I love the Mundials. I loved competing, even when I lost, and I like being a fan even more. Six years ago, I wrote a post about the experience that describes why everyone should go to the BJJ Worlds at least once.

Part of the fun is watching the best in the world — and to make it a little more fun, I thought I’d predict some of the black belt division results. You can check out the brackets here if you’d like to follow along. 

WOMEN

Roosterweight: Rikako Yuasa has been dominant in this division, winning three times. No reason that doesn’t continue this year.

Light Feather: This should be a fun one. The odds on favorites to meet in the final are Talita Alencar and Gezary Matuda, who already had one of my favorite matches of the year — and Gezary is one of the most exciting competitors to watch in the world.  My gut says Gezary repeats her win from the Pans, but I wouldn’t bet against Talita.

Featherweight: I would cite Aarae Alexander as a sleeper to make the final, but unfortunately, she draws Bianca Basilio for her first match. Tammi Musumeci also draws Karen Antunes for her second match (with Antunes getting the bye). That match should be excellent. I see Basilio vs. Musumeci in the semifinals, with Bianca Basilio going on to win the division. I’m also excited to see Anna Salome in this division (and hopefully get her on the podcast!).

Lightweight: Bea Mesquita and Luiza Monteiro are the standouts in this division. My prediction: Bea pulls guard and, in a hard-fought finals, sweeps to win.

Middleweight: I’m tempted to pick an upset here: Raquel Canuto is a relatively new black belt, but a fierce competitor, and no one wants to face her in this bracket. But Ana Carolina Vieira is still unbeaten at black belt, and I can’t remember many losses at brown belt either. Ana Carolina it is.

Medium Heavy: The legendary Luanna Alzuguir is competing, but if she wins her first round match she faces Claudia Do Val (who won gold last year at heavyweight and gets a first round bye). That’s a tough ask. My pick for this division comes from the other side of the bracket, Monique Elias, who is a two-time gold medalist.

Heavyweight: A lot of these brackets are stacked, but this one at or near the top of the list. Nathiely Karoline is here, as is three-time world champion Fernanda Mazelli — who will face this year’s Pans champ, Maria Malyjasiak, in the second round if Maria wins her first match.

Upset special: Maria Malyjasiak wins this division, thrilling her Zenith & Abmar Barbossa teammates and angering proofreaders everywhere.

Super Heavyweight: Many great competitors here. None is beating Tayane Porfirio.

 

MEN

Roosterweight: Everyone was excited to see Caio Terra compete, but sadly, Caio’s awful luck with injuries right before major tournaments continues. What everyone should be excited about is the great Bruno Malfacine, who might be the most accomplished IBJJF athlete of all time. He’s the safe pick to win this division for very good reasons.

Light Feather: Three names to watch in this division: Mikey Musumeci, Ary Farias and Joao Miyao. Musumeci is young and talented and only getting better, and I think he takes this division.

Featherweight: This division without the great Cobrinha in it seems wrong, but it makes the field wide open. My head says Marcio Andre breaks through here. My heart wants Osvaldo “Queixinho” Moizinho to win, although he has a tough match in AJ Agazarm first round, and he’s on the same side of the bracket as Andre and Gianni Grippo. Marcio Andre is the safe pick. Which is why I’m taking Grippo.

Lightweight: The prospect of a JT Torres-Lucas Lepri final has me thrilled: two of my favorite athletes to watch, and two of the most well-rounded. I’m going with Lepri is a close, technical final.

Middleweight: Otavio Sousa won in 2016; Gabriel Arges won in 2017. It’s a return to form from Sousa here as he takes gold.

Medium Heavy: This is a fascinating division with Matheus Diniz and Lucas Barbosa on one side of the bracket and Tarsis Humphreys/Renato Cardoso matchup on the other. I think Lucas Hulk comes through here.

Heavyweight: Keenan Cornelius posted a video of himself throwing jabs at a heavy bag with AJ Agazarm’s face photoshopped onto it. The power of hilarity carries Keenan to gold over Felipe Pena.

Super Heavy: A lot of people are picking Nicolas Meregali to break through here, but I still think this is Leandro Lo’s division. Lo looks amazing since backing off of putting on muscle mass, and I think it’s Lo over Meregali in an entertaining final.

Ultra Heavy: A lot of great athletes in this division — Joao Gabriel and James Puopolo, who I’d like to see on the podium this year, to name two — but Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida is still the man.