Signed up:
Alliance Rubens Charles Maciel
American Top Team Chris Manuel
American Top Team Jonatas Gurgel
Atos Bruno Frazatto
Atos Rafael Mendes
Bahrain BJJ Reza Monfaradi
Brazilian Top Team Renan Borges
Check Mat BJJ Leon Amancio
Check Mat BJJ Rodrigo Faria
Cross Point Naoya Uematsu
GF Team Denilson Pimenta
GF Team Wallace Castro
GFT Theodoro Canal
Gracie Barra Cristiano Oliveira
Gracie Barra Jonatas Eliaquim
Gracie Barra Mario Reis
Gracie Barra America Carlos Lemos Jr
Gracie Barra America Guilherme Tavares
Gracie Barra Costa Mesa Alfred Tompkins
Gracie Humaita Wellington Dias
Jean Jacques Machado Scott DeWitt
Korea BJJ Hee Sung Lee
Leo Dalla JJ Noah Booth
Paraestra Sasa Yukinori
Paraestra Osaka Takumi Nakayama
Purebred Omiya Kazumasa Sekiguchi
Purebred Omiya Yoshinobu Kakizawa
Rillion Gracie Richard Avila
Sul Jiu-Jitsu Samuel Hertzog
Undisputed Baret Yoshida
Willcox BJJ Gabriel Willcox Furley
Yamasaki Academy Sam Joseph
Total: 31
The number of legends who set up shop in the featherweight category is only paralleled by one other category: the absolute. Here’s why: several fighters change weight groups throughout their careers, starting with the medium heavyweights, going on to the heavyweights, and henceforth. But a featherweight is always a featherweight.
And being a featherweight means fighting in the category of Royler Gracie, Rubens Charles, Fredson Paixao and Mario Reis. And BJ Penn. A five-time, a three-time, another three-time and a two-time champ. And BJ Penn.
So, winning the featherweight group means becoming a legend. And to win the so noble of categories, one must almost always overcome another legend. That’s how it went with Royler, and his rivals from several generations; with Fredson, who fattened up his CV with a win over Ricardo De La Riva; with Mario Reis, who caught Fredson; and Rubens Charles, who usurped the throne in 2006 with a win over Marcio Feitosa, who was dropping in on the weight class.
Cobrinha attacks Frazatto's foot at Worlds 2008 / Ivan Trindade
The main question is: who is capable of beating Cobrinha this year? Rafael Mendes managed to do it, in Abu Dhabi, but in a six-minute match. While spectators chew their nails, don’t take your eyes of the Japanese warriors, the takedowns of Wellington Megaton and Bruno Frazatto, who have won medals in all the Worlds since 2005. (PS: Mario Reis, for sign-up problems, was absent from the first competitors’ list, should also appear).
Predictions: Rubens Charles and Rafael Mendes
Category’s winners’ stand*
2008 1) Rubens Charles (Alliance); Bruno Frazatto (Brasa); Theodoro Canal (UGF); 3) Mario Reis (Gracie Barra)
Cobrinha atop Mario Reis in 2007's final / Guilherme Rafols.
2007 1) Rubens Charles (Alliance); 2) Mario Reis (Gracie Barra); 3) Bruno Frazatto (Godói JJ); Jonatas Gurgel (Jordan Team)
2006 1) Rubens Charles (Fernando Torres); 2) Marcio Feitosa (Gracie Barra); 3) Reinaldo Ribeiro (Brasa); 3) Bruno Frazatto (BTT)
2005 1) Frédson Paixão (Gracie Barra); 2) Mario Reis (BTT); 3) Bruno Frazatto (BTT); 3) Frédson Alves (Gracie Humaitá)
2004 1) Mário Reis (BTT); 2) Frédson Paixão (G. Barra); 3) Gustavo Falciroli (BTT); 3) Cicero Costa (Barbosa JJ)
2003 1) Mário Reis (Winner/Behring); 2) Alexandre Carneiro (Gracie Barra); 3) Frédson Paixão (Gracie Barra); 3) Reinaldo Ribeiro (Castelo Branco)
2002 1) Frédson Paixão (Gracie Barra); 2) Anderson Bezerra (Equipe 3); 3) Ricardo De La Riva (UGF); 3) Alexandre Carneiro (Gracie Barra)
2001 1) Frédson Paixão (Equipe 2) Frédson Alves (Gracie Humaitá); 3) Alexandre Carneiro (Gracie Barra); 3) Marcos Barbosa (Barbosa JJ)
2000) 1) BJ Penn (Nova União); 2) Edson Diniz (Infight); 3) Frédson Alves (Gracie Humaitá); 3) Marcos Barbosa (Godói/Macaco)
Royler in action against Leo Santos in 99 / Gustavo Aragão.
1999 1) Royler Gracie (Gracie Humaitá); 2) Leonardo Vieira (Alliance); 3) Vinicius Magalhães (Gracie Barra); 3) Marcos Barbosa (Godói/Macaco)
1998 1) Royler Gracie (Gracie Humaitá); 2) Vinicius Magalhães (Gracie Barra); 3) João Roque (Nova União); 3) Wagnney Fabiano (Nova União)
1997 1) Royler Gracie (Gracie Humaitá/Iate); 2) Vitor Ribeiro (Nova União); 3) Marco Aurélio (Protesto); 3) Alexandre Carneiro (Gracie Barra)
1996 1) Royler Gracie (Gracie Humaitá); 2) Paulo Brandão (Gracie Humaitá)
*Results provided by official IBJJF website. For more, ibjjf.com.
