Worlds 2009 – Signed up:
Academy of Combative arts Daniel Beleza
Alliance Fabbio Passos
Atos Guilherme Mendes
Axis Academy Joao Paulo Kuraoka
Bon-sai Mauricio Souza
Brazilian Top Team Diogenes Junior
Carlson Gracie Team John Ramirez
Check Mat BJJ Carlos Vieira
Check Mat BJJ Sebastian Lalli
Cia Paulista Felipe Lattari
De La Riva Luiz Vicente Jr
GF Team Igor Santos
Gracie Barra Chad Robichaux
Gracie Barra BH Pablo Santos
Gracie Barra BSB Paulo Melo
Gracie Barra Knoxville Samuel Braga
Gracie Barra New Mexico Rafael Freitas
Nova Uniao Bernardo Pitel
Paraestra Urabe Kenji
Renzo Gracie Joseph Capizzi
Tokyo Yellowmans Dai Yoshioka
Trust Jiu-Jitsu Academy Makoto Ikuta
Westside JJ Brandon Mullins
Total: 23
The sinuous trail to gold in the light featherweight division doesn’t just seem to be for few: it’s for aces. The names vary far less than in other categories, which shows how experience counts. Robson Moura and Bibiano Fernandes can tell you that. Not to mention that the light feather is always packed with winners from other categories, notably in former roosterweight champions. Bernardo Pitel, for example, is one of the names this year.
Samuel Braga against Yoshioka in 2008 final / Ivan Trindade
That said, statistics favor Samuel Braga, a Draculino student (another little guy with clout) taking his second. But who’s to say the player from Minas Gerais is head-above-the-rest favorite in the midst of such notable competitors as the electrifying Japanese Dai Yoshioka and Pablo Santos, Samuel’s colleague and champion of everything this year, among so many others. One can venture a prediction, but…
Predictions: Samuel Braga and Guilherme Mendes.
Winners’ podiums*
2008 1) Samuel Braga (Gracie Barra); 2) Dai Yoshioka (Tokyo Yellowmans); 3) Daniel Beleza (Nova União); 3) Philipe Freitas (Equipe PH)
Robson celebrates 2007 title / Guilherme Rafols
2007 1) Robinho Moura (Nova União); 2) Samuel Braga (Gracie Barra); 3) Carlos Holanda (Osvaldo Alves); 3) Bernardo Pitel (Nova União)
2006 1) Bibiano Fernandes (Gracie Barra); 2) Bernardo Pitel (Fernando Boi); 3) Dai Yoshioka (Paraestra); 3) Carlos Holanda (Osvaldo Alves)
2005 1) Bibiano Fernandes (Gracie Barra); 2) Carlos Vieira (Osvaldo Alves); 3) Luiz Vicente (De La Riva); Carlos Lemos (Gracie Barra)
2004 1) Fernando Vieira (Monteiro); 2) Bibiano Fernandes (G.Barra); 3) Robson Medeiros (G. Barra/Pit Bull); 3) Carlos Holanda (Osvaldo Alves)
2003 1) Bibiano Fernandes (Gracie Barra); 2) Carlos Lemos (Gracie Barra); 3) Roberto Matsumoto (De La Riva); 3) Rafael Primo (De La Riva)
2002 1) Carlos Lemos (Gracie Barra); 2) André Soares (BTT); 3) Leonardo Xavier (Gracie Humaitá); 3) Wellington Dias (Gracie Humaitá)
2001 1) Ricardo Vieira (Alliance); 2) Daniel Beleza (Nova União); 3) Robson Moura (Nova União); 3) Wellington Dias (Gracie Humaitá)
2000 1) Robson Moura (Nova União); 2) Marcos da Matta (BTT); 3) Bruno Ximenes (Carlson); 3) Leonardo Xavier (Gracie Humaitá)
1999 1) Robson Moura (Nova União); 2) Vinicius Cruz (Carlson); 3) Bruno Ximenes (Bolão); 3) Paulo Sergio (Alliance)
1998 1) Robson Moura (Nova União); 2) Frédson Alves (Gracie Humaitá); 3) Luiz Renato (Gracie Humaitá); 3) Ivanilson Silva (Nova União)
1997 1) João Roque (Nova União); 2) Ivanilson Silva (Nova União); 3) Daniel Rego (Alliance)
1996 1) Hélio Moreira (Gracie Barra); 2) Wellington Dias (Gracie Humaitá)
*Results provided by the IBJJF official website. For more, ibjjf.com.
