# 2021 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

The 2021 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship or World 2021 IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship was an international jiu-jitsu event organised by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJFF) and held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, from 9-12 December 2021. This 25th edition of the most prestigious Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament was the first one to take place following the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 season, it saw the emergence of a brand new generation of world champions.

## Background

The 2021 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship was the first season of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the most prestigious event in the sport, to take place following the 2019 IBJJF World edition. The previous 2020 edition was cancelled by the organising International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This 25th edition took place for the first time at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California instead of the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach where it had been held since 2007 after moving from Brazil to the United States. This edition also took place for the first time at the end of the year instead of the beginning of the year like previous edition, giving more time for athletes to be able to participate. The black belts competition took place towards the end, on 11 December and 12 December (two days); the elimination round and the open class / absolute division matches took place on the first day, Saturday 11 December followed by the quarterfinals all the way to the finals on Sunday 12 December, the last day of the tournament.
This Championship saw Checkmat winning its first world team title, Dream Art competing for its first year as a team and a new generation of black belts winning their first gold medals, such as Tainan Dalpra who was the first black belt to represent Art Of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) at the IBJJF World final.

## Men's division

In the roosterweight division, Mikey Musumeci became world champion for the fourth time in a row, the first American to do so at black belt, representing his new team, Pedigo Submission Fighting for the first time, after beating ten time world champion Bruno Malfacine by points. In the ultra heavy division semifinal Nicholas Meregali was disqualified from the tournament, after winning his match, for giving the finger to a heckler in the audience.

### Men's medallists

Adult male black belt results
| Division | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Rooster (57.5 kg) | Mikey Musumeci Pedigo Submission Fighting | Bruno Malfacine Alliance | Jonas Andrade PSLPB Cicero Costha USA |
| Rooster (57.5 kg) | Mikey Musumeci Pedigo Submission Fighting | Bruno Malfacine Alliance | Rodnei Barbosa Qatar BJJ Brasil |
| Light-feather (64 kg) | Diego Oliveira Batista PSLPB Cicero Costha USA | Malachi Edmond Team Lloyd Irvin | Meyram Maquiné Dream Art |
| Light-feather (64 kg) | Diego Oliveira Batista PSLPB Cicero Costha USA | Malachi Edmond Team Lloyd Irvin | Rene Eduardo Lopez Jiu-Jitsu Methods |
| Feather (70 kg) | Fabricio Andrey Fight Sports | Shane Hill-Taylor Team Lloyd Irvin | Alex Sodré Nova União |
| Feather (70 kg) | Fabricio Andrey Fight Sports | Shane Hill-Taylor Team Lloyd Irvin | Diego Sodre Nova União |
| Light (76 kg) | Renato Canuto CheckMat | Matheus Gabriel CheckMat | Lucas Valente Gracie Barra |
| Light (76 kg) | Renato Canuto CheckMat | Matheus Gabriel CheckMat | Murilo Amaral Alliance |
| Middle (82.3 kg) | Tainan Dalpra Art of Jiu Jitsu | Isaque Bahiense Dream Art | Jonnatas Gracie Atos Jiu-Jitsu |
| Middle (82.3 kg) | Tainan Dalpra Art of Jiu Jitsu | Isaque Bahiense Dream Art | Tommy Langaker Nova União |
| Medium-Heavy (88.3 kg) | Gustavo Batista Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Lucas Barbosa Atos Jiu-Jitsu | André Porfirio Fight Sports |
| Medium-Heavy (88.3 kg) | Gustavo Batista Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Lucas Barbosa Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Leandro Lo Unity Jiu Jitsu |
| Heavy (94.3 kg) | Kaynan Duarte Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Luan Azeved PSLPB Cicero Costha USA | Dimitrius Souza Alliance |
| Heavy (94.3 kg) | Kaynan Duarte Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Luan Azeved PSLPB Cicero Costha USA | Gabriel Oliveira Alliance |
| Super-Heavy (100.5 kg) | Erich Munis Dream Art | Fellipe Andrew Alliance | Devhonte Johnson Unity Jiu Jitsu |
| Super-Heavy (100.5 kg) | Erich Munis Dream Art | Fellipe Andrew Alliance | Felipe Pena Gracie Barra |
| Ultra-Heavy (over 100.5 kg) | Victor Hugo Marques Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu | Max Gimenis GFTeam |
| Ultra-Heavy (over 100.5 kg) | Victor Hugo Marques Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu | Max Gimenis GFTeam | Igor Schneider Dream Art |
| Open Class (any weight divisions) | Felipe Pena Gracie Barra | Fellipe Andrew Alliance |
| Open Class (any weight divisions) | Felipe Pena Gracie Barra | Fellipe Andrew Alliance | Kaynan Duarte Atos Jiu-Jitsu |

## Women's division

After one of the longest career in the sport and 13 years since receiving her black belt from Fabio Gurgel, "the queen of the heaviest weightclass" Gabi Garcia, after getting submitted for the first time in over 10 years, announced her retirement from gi competition to concentrate on her MMA career. Bia Mesquita won her 7th world title after defeating Luiza Monteiro by points while Gabrieli Pessanha won double gold.

### Women's medallists

Adult female black belt results
| Division | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Rooster (48.5 kg) | Mayssa Bastos GFTeam | Jessica Dantas Unique Logic Jiu-Jitsu HQ | Brenda Larissa Fight Sports |
| Rooster (48.5 kg) | Mayssa Bastos GFTeam | Jessica Dantas Unique Logic Jiu-Jitsu HQ | Serena Gabrielli Flow |
| Light-feather (53.5 kg) | Ana Rodrigues Dream Art | Tammi Musumeci Pedigo Submission Fighting | Jessa Khan Art of Jiu Jitsu |
| Light-feather (53.5 kg) | Ana Rodrigues Dream Art | Tammi Musumeci Pedigo Submission Fighting | Rose-Marie El Sharouni CheckMat |
| Feather (58.5 kg) | Gabrielle McComb Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Bianca Basílio Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Gabriela Fechter CheckMat |
| Feather (58.5 kg) | Gabrielle McComb Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Bianca Basílio Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Larissa Campos Gracie Humaita |
| Light (64 kg) | Bia Mesquita Gracie Humaita | Luiza Monteiro Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Margot Ciccarelli Unity Jiu Jitsu |
| Light (64 kg) | Bia Mesquita Gracie Humaita | Luiza Monteiro Atos Jiu-Jitsu | Nathalie Ribeiro CheckMat |
| Middle (69 kg) | Andressa Cintra Gracie Barra | Thamara Ferreira Guigo JJ | Claire North TAC Team BJJ |
| Middle (69 kg) | Andressa Cintra Gracie Barra | Thamara Ferreira Guigo JJ | Raquel Pa’aluhi Canuto CheckMat |
| Medium-Heavy (74 kg) | Ana Carolina Vieira Aviv Jiu-Jitsu | Elisabeth Clay Ares BJJ | Chloé McNally Unity Jiu Jitsu |
| Medium-Heavy (74 kg) | Ana Carolina Vieira Aviv Jiu-Jitsu | Elisabeth Clay Ares BJJ | Fernanda Yukari Makiyama Cristo Evox BJJ |
| Heavy (79.3 kg) | Melissa Cueto Alliance | Izadora Cristina Silva Dream Art | Maggie Grindatti Fight Sports |
| Heavy (79.3 kg) | Melissa Cueto Alliance | Izadora Cristina Silva Dream Art | Maria Malyjasiak Abmar Barbosa Association |
| Super-Heavy (over 79.3 kg) | Gabrieli Pessanha Infight JJ | Yara Soares Dream Art | Gabi Garcia Alliance |
| Super-Heavy (over 79.3 kg) | Gabrieli Pessanha Infight JJ | Yara Soares Dream Art | Mayara Custódio CheckMat |
| Open Class (any weight divisions) | Gabrieli Pessanha Infight JJ | Yara Soares Dream Art | Bia Mesquita Gracie Humaita |
| Open Class (any weight divisions) | Gabrieli Pessanha Infight JJ | Yara Soares Dream Art | Gabi Garcia Alliance |

## Teams results

For this season Checkmat brought 102 competitors, Gracie Barra counted 87, Grappling Fight Team known as GFTeam 48, Unity Jiu Jitsu 46, and Art of Jiu-Jitsu who had just separated in early 2020 from Atos 29 athletes.
| Rank | Men's division | Men's division |
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Checkmat | 62 |
| 2 | Alliance | 52 |
| 3 | Atos Jiu-Jitsu | 47 |
| 4 | Gracie Barra | 35 |
| 5 | R1NG BJJ | 32 |
| 6 | Unity Jiu Jitsu | 27 |
| 7 | Art of Jiu Jitsu | 23 |
| 8 | Nova União | 22 |
| 9 | Renzo Gracie Academy | 21 |
| 10 | GFTeam | 19 |
| Rank | Women's division | Women's division |
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | GFTeam | 63 |
| 2 | Dream Art | 49 |
| 3 | CheckMat | 39 |
| 4 | Infight JJ | 27 |
| 5 | Atos Jiu-Jitsu | 27 |
| 6 | Unity Jiu Jitsu | 26 |
| 7 | Gracie Barra | 24 |
| 8 | Alliance | 24 |
| 9 | Art of Jiu Jitsu | 21 |
| 10 | Zenith BJJ – Las Vegas | 18 |