The Second ADCC South American Trials 2024 is scheduled for March 9th, 2024 and we’ve put together a full preview of all 8 divisions being contested at the event. The tournament is just a week after the first edition of the ADCC South American Trials so there is plenty to take into account when considering who the top contenders might be. There are even more competitors entering than last time around though, as there are now invites to ADCC 2024 available for the winners of all three women’s divisions as well. Hundreds of grapplers will be making the journey to Sao Paulo, Brazil in order to battle for the right to compete at the world’s most prestigious no gi grappling tournament and there will be plenty of action at every weight class.
Second ADCC South American Trials 2024 Full Preview
Men’s Divisions
Under 66kg
Favorites: There are over a hundred competitors in the under 66kg division of the second ADCC South American Trials 2024, so picking favorites in this preview was always going to be tough. Fabricio Andrey entered the bracket and made it much easier though, as he was always going to be one of the top contenders. The silver medalist from last week, Kaua Gabriel, will also be one of the favorites to win the division and Igor Moreira is the bronze medalist from that same event. Felipe Machado shouldn’t be counted out either of course and although he didn’t make it to the semi-finals last time, he’s definitely capable of making it that far and beyond.
Dark Horse: 15 year-old Kalebe Pereira shocked the world at the first edition of the ADCC South American Trials by beating several elite competitors and finishing in fourth place. He even beat Machado in the quarter-finals so he clearly has what it takes, and everyone will be watching to see if he can improve on that performance.
Under 77kg
Favorites: Under 77kg is the biggest weight class in the event and there are some really talented competitors like Magid Hage and Jonnatas Gracie competing in it. Jefferson Pontes is the returning silver medalist from last time around so he also stands out as one of the favorites in this division, while Fabyury Khrysthyan might have got knocked out early but his only loss was to the eventual champion. Unless they meet earlier in the bracket, these four men represent the most likely semi-finalists .
Dark Horse: Rene Sousa is a great competitor and he’s incredible unpredictable, so he can easily get the win over anyone in the division. He’ll have to register a number of upset wins in order to earn an invite of course, but he’s definitely one to keep an eye on regardless.
Under 88kg
Favorites: This is another stacked weight class at the Second ADCC South American Trials 2024 and although Pedro Marinho should be considered a favorite, he isn’t the only one in this preview. Gabriel Almeida won a silver medal last week and Andre Porfirio took bronze, but either one of them could end up improving their position this time. Another grappler worth paying attention to is ADCC veteran Isaque Bahiense, who only lost to the champion by decision and has all the skills necessary to reach the podium this time.
Dark Horse: Achilles Rocha made it through two rounds last time and he’s had some good performances against top competitors considering he’s still just a teenager. It’s unlikely he wins the whole division given the strength of opposition he faces, but he could spring a surprise or two along the way.
Under 99kg
Favorites: Elioenai Braz earned a silver medal last week and he should be able to stand on top of the podium this time around, although he does have ADCC veteran Patrick Gaudio standing in his way. That isn’t the biggest challenge though, as Henrique ‘Ceconi’ Cardoso is coming off one of the biggest wins of his career at ADXC 3. Cardoso might be able to replicate that success here and he could easily beat Braz and Gaudio, but the tournament aspect of the event always amplifies the difficulty for everyone involved.
Dark Horse: Calon Sabino didn’t make it past the second round last time but he’s still a tough opponent for anyone. He should be able to beat most of the bracket in direct matches and he might go far in the division, but it’s going to be really difficult for him to beat one of the top three.
Over 99kg
Favorites: This is the smallest men’s division with just 28 competitors and the favorite is probably going to be the returning silver medalist from last weekend, Antonio Assef. Although the only man he lost to obviously won’t be competing at the Second ADCC South American Trials 2024, he isn’t the only favorite in this preview. Victor Honorio is probably the next top contender for the invite at over 99kg, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take it.
Dark Horse: Cleyton Flores made it quite far last time around before losing on points to Honorio but he does have everything it takes to win on the right day. If he can put it all together this time around then he can easily make it to the semi-finals and beyond.
Women’s Divisions
Under 55kg
Favorites: Brenda Larissa is the obvious favorite at under 55kg as she flew through the division last time around, but she has some tougher competition from a pair of elite grapplers; Jasmine Rocha and Anna Rodrigues. While these three women are the most experienced and successful competitors in the bracket, it’s also worth noting that the 18 year-old surprise winner of the under 65kg division last week, Ana Queiroz, has moved down to this weight class.
Dark Horse: Just like Quieroz, Laysla Barbosa is another incredibly talented teenager training under Melqui Galvao. She hasn’t reached the same level of success that Quieroz did last week yet so it’s too early to call her a favorite in this preview of the second ADCC South American Trials 2024, but she’s definitely got all the skills and talent to cause some problems in this division.
Under 65kg
Favorites: Jaine Fragoso is the returning silver medalist from last weekend and as the winner has moved down in weight, she’s one of the favorites once again. She’s shown that she can be beaten though, and this time around there are even bigger names who will be standing opposite her. Ana Vieira and Gabrielle McComb are two top contenders in the heavier weight classes and collectively, these three women will be the most likely to stand on the podium.
Dark Horse: Julia Boscher has won quite a few big IBJJF no gi tournaments in Brazil last year and she will almost certainly go far at under 65kg, but the semi-finals will be where things get really hard. She could definitely make it to the podium, but winning the invite to ADCC 2024 will require something really special from her.
Over 65kg
Favorites: Maria Ruffatto should be considered the clear favorite in the heaviest women’s division, especially because there are just 11 other women who have the opportunity to stop her. Tamiris Silva is probably the biggest threat to Ruffatto but it’s hard to imagine anyone other than these two women winning gold.
Dark Horse: Kauane Ramos is a great grappler and she will probably make it to the podium if she doesn’t run into Ruffatto early on in the bracket. Ruffatto and even Silva will be huge challenges for her but it’s not as if winning is impossible, and she might be able to spring a surprise or two.
The full competitor list for every division in this preview of the Second ADCC South American Trials 2024 can be found here.
