ADCC 2026 Roster Shakeup | No-Gi Weekly June 29–July 5, 2026
The no-gi calendar rarely slows down in July, and this week proved it. The ADCC 2026 World Championship invite list turned into a moving target, the Ruotolo brothers made their next ambition clear, and the mats in Miami and Brazil crowned a fresh batch of submission-only standouts. Here’s everything that mattered in submission grappling from June 29 through July 5, plus what to watch as the calendar heats up toward Kraków.
ADCC 2026 Kraków: The Roster Shakeup Nobody Saw Coming
With ADCC Worlds now locked for September 12–13 at Tauron Arena in Kraków — the first time Poland has ever hosted the event — the biggest story of the week was who isn’t on the confirmed list. Reports out of the promotion had three reigning division champions unlisted, including 66kg and 88kg titleholders, alongside a handful of trials winners who thought their tickets were punched. Compounding the confusion, ADCC and CJI champ Kade Ruotolo and his twin Tye Ruotolo are both absent from the roster, as is former heavyweight standout Nick Rodriguez. None of the UFC BJJ champions made the cut either.
The invite chaos matters because ADCC seeding drives the entire fall no-gi narrative — and the gear buying cycle that comes with it. Registration for ADCC’s open events opens July 11, and FloGrappling retains exclusive streaming rights through the year. If you’re mapping out which athletes to follow before the $362K purse gets divided up, this is the week the picture started to sharpen — and blur — at the same time.
There’s a bigger structural question underneath the drama, too. When defending champions and trials winners fall off the list this close to the event, it forces the promotion to lean on alternates and rising qualifiers to fill the brackets — which is exactly how names like South Africa’s Jozef Chen, who booked his spot at the first-ever Asia & Oceania Trials, suddenly find themselves fighting for a world title. For fans, that unpredictability is part of the appeal: ADCC has always rewarded the grappler who peaks in September, not the one with the biggest name in July. Expect the confirmed roster to keep shifting right up until the final seeding is published.
Gordon Ryan Retires — And the Superfight Gets Rewritten
The other domino from the ADCC news cycle: with Gordon Ryan stepping away from competition, the headlining superfight in Kraków has been reshuffled into a Kaynan Duarte vs. Yuri Simões heavyweight showdown. That’s a genuine changing-of-the-guard moment for no-gi’s marquee division. Duarte has been the most complete heavyweight in the sport for two cycles, while Simões brings the kind of grinding top pressure that has traditionally translated well to ADCC’s ruleset. With Felipe Pena still holding the reigning heavyweight crown, the big-man bracket in Poland suddenly looks like the most compelling storyline on the card. If you’re studying the positional battles that decide these matches, our breakdown of the north-south choke covers a finish that shows up constantly in exactly these heavyweight scrambles.
The Ruotolos Set Their Sights on ONE MMA Gold
Their ADCC absence makes more sense in context: both Tye and Kade Ruotolo have publicly said MMA gold is their next target in ONE Championship. Kade recently put his ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title on the line against Fabricio “Hokage” Andrey at The Inner Circle in Bangkok, while Tye has been openly recruiting BJJ athletes to test themselves under ONE’s submission-only ruleset, which he’s called “the best place to showcase jiu-jitsu.” For a generation of grapplers who grew up watching the twins trade highlight-reel finishes, the pivot toward the cage is a reminder that elite no-gi is increasingly a launchpad, not a destination.
ONE Fight Night 45 Keeps the Submission Grappling Momentum Rolling
ONE’s Lumpinee Stadium residency shows no sign of slowing. ONE Fight Night 45 lands July 18, with ONE Friday Fights 161 and 162 filling out the mid-month schedule on July 10 and 17. ONE has quietly become the most consistent home for high-level submission grappling on a mainstream broadcast, mixing sub-only superfights onto cards headlined by Muay Thai and MMA. For no-gi fans in the Asia-Pacific time zones, it’s the most accessible elite grappling product going — and the promotion’s willingness to platform grappling-only matches alongside striking has kept the format in front of casual fans who might never buy a dedicated grappling pay-per-view.
Helena Crevar Headlines the Women’s No-Gi Conversation
Helena Crevar — fresh off her $100,000 CJI women’s tournament win last year — is set to test a rising challenger in a women’s no-gi headliner on July 17, and she remains one of the most-searched names among former ADCC division standouts. Women’s submission grappling is the fastest-growing segment of the audience, and Crevar’s blend of aggressive guard passing and relentless back-takes is exactly the style that converts casual viewers into competitors. If you’re new to training in the heat and worried about protecting your ears through all those scrambles, our guide to ear guards for no-gi is a smart first stop before your first hard roll.
WNO 29 and BJJ Stars 16: New Names on the Podium
The superfight circuit delivered too. At Who’s Number One 29 in Miami, four-time ADCC medalist Vagner Rocha took the main event and immediately called for a match “anywhere” against Marcelo Garcia — a dream matchup that would break the internet if it materializes. In the co-main, Adele Fornarino submitted Jasmine Rocha with an Aoki lock, and Roberto Jimenez edged Ryan Aitken in a light-heavyweight scrap. Meanwhile, BJJ Stars 16 saw Pedro Marinho run the table in the absolute grand prix, closing the show with his signature guillotine against Yatan Bueno in the final. Leg locks and front headlocks continue to define modern no-gi — if the guillotine game interests you, the same body-lock mechanics carry straight into the straight ankle lock setups dominating the lighter divisions.
IBJJF No-Gi Brasileiro Crowns Its Double Champions
Over June 27–28, the IBJJF No-Gi Brazilian National Championship delivered two standout performances. Pawel Jaworski doubled up with gold in the medium-heavyweight division and the open-weight absolute, while Elisabeth Clay completed her own double, taking the women’s middleweight and absolute titles. Clay’s no-gi resume keeps growing, and her willingness to hunt finishes rather than ride points has made her a fan favorite in the IBJJF ruleset. It’s a reminder that the traditional federation circuit still produces some of the most technically complete no-gi competitors on the planet — even as the flashier superfight promotions grab the headlines.
The IBJJF ruleset also keeps the point-based game alive in a sport increasingly obsessed with leg entanglements and 10-minute EBI overtimes. That balance matters for anyone training seriously: the athletes winning Brasileiro golds are drilling positional control, pass-to-mount sequences, and back exposure just as hard as they’re chasing submissions. It’s the closest thing modern no-gi has to a proving ground for the complete grappler, and it’s why federation medals still carry weight when ADCC and CJI come calling.
Gear Watch: Moya and Hyperfly Drop Fresh No-Gi Kits
On the apparel side, Moya Brand rolled out its 2026 Flagship No-Gi collection, built around a super-stretch fabric, a velcro-free elastic waistband, and an inner drawcord for shorts that actually stay put during scrambles. Hyperfly went a different direction with a World Cup 2026-inspired rashguard series — clean, athletic designs borrowed from soccer kits, currently on preorder with shipping estimated around September. Both drops reflect where the market is heading: lighter, stretchier fabrics and understated graphics that pass IBJJF competition rules without sacrificing durability. The velcro-free waistband trend in particular is a quiet win for training partners everywhere — nothing shreds a rashguard faster than a stray hook of velcro during a scramble. Look for flatlock stitching, gusseted panels, and a compression fit that moves with you rather than bunching under an underhook; those are the details that separate a kit you forget you’re wearing from one you’re constantly readjusting between rounds. If you’re building out a competition kit, pair a solid rashguard with the right bottoms — our best no-gi shorts guide breaks down the fit and fabric details that separate a good pair from a great one.
Watch: ADCC 2026 Rules Explained
If the roster shuffle has you brushing up on the format, ADCC’s official rundown of the 2026 ruleset is worth the watch before September:
Looking Ahead
The next two weeks are stacked. ADCC open-event registration opens July 11, kicking off the scramble for qualification slots. ONE Fight Night 45 hits July 18, with a women’s no-gi headliner the day before on July 17. Fight to Win 321 takes over July 19–20, and the Polaris bracket and IBJJF American Nationals are already filling out their fields. And looming over all of it: the ADCC 2026 World Championship in Kraków on September 12–13, where the roster questions raised this week will finally get answers. We’ll be tracking every card, result, and gear drop — check back next week for the full no-gi rundown.
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