracket.
Middleweight
Favorites: Mica Galvao is the obvious favorite at middleweight and he’s another competitor who’s looking to win his third major IBJJF event of the year. Right behind him is the man who had to settle for silver medals after losing to him in the final at both of the first two majors, Andy Murasaki. The gap between these two men and the rest of the field should ensure that they meet in the final once again but with Galvao winning both of their last two matches by submission, the most likely outcome is that he does the same again.
Dark Horse: Fabyury Khrysthyan picked up a bronze medal at the IBJJF European Championship earlier this year and he’s definitely one to watch for the future. The odds of anyone other than Galvao and Murasaki making it to the final is pretty slim, but Khrysthyan probably has the best chance.
Medium-heavyweight
Favorites: Wellington Sebastiao is probably the favorite at medium-heavyweight, and he won’t have many matches to win with just 13 competitors in the division. Rafael Paganini and Leon Brito stand out as the two men who are most likely to stop Sebastiao from winning the tournament, and the odds are that all three of them will be standing on the podium in some order.
Dark Horse: Servio Tulio is one of several Gracie Barra representatives at medium-heavyweight and he’s also the one with the best chance of making it on to the podium. If everything goes as predicted then he’ll be facing Sebastiao in the semi-final and that’s going to be a very difficult matchup, but if he’s able to pull off an upset win there then he may just be able to win the division.
Heavyweight
Favorites: Pedro Machado has been on the podium of several major IBJJF events over the last year and the only men who’ve stood above him are both absent from this division. Italo Lima Costa split a pair of matches with Machado last year with both men winning one by submission, so he should be able to present him with a serious challenge. Beyond Machado and Lima Costa, the field is wide open for any of the other 15 grapplers to make it onto the podium.
Dark Horse: Vinicius Liberati has had a tough run lately but he’s still a great grappler with some impressive wins on his record against top competitors like Javier Barter. If he’s able to find the same form he has had in the past then he may very well end up standing on the podium.
Super-heavyweight
Favorites: The reigning champion Pedro Lucas is back to defend his title in the super-heavyweight division and he should be considered the favorite to take home the gold medal this year as well. He has some tough matches waiting for him though, and he’ll have to get through top competitors like Harryson Pereira and Anderson Kauan if he wants to retain the title.
Dark Horse: Gabriel Oliveira earned a silver medal at the IBJJF Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) last year, but in 2024 he’s decided to move up a weight class and that’s why he’s a dark horse in this preview. He’s a fantastic grappler but moving up in weight is always going to be difficult, so it’ll be interesting to see how far he can go against bigger opponents.
Ultra-heavyweight
Favorites: Ultra-heavyweight is another small division, with just 12 competitors battling it out for the title and no returning champion either. Cleyton Flores was the silver medalist last year though and Victor Honorio took home one of the two bronze medals, so either of these men could emerge victorious once the dust settles.
Dark Horse: Helder Junior hasn’t been a black belt for very long at all but he’s been on a lot of people’s radars as one of the top prospects coming out Fratres Jiu-Jitsu. It would be tough for him to win the gold medal but with so few competitors in the division, he only has to win a single match in order to stand on the podium.
Women’s Divisions
Roosterweight
Favorites: The women’s roosterweight division is another where a competitor is on the road to an grand slam, as Shelby Murphey has won both of the major IBJJF events this year. Even more impressive is the fact that Murphey is doing this in her first full year as a black belt, but she’s far from finished yet. Thais Loureiro is the one who stands the biggest chance of stopping her, but Murphey did beat her on points in her black belt debut last year.
Dark Horse: It’s a small division with just 7 competitors so everyone is within touching distance of the podium right from the start, but it would take something impressive to beat both Murphey and Loureiro at the same event. Giulia Gregorut has come up short against Murphey twice this year already but has gone 1-1 against Loureiro recently, so she might be able to pull of an upset here.
Light-featherweight
Favorites: The light-featherweight division might play host to the next stage in the current rivalry between Mayssa Bastos and Jessica Dantas, as the two women are 1-1 against each other this year with both matches coming in the final of major IBJJF events. Brenda Larissa is also moving up in 2024 after winning the IBJJF Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) at roosterweight last year, so she’s the other top contender in this preview.
Dark Horse: Amanda Monteiro is a former IBJJF World Championship winner, so she’s already proven that she has what it takes to reach the highest level of the sport. She’ll have to win her first match to face Bastos in the semi-final though and that alone is a huge challenge, never mind the final that might come after it.
Featherweight
Favorites: Anna Rodrigues is the favorite at featherweight after some seriously impressive performances over the last few years and she’s never been submitted at black belt before. It’s going to be very difficult for anyone to stop her from taking the top spot on the podium, but Gabriela Pereira has managed to do it once before. The two women have had 3 matches together so far and although Rodrigues leads the series 2-1, every match has been very close and Pereira won the most recent one.
Dark Horse: Maria Luiza is still a very young competitor and she hasn’t been competing at black belt for that long, but she’s already delivered some brilliant performances. As long as she can win her opening round match then she should meet Pereira in the semi-final, and it’ll be interesting to see how she fares against some of the best in her weight class.
Lightweight
Favorites: Brianna Ste-Marie has had some tough results over the last few months but she’s still an undeniable force on the mats and without the returning champion at lightweight, she’s one of the favorites. The last woman she beat in competition was Vitoria Vieira, and she should also be considered a serious contender to take home the title. Rounding out the most likely trio of women to win is Sabrina Gondim, who hasn’t been competing at black belt for long but has been right on the verge of winning an IBJJF major several times already.
Dark Horse: Suellen Lima earned a bronze medal at the IBJJF Pan Championship this year and it wouldn’t be surprising to see her stood on the podium again here. She’ll have to win several matches before she takes on one of the favorites though, so a gold medal might be just a little out of reach.
Middleweight
Favorite: Thalyta Silva is on the path to winning an IBJJF grand slam this year and she’s coming in with a lot of momentum into this tournament, so she’s the clear favorite. There’s only 7 other women in the bracket and none of them have stood on the podium of an IBJJF major in the last year, so the gold medal should be in the bag for Silva really.
Dark Horse: Although she’s expected to win all three of her matches, it’s not as if any of them are going to be easy. Renata Borges is one to watch on the other side of the bracket, although it’s tough to imagine her pulling off an upset even if she does get to the final against Silva.
Medium-heavyweight
Favorites: Ingridd Alves is coming in fresh off a great performance at the IBJJF Pan Championship this year and it wouldn’t be surprising to see her making it back-to-back gold medals here. Thamara Ferreira showed a glimpse of greatness in a tournament at Arte Suave Elite 32 earlier this year and if she can channel that same energy, she could take the title instead. The final top contender in the division is Sabatha Lais, as she’s been stood on the podium of a major IBJJF events several times in the last year.
Dark Horse: Maria Vicentini won a silver medal at the IBJJF Pan Championship behind Alves, but that was in a much smaller division than this one. She’s still a threat and she should make it onto the podium at least, but it’ll be interesting to see if she can make it back into second-place or higher.
Heavyweight
Favorites: Melissa Stricker is the reigning IBJJF world champion at heavyweight and she’s always going to be a top contender in any tournament she enters. The reigning champion of the IBJJF Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) is Tamiris Silva though, and she’s returning in 2024 so will also be considered a favorite in this preview. These two women are on either side of the bracket too, so they represent the most likely final matchup in the heavyweight division.
Dark Horse: Amanda Magda has stood on the podium of a number of different major IBJJF events at adult despite being eligible to compete at Master 3, and she might just be able to do the same thing here. It’s unlikely she beats Stricker and Silva though, and the path to a gold medal is probably going to be through both of them.
Super-heavyweight
Favorite: She hasn’t even been a black belt for 5 years yet and already it seems impossible to picture anyone but Gabrieli Pessanha winning gold at super-heavyweight. It’s coming up to 3 years since she last lost a match and her winning streak now extends over an incredible 120 matches with the best women on the planet. She’s not only the favorite to win the super-heavyweight division but she’s also the favorite to win the absolute division, and the biggest favorite in this entire preview.
Dark Horse: Pessanha has only ever lost 6 matches as a black belt, but Yara Soares is responsible for 4 of those losses. She’s actually competed against Pessanha 20 times in total so even though she’s always going to be the underdog against her, she’s also proven that she’s the only woman with a decent chance of defeating her if things go her way.
The full competitor list for every division in this preview of the IBJJF Brazilian National Championship (Brasileiro) 2024 can be found here.
