Who’s Number One 30 is scheduled for October 24th, 2025 and we’ve put together a full preview of the incredible absolute grand prix that features 8 elite competitors from multiple different weight classes. The lineup features a total of 5 ADCC veterans and they have 3 medals from the world’s most prestigious no gi grappling tournament between them. The first 7 competitors were all invited based on past performances and the final spot was awarded to the winner of a qualifier tournament; intended to find the best that Pittsburgh has to offer. There’s also a series of superfights taking place before the opening round and 3 of them in particular are excellent matchups between top competitors.
Who’s Number One 30 Absolute Grand Prix Full Preview
Favorites
Most of the competitors in this absolute grand prix are actually from the under 77kg and 88kg weight classes, so Declan Moody stands out as one of the heaviest competitors. He isn’t just going to have a size advantage over most of his opponents though; he’s also incredibly skilled and has a great guard too. The other two favorites are both lighter, but they’ve also both beaten heavyweights multiple times in the past. Roberto Jimenez puts on a very high pace that very few people can keep up with and he hunts the finish aggressively, while Dante Leon is probably the most well-rounded competitor in the bracket and actually won a bronze medal in the ADCC 2024 absolute division.
Contenders
There are also a pair of contenders who could win on the right day, but will likely have a tough time getting past the true favorites. Felipe Costa is one of them and he proved at ADCC 2024 that he’s one of the best in the world at under 88 kg, where he won a bronze medal. He’s well-rounded but his main threat is his armbars and triangle chokes, which he sets up brilliantly and genuinely could catch anyone in the bracket with. The other top contender is Achilles Rocha, who has been right on the verge of big things for a few years now. He’s another fast-paced grappler and there are several winnable matches for him here, but he’ll have to pull off something really impressive to emerge victorious.
Underdogs
Michael Sainz is probably going to be the biggest threat put of the underdogs, as the 19 year-old phenom has had flashes of brilliance recently. He’s still very young and this is the toughest test of his career so far though, so it’s unlikely he wins an event like this on his first attempt. Pat Shahgholi is also a young prospect and although he’s had exposure to this level of competition before, he’s in a similar boat to Sainz where it looks to be too early in his career for him to take the title. Then the final man in the bracket is qualifier winner Justin Michael; a veteran black belt who has a very high finishing-rate. Michael might be able to catch one of the more experienced competitors but it would be very hard to do that three times in a row.
Superfights
Sarah Galvao vs Trinity Pun
This is a great matchup between two top young competitors and it really demonstrates that the future of women’s Jiu-Jitsu is in safe hands. Sarah Galvao has been a dominant force during her journey through the colored belt ranks and she immediately made an impact at black belt too; with a style pretty similar to her legendary father’s. Trinity Pun on the other hand has been competing at the highest level for years now even though she’s only 20 years old. Pun has become much more well-rounded since joining New Wave Jiu-Jitsu and will be a tougher opponent than ever before, but Galvao is still the favorite to win here,
Owen Jones vs Gavin Corbe
This match has the potential to be the most exciting of the night, as Owen Jones is known for their relentless pursuit of submission finishes and Gavin Corbe is very fast-paced. Jones generally focuses on playing guard and attacking the legs, whereas Corbe is more well-rounded and has shown some great guard-passing in the past. The outcome likely relies on how much Jones can put Corbe on the defensive, as he will find it hard to submit him but could keep him under threat for long enough to win a decision. If he Corbe can break that defensive cycle or even stop Jones before he starts, he should be able to win a decision.
Devhonte Johnson vs Gutemberg Pereira
Gutemberg Pereira has a little bit of history with Devhonte Johnson but their first match dates back to 2 years ago and it happened in the gi, so it doesn’t mean too much coming into this one. It was back at BJJ Stars 10 and it was a pretty close one, as both men scored 2 points and the judges gave it to Johnson in the end. Pereira has hit a new level since then but he does compete primarily in the gi, so Johnson maintains an advantage there. It’s tough to call and it’s probably going to decision, but Pereira is the slight favorite based on their performances over the last year or so.
The full Who’s Number One 30 live event, including every match in the preview above, is available to watch on October 24th, 2025 on FloGrappling, click here to subscribe and watch.
