The Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC) has already put on some fantastic events around the world despite being one of the newest professional grappling promotions out there, but where should they head to next? The promotion’s starting point is pretty obvious, as their first two events both took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Since then they have begun to branch out though and they actually put together a blockbuster third event in Balneario Camboriu, Brazil. After the success of that first trip outside the UAE, they have decided to expand their reach further around the world and have announced a fourth event in Paris, France.
Where In The World Should ADXC Travel To Next?
It’s become clear now that the promotion intend to spread further around the world and after ADXC 5 returns to Abu Dhabi, their next event might continue the trend of going where they haven’t been before. This is a good thing for the promotion because it allows to expand their reach even further, but it’s also good for the BJJ community as a whole because it provides talented local grapplers the opportunity to compete on a major event. So far, several elite grapplers have been able to compete in the ADXC cage in their home country and no doubt many more will be given that chance in the future too, but where?
The USA
This feels like the most obvious choice for the next place to ADXC to visit next, as the USA is where Jiu-Jitsu has really burst into the mainstream over the last few years. Brazil will always be the home of the sport and Japan is where it has descended from, but the USA is where it really grew up into the sport it is today. Many of the biggest technical innovations in the sport over the last few years have come from training rooms in the USA and many of the world’s best competitors like Gordon Ryan and Nicky Rodriguez live there. Not only would this be a great place for the promotion to grow their brand, but it would also allow them the ability to bring together some truly incredible matches.
Elsewhere in Europe
Although ADXC has already established a presence in Europe, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the promotion to return there with another event in a brand new country. Not only is the continent huge but it’s also got massive cultural difference within just a few hundred miles, which naturally leads to different training styles and competition success. Jiu-Jitsu is incredibly popular in the UK and that has allowed for stars like Ffion Davies and Eoghan O’Flanagan to emerge, while Norway has both Tommy Langaker and Espen Mathiesen. An event in one of the other major European countries where Jiu-Jitsu is popular would undoubtedly be just as successful as their ADXC 4, and could be a great idea for their next event.
Asia
Not only is Japan the spiritual home of Jiu-Jitsu, but combat sports in general is incredibly popular all across Asia. This has allowed for the rise of major MMA promotions like RIZIN FF and ONE Championship, both of whom have some fantastic grapplers competing on their roster. Because ADXC matches are always contested in a cage, they’ve regularly attracted professional MMA fighters with grappling backgrounds. This means that an event in Japan or elsewhere in Asia could see the promotional debut of some legendary competitors like Shinya Aoki or Masakazu Imanari. This, coupled with Asia being the continent where Jiu-Jitsu was first created, makes it the ideal place for ADXC to stage their next event.
Australia
Australia has a long history with BJJ, dating back to John Will becoming one of the very first non-Brazilian BJJ black belts and taking the martial art back with him to Australia. The sport has continued to grow at a steady pace in the country and recently developed to a point that it can produce elite competitors on a regular basis. This meant that Australian grapplers were starting to make a name for themselves a few years ago, but both Craig Jones and Lachlan Giles exploded through to the highest level of the sport. Not only could an ADXC event in Australia feature some truly fantastic competitors like either of these men, but it could also showcase the emerging talent the country has to offer too.
Canada
Canada might seem like an unusual place for ADXC to host their next event at first, but it’s a place where Jiu-Jitsu has come along leaps and bounds in recent years. It’s not quite at the same level as the powerhouse nations like Brazil and America, but some of the top competitors in the world have come out of Canada lately. Dante Leon and Brianna Ste-Marie are probably the two most successful grapplers to come out of the country but as ADXC also invites professional MMA fighters to compete, the possibility of coaxing Georges St-Pierre out of retirement is something that can’t be ignored. He was supposed to compete in 2023 and it’s not outside the realm of possibility to imagine him making his return this year to help promote a major event in his home country.