Spring-Summer IBJJF/ADCC/Mundials/Metamoris 2 events

Despite the fact we've already had the Pan Ams, Abu Dhabi World Pro (along with the IBJJF NY Open), and the ADCC Rio Trials, there remains much left to enjoy in the coming months in terms of high level grappling competition:


- The Brasileiros/Brazilian National Championships take place over 3 days at the end of April.

- Copa Podio brackets have been announced for the "Lightweight GP to be held at Club Hebraica in Rio on May 5.....On one side, in the yellow group, is the defending champion (GP and World IBJJF) Leandro Lo, with Clark Gracie, Diego Borges, Brandon Magana and Juan Kamezawa, the Alliance promise, a newcomer brown belt....In the green group are the American DJ Jackson, Victor Estima, Augusto “Tio Chico” Vieira, Vinicius Marinho and the English Oliver Geddes.

Something interesting about this group is that Victor Estima, Gracie Barra professor living in England, has nowhere to run. He will need to face the teammate Tio Chico and also his old acquaintance Oliver Geddes, Roger Gracie student in London."

 

In addition to the LW Grand Prix, a number of superfights are on the card which rivals that of any match-ups one might see on the Metamoris or the IBJJF Pro League.

Among them a modified Team/City challenge for bragging rights:
"Team Challenge (Alliance x GFTeam ) - 

Leo Leite vs Rodolfo Vieira
Dimitrius Souza vs Leonardo Maciel 

Michael Langhi vs Vinicius Marinho
Cities Challenge (Recife x Manaus)
Braulio Estima vs Xande Ribeiro"

- The 2013 Mundials take place May 29th through June 2nd in California and promis to answer at least some of the following questions in the world of high level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition:
Will Cobrinha find an answer for Rafa and/or Tanquinho, both of whom beat him by the slimmest of margins at the Abu Dhabi and Pan Ams respectively?
Will Malfacine return and will Gui and him rematch? Will Rodolfo return to form and find an answer for the ever gaining momentum locomotive/Terminator that is Buchecha? Will the recently impressive other Souza threaten in a division full of the likes of Victor Estima and others?

- Metamoris II takes place June 9th:
"Main Event:

Kron Gracie vs. Shinya Aoki

Main Card:

Braulio Estima vs. Rodolfo Vieira
Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu vs. Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub
Mackenzie Dern vs. Michelle Nicolini
Andre Galvao vs. Rafael Lovato Jr.
Bill "The Grill" Cooper vs. Ryan Hall"

- The judging criteria has yet to be announced and some will decry the pairing of predominantly MMA-associated grapplers with more "pure" Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters as a marketing ploy, which will likely renew some of the debate as to how much the rule sets of the IBJJF influence who wins, but matching up high level grapplers cannot be anything but good for the sport overall.

- June and July promise the Euro NoGi's, the Lisbon Int'l IBJJF event and even an event in Rome, Italy.
- And on the far off horizon, we have the Abu Dhabi Combat Club final with 2 announced superfights of "Bráulio Estima facing off with current champ André Galvão, and Zé Mario Sperry and Fabio Gurgel squaring off in a veterans dream match-up."