The IBJJF No Gi European Championship 2024 is scheduled for October 17th to 20th, 2024 this is a full preview of every division being contested at the event. There are a number of gold medalists from the 2023 edition of this tournament returning to defend their titles, but equally there are several divisions that are guaranteed a new champion. There are even a handful of reigning IBJJF No Gi World Champions too, and naturally those elite competitors are going to stand out even among the busiest divisions. There’s plenty for fans to enjoy over the course of the weekend, even down to the colored belt divisions taking place before the black belt brackets.
IBJJF No Gi European Championship 2024 Full Preview
Men’s Divisions
Roosterweight
Favorites: John Stapleton and Christopher Tran are the two top contenders in this preview of the lightest men’s division at the IBJJF No Gi European Championship 2024, as they’re the IBJJF No Gi Pan Championship 2023 gold and silver medalists respectively. They’re the top seeds so have been placed on opposite sides of the bracket, with only one opponent to beat before they each make it to the final.
Dark Horse: Denis Beenan was the silver medalist here last year and with the champion absent, he might be able to do one better this time around. Anything can happen with just 6 men in the bracket, but Beenan will have to get past Tran in his second match before he even makes it into the final.
Light-Featherweight
Favorites: Edwin ‘Junny’ Ocasio didn’t just win the IBJJF No Gi World Championship in 2023, he won all four major IBJJF no gi events that year. That makes him a firm favorite here and it’s going to take something special for anyone to stop him. Leonardo Martins is the other top contender who might just be able to do that though, as he’s coming in off winning the IBJJF No Gi Brazilian National Championship 2024 at this weight class.
Dark Horse: Daniel De Groot is one of the top competitors on the European circuit and he’s been knocking on the door of that next level for a little while now. He’s got a favorable draw and a bye through the first round, so this 12-man division might just be the perfect opportunity for him.
Featherweight
Favorites: This is a pretty big division with 20 competitors, but Julian Espinosa stands out as the clear favorite. Not only is he the reigning champion here but he is also coming straight off winning the IBJJF No Gi Brazilian National Championship already this year. Sam McNally is right behind him as the silver medalist from last year, while fellow ADCC veteran and top European competitor Ashley Williams will also be a huge threat.
Dark Horse: Anthony de Oliveira veteran is fresh off winning a bronze medal at the UWW grappling world championship 2024 so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him hit the podium again here.
Lightweight
Favorites: Lightweight is a pretty big bracket at 28 competitors and with no returning champion, it’s wide open for the taking. Yigit Hanay has reached the podium at ADCC Trials twice in the last two years and won gold at the no gi Brasileiro earlier this year, so he’s the top seed for good reason. He will have some tough competition though and his. biggest threat is probably going to come from one of the most popular Polaris contenders around, Jed Hue.
Dark Horse: Rafal Farjaszewski won a silver medal last year and he will likely make it to the podium again at the very least, but it’s going to be very difficult for him to beat either of the favorites.
Middleweight
Favorites: This is the biggest division of the entire tournament with 30 entrants and without the reigning champion, there’s quite a few men who could feasibly win this one. Kieran Kichuk stands out as one of the biggest names involved and there’s an excellent potential matchup with Tarik Hopstock waiting for him. Hopstock won bronze here last year so he also has a good chance of winning, while Ellis Younger is another big contender.
Dark Horse: Fabyury Khrysthyan has had flashes of brilliance but also suffered some losses lately, so it’s hard to predict exactly how well he does in such a big bracket. If he can perform at his full ability from start to finish then he could definitely make it to the podium at least.
Medium-Heavyweight
Favorites: Sebastian Rodriguez is the reigning champion in this division he won a bronze medal at the IBJJF No Gi World Championship last year too. He comes in as the top seed and obvious favorite, but multiple-time ADCC Trials winner Jeremy Skinner is going to be a big problem. Gabriel Alves is another one of the 21 men in this weight class who could take home the title, as he’s coming in off a silver at no gi Brasileiro this year.
Dark Horse: It’s tough to rule out Shane Fishman from any event he competes in and although he’s coming in one as of the underdogs here, he’s a tricky opponent to prepare for and could surprise a few people.
Heavyweight
Favorites: Heavyweight is another division without a returning champion and any one of the 15 men competing in it could win. Jose Jurema probably has the best chance but closely behind him is Erick Souza, who is moving up in weight after winning a bronze medal here last year in the medium-heavyweight division.
Dark Horse: Faris Ben-Lamkadem is one of several competitors in this division who could cause an upset here, but he’s been one to watch for a while and the timing might be right for him to make an impact.
Super-Heavyweight
Favorites: There’s 19 men competing at super-heavyweight and one of the biggest legends of the sport, Rafael Lovato Jr, is among them. He actually won a silver medal at ADCC 2024 just a few months ago so he’s easily one of the top contenders here. Alongside Lovato Jr is Gabriel Almeida, another veteran of the sport who will be incredibly tough to stop on his way to the final.
Dark Horse: Jesse Vuorio was the silver medalist here last year and although there’s some tough opponents waiting for him who were absent last time round, he might be able to make it back to the podium again.
Ultra-Heavyweight
Favorites: There’s just 8 men competing at ultra-heavyweight and Heikki Jussila is the clear favorite, as last year’s silver medalist and absolute champion here. He’s also won several editions of ADCC Trials and took home a silver medal at the IBJJF No Gi World Championship last year, so it’s hard to imagine anyone stopping him. Devhonte Johnson won a silver medal at the IBJJF No Gi Pan Championship 2023 in the super-heavyweight division and he’s probably got the best chance of taking down Jussila here.
Dark Horse: Freddie Vosgrone is actually stood on the podium next to Jussila here last year, as he won a bronze medal in the absolute. He’s always been right at the edge of that highest level of competition and he should stand on the podium again, potentially higher than last time if he’s made some improvements.
Women’s Divisions
Featherweight
Favorites: Featherweight is the first women’s division in this preview of the IBJJF No Gi European Championship 2024, as the lower weight classes don’t have enough entrants to put together any matches. There’s 8 women competing and no returning champion, but Ashley Bendle was the silver medalist. Both her and Emily Nicholson are top contenders in this division, as Nicholson managed to win a bronze medal last year at the IBJJF No Gi Pan Championship.
Dark Horse: Raquel Ferreira also stood on the podium alongside Bendle here last year, as she was one of the bronze medalists. It’s unlikely that Ferreira wins the division, but she should be able to make it to the podium once again at least.
Lightweight
Favorites: The lightweight division is wide open and it’s tough to predict who out of the 6 women involved will come out on top. The most likely winner is probably Julia Maele, who is an ADCC Trials winner who has shared the mats with some of the best female grapplers in the world. Zofia Szawernowska won a bronze medal here last year at featherweight and could also pose a pretty big threat.
Dark Horse: Izabel Seki could only manage a bronze medal here last year but she has a bye through the first round, so a single good performance will be enough to put her into the final and give her a chance of winning the title.
Middleweight
Favorites: Rosa Walsh was the middleweight champion here last year and she’s one of 7 women in the division this time around. Although Walsh would normally be a clear favorite, she has one of the most talented competitors in the world in her bracket now. Elite Canadian grappler Brianna Ste-Marie is making an appearance and it’s hard to bet against her given her superb track record in the past.
Dark Horse: One of the top Australian prospects, Nadia Frankland, is competing in the IBJJF No Gi European Championship 2024 and she’s the dark horse with the toughest run in this preview. Frankland is just 22 years old and has a bright future ahead of her, but her first match here is against Ste-Marie. If she can find a way past her then she might just go all the way.
Medium-Heavyweight
Favorites: This is the smallest division of the whole tournament but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for anyone. All four women in this bracket are among the very best in the world. Salla Simola won bronze in this weight class and the absolute here last year, along with a silver medal at the IBJJF No Gi World Championship too. One of the women who beat her last year is here though, as Ane Svendson returns after a pair of silver medals last time. With no returning champion, whoever wins the first round match between Simola and Svendson will likely win gold.
Dark Horse: Nothing will be easy for whoever wins out of Simola and Svendson, as the most likely opponent waiting for them in the final is Aurelie Le Vern. As the winner of the IBJJF European Championship 2024 in the gi this year and an ADCC Trials winner, it’s not hard to see her causing an upset and winning the title.
Heavyweight
Favorites: There’s 5 women competing at heavyweight and although there’s no returning champion from this division, the medium-heavyweight champion Elizabeth Mitrovic is moving up in weight. She also won the IBJJF No Gi Pan and World Championship last year too, so she’s the favorite even with a slight size disadvantage. Bridget McEliece is her most likely opponent in the final, as the ADCC Open veteran is on the opposite side of the bracket and is a very game opponent.
Dark Horse: Nia Blackman is one of the rising stars on the European circuit and has already won ADCC Trials despite being just 20 years old. She would have a good chance of winning here but has been incredibly unlucky with the draw, as she has to get through her first opponent before facing a fresh Mitrovic and will then have to win another match before taking gold. If Blackman does manage to do that, she’ll definitely be one of the biggest stars coming out of the event.
The full IBJJF No Gi European Championship, including all of the above divisions in this preview, is available to watch live on October 17th to 20th, 2024 on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
