ADCC - 77kg Divisional Breakdown and Prognostication/Prediction

CLICK HERE for the breakdown of the lightest division, the under 66kg class:
I've linked in YELLOW to some BJJ Heroes for the more notable competitor bios:
From over at ADCombat:

Marcelo won this division last time, edging out Kron and Leo Vieira. I'm incredibly interested to see if either of these guys takes it with Marcelo having bowed out. Lucas Lepri and JT are also guys to give very tough matches throughout the bracket, but I honestly don't see any of the other guys having much to offer Kron, Leo, and Lepri in the way of danger.
I'd call it as Leo takes 1st, Lepri wins 2nd, and Kron gets another for him, disappointing third for his list of near misses in grappling top spots.
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Kron Gracie needs no introduction. A near finish of Marcelo Garcia by guillotine at the last ADCC, his matches at the Metamoris I and II, and his world championships at the lower belts plus his father being Rickson has him as one of the higher profile competitors in the tournament. The black belt Mundials title as eluded him though he did defeat Otavio Sousa, reigning world champion at black belt in a 20 minute no points match in the inaugural Metamoris.

Leo Nogeuiera, Alliance black belt under "the General" Fabio Gurgel, is a 5x world champion at the lower belts and black belt.

AJ Agazarm, recent join-ee to the black belt ranks rose to prominence due in no small part to his participation in the brown belt kumite. He has a wrestling-oriented, pressure, moving forward always style that is entertaining to watch and physically taxing. He recently beat Eduardo Telles in NoGi.

Gary Tonon, also a recent join-ee to the black belt ranks and also rose to some visibility thanks to the brown belt kumite.

JT Torres, part of the trio Lloyd Irvin's second generation of poster boys (alongside Jimmy Harbison and Keenan Cornelius) is a NoGi Pan American champion, NoGi world champion at lower belts, and lost a highly controversial decision in the finals of the NoGi Mundials.
He has since parted ways with Lloyd Irvin and not been much in the public eye  other than the Metamoris since joining Keenan Cornelius at Atos. I'm interested to see how his game has developed as he has a very pressure oriented style as well.

Leio Vieira is, of course a heavy favorite to place and or win his division. He's a 2x ADCC winner (going back to 2003 and 2005), took 2nd at the last ADCC in 2011,  and helms Checkmat with his brother who is also competing (Ricardo "Rico" Vieira.

Lucas Lepri is one of the few on here that is both a black belt world champion in the gi and multi-time NoGi World champion. He currently teaches at Alliance NYC.

Satoru Kiaoka is currently DEEP Lightweight champion and like Benson Henderson adds the MMA flare which ADCC likes to do which makes for interesting match-ups we might not otherwise see. Dean Lister is another name that comes to mind as a stalwart in both MMA and the ADCC.


"-76.9 kg

1. Kron Gracie – Brazil
2. Tero Pyylampi - Finland
3. AJ Agazarm - USA
4. Youngnam Noh – Korea
5. Leonardo Nogueira - Brazil
6. Gary Tonon- USA
7. Sotaro Yamada - Japan
8. Andy Wang - Taiwan
9. Ben Henderson - USA
10. JT Torres - USA
11. Leo Vieira - Brazil
12. Satoru Kitaoka - Japan
13. Eduardo Rios - Norway
14. Lucas Lepri - Brazil
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