Another big name at the big one.

ADCC 2017, set to take place in Finland in September, keeps getting stronger. The divisions are almost full, and now there’s another BJJ world champion in the line-up.

As Graciemag learned from sources close to the organization, sitting super-heavyweight world champion Erberth Santos has been added to the 99kg division. He joins Yuri Simões, Felipe Preguiça, Rafael Lovato, Dean Lister, Luiz Panza, Mahamed Aly and more.

Check back with us soon for more coverage.

Men’s

Under 66kg

Rubens Cobrinha
Uranov Zhakshylyk
Janusz Andrejczuk
Justin Rader
Pablo Mantovani
Paulo Miyao
Yuta Shimada
Ethan Crelinsten
Kuba Witkowski
Bruno Frazatto
Geo Martinez
Eddie Cummings
Augusto Tanquinho
AJ Agazarm
Baret Yoshida
Léo Vieira

Under 77kg

Lachlan Giles
Tero Pyylampi
Mansher Khera
Felipinho Cesar
Marcelo Lapela
Osmanzan Kassimov
Vagner Rocha
Oliver Taza
Garry Tonon
Lucas Lepri
JT Torres
Gilbert Durinho
Gabriel Arges
DJ Jackson

Under 88kg

Craig Jones
Jesse Urholin
James Brasco
Murilo Santana
Kaynan Casemiro
Kit Dale
John Salter
Piotr Marcin Frechowicz
Romulo Barral
Keenan Cornelius
Gordon Ryan
Pablo Popovitch
Xande Ribeiro
Leandro Lo
Dillon Danis
Rustan Chsiev

Under 99kg

Roman Dolidze
Kamil Uminski
Eliot Kelly
Mahamed Aly
Salomão Ribeiro
Yukiyasu Ozawa
Paul Ardila
Abdurakhman Bilarov
Yuri Simões
Luiz Panza
Dean Lister
Rafael Lovato
Felipe Preguiça
João Assis
Jake Shields
Erberth Santos

Over 99kg

Orlando Sanchez
Arman Zhanpeisov
Khamzat Stambulov
Tom DeBlass
Victor Honório
Hideki Sekine
Casey Hellenberg
Abdulaev Ruslan
Vinny Magalhães
Marcus Buchecha
Roberto Cyborg
João Gabriel Rocha
Jared Dopp
Jeff Monson
Mario Rinaldi

Women’s

Under 60kg

Mackenzie Dern
Bia Basílio
Rikako Yuasa
Elisabeth Clay
Ffion Davies
Michelle Nicolini
Beatriz Mesquita
Tammi Musumeci

Over 60kg

Talita Treta
Tara White
Samantha Cook
Gabi Garcia
Jessica Flowers
Amanda Santana
Venla Luukkonen
Marysia Malyjasiak

Superfights

Renzo Gracie vs. Sanae Kikuta
André Galvao vs. Cláudio Calasans
Frank Mir vs. Chael Sonnen

News broke this Monday that the 2017 ADCC will take place in Europe.

The city chosen to host the 12th edition of the submission grappling world cup is Helsinki, Finland.

It’s the third time the ADCC will be held in an European country.

The first two were in 2009 (Barcelona, Spain), 2011 (Nottingham, UK).

The last edition took place in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2015.

The exact date of the 2017 edition has not been announced yet, but it’s said to be in the second semester of the year.

The 2017 ADCC will be held at the Espoo Metro Areena.

The same announcement also stated that there are conversations about the 2019 ADCC to be held in Tokyo, Japan.

Check back here for more info.

IBJJF rule course in Helsinki.

November has been an important month for IBJJF and Jiu-Jitsu.

The sport governing body expanded and published rules of Jiu-Jitsu on three different continents, through the hands of ambassadors and refs.

IBJJF technical director and referee director, Alvaro Mansor taught the rules and regulations of the Jiu-Jitsu in Melbourne, Australia, while the referee and our GMA, André Terêncio, traveled to South Korea, where he taught during course of arbitration, and coordinated the referees in a competition there.

Received by Seung-jae Marc Lee, president of the local confederation, André was honored at the event in Seoul. “It was an incredible opportunity. I saw a movie in my mind, I remembered of my childhood, where I came from, who I am. I thought of my family and how they are proud of me today. I thank all the IBJJF for their incredible work, a team of which I am proud to be part”, he commented for GRACIEMAG.com.

Terêncio receives honor in Korea: ambassadors of Jiu-Jitsu.

Muzio de Angelis, in turn, took his knowledge of arbitrage to Helsinki, Finland. One of the main IBJJF referees, Muzio led activities and was also the observer of the entity during the BJJ Finnish Open 2011, that happened on November 19 and 20.

“The course about rules in Finland exceeded my expectations, there were a lot of people who cares for Jiu-Jitsu. The Finnish are very interested, and like the Polish, are some of the thougest Europeans in the sport. It was gratifying, and the IBJJF idea is really disclose the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu around the world, “said Muzio.

Find out more of everything that is going on at the Casal Vistoso gymnasium in Lisbon by keeping up with the GRACIEMAG at the European Open Blog.

Cia Paulista's Teemu took top honors. Photo: Ivan Trindade.

Connected, the Blog will offer updates with the latest from the championship at any moment.

Also, keep up with the coverage via Twitter. Just follow @graciemag (in English) or @graciemag_br (português).

Michelle Nicolini at the top of the podium after two wins / Photo: Publicity

Among the stars guaranteed to compete at the European Open Championship coming up this 27th are two world championship-winning black belts. And these two gi-clad aces very well could face off in Lisbon.

Owner of the lightweight gold medal from the last World Championship Kyra Gracie was featured today in Brazil’s O Globo newspaper telling of her eight hours of training per day six days a week for the Euro Open.

“It’s the first competition of the season, so it’s good to start off at a good pace. Then there’s the Pan (April in California), the Brazilian Nationals (May in Rio), and the World Championship (June in California),” says the fair-faced fighter to journalist Sanny Bertoldo, who slipped up by calling Kyra’s uncle “Enzo.”

The Gracie takes off for London tomorrow to undergo the final stage of her preparations with her cousin Roger.

Now the current medium heavyweight world champion, Michelle Nicolini, has already had a winning start to her year, in Portugal. Nicolini arrived in the capitol, Lisbon, on the 14th and her first order of business was to win the World Pro tryouts on the 15th, which she did after winning two matches in a row.

On the 16th she embarked for Finland, where she conducted classes and seminars. Next week she returns to Lisbon for the European Open, where she will compete in the same division as Kyra.

Nicolini in Finland

The reason being that this year holds the ADCC and the World Pro and, with her sights set on these competitions, Nicolini wants to compete in the 60kg and 63 kg divisions, respectively. According to the athlete, she is well prepared and more than confident for her debut in the division.

Some great matches between Jiu-Jitsu’s muses are coming up on the horizon.

For more information on the European Open, check out the IBJJF website and our Blog on the championship.

Both Gurgel (L) and Bernardo Faria travel the world. Photo: Ivan Trindade

A large part of the black belts under Fabio Gurgel’s command are crisscrossing the planet. The team’s champions are all off teaching their techniques and, when they get back, already looking to prepare for the 2011 season, they will have a new home. “General” Gurgel comments:

“In December Alliance will inaugurate its new home base in São Paulo. It will be the biggest Jiu-Jitsu center in the country. We’re putting together a surprise for everyone and GRACIEMAG.com readers will be the first to know!” he guarantees.

Gabi and Luanna were in NY and now head for Ecuador. Photo: John Lamonica

Enquanto a nova casa não fica pronta, os campeões da equipe não param.

While the new home comes together, the team’s champions keep busy.

“With this little interval between official competitions, or at least the big gi tournaments, Alliance is doing its homework and sending stars to seminars around the world. Thus our branches abroad keep up to date with the best of what is going on in the team,” explains Gurgel, who is pleased with the exchange:

This year, for the first time, our girls (Gabi Garcia and Luanna Alzuguir) repeated the success of the men with seminars in New York and Atlanta. Now they are heading for Ecuador. The boys are off in Europe and the Middle East. (Bruno) Malfacine is in Finland, Bernardo (Faria) and Léo Nogueira are in Germany, Alex Monsalve is in Bahrain, and Sérgio Moraes just got back from Finland and is already heading for San Diego, to Minotauro’s academy.”

Fabio will meet up with Jacaré (L). Photo: Alicia Anthony

And Gurgel himself is in the travel marathon.

“I’m in Miami, where I’m teaching at Tarsis’s academy. Tomorrow I’ll meet with Romero Jacaré and then we’ll head for Atlanta, New York and Pennsylvania. Then I fly out to Finland, where I’ll teach in Helsinki and Turco. Michael Langhi will go to England at that time, so we’ll only meet up again at the end of November, refreshed for the start of another competition season in pursuit of ever better results,” he says in closing.

To find out more about Jiu-Jitsu, stayed tuned to GRACIEMAG.com.

Malfacine at the Parthenon.

First and only three-time world champion roosterweight Bruno Malfacine is doing a series of seminars throughout Europe. Recently, the fighter was in Greece, where he taught class and made the most of the opportunity to get to know a bit about Athens.

Malfa with David and students

“The city is beautiful, very inviting. I felt at home right away. I got to know something about the country’s culture, architecture and breathtaking monuments,” recounts the “Bad Boy”.

“I visited the Acropolis Museum. It’s unbelievable, worth checking out. I stayed there for fifteen days and arrived in Finland to teach seminars yesterday. I’m in Porvoo and then I’m heading to Rovaniemi to catch some cold weather!” he adds.

“The seminars were excellent and very productive. We have a great group, which is growing a lot. David Dimopoulos, who heads the Athens branch, is starting work on another excellent academy,” says the Alliance ace in finishing.

Anyone who wishes to contact Malfacine about seminars can do so by sending an email tobmalfacine@hotmail.com.

“I never imagined I’d have such a tough opponent. Shooto always gives me hard fights. But that’s the way it has to be and these fights are worthwhile,” remarks Chiquerim.

Chiquerim at Shooto Brazil 15

For his next challenge, the beast from the Brazilian state of Ceara defends his world title against Japan’s Yusuke Endo. However, he soon he should also make an appearance in another major Japanese promotion, Sengoku.

“On May 30 I put my belt on the line and then I go on to Sengoku. I’ve already received the gloves and all I have to do is put the belt up for grabs to finalize things,” he tells GRACIEMAG.com.

Nevertheless, he remains focused on his upcoming Shooto bout.

“I’m going to fight Yusuke Endo. I faced him in my first appearance in Shooto Japan and I submitted him in the first round (via guillotine). But I believe he’ll be different this time around, with what it takes to beat me. That’s how it is, each fight is a different story and I plan to be really well prepared to represent my country,” says Chiquerim, before giving thanks:

“I’d like to thank my family, my girlfriend and my team that has supported me, both in Ceara and in Rio,” he says in finishing.

Marcus Aurelio presses opponent against the fencing. Photo: Publicity

Former UFC fighter and Jiu-Jitsu black belt Marcus Aurelio returned to his winning ways in MMA. Last Saturday (March 13), in Finland, the lightweight used the gentle art to achieve victory at the Fight Festival event. Facing Niko Puhaka, the Brazilian fighter ended the action with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

After returning to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he lost and left again, this is his second win outside of the event.

Check out the complete results:

Marcus Aurelio submitted Niko Puhaka via rear-naked choke in R2
Jake O’Brien defeated Toni Valtonen via unanimous decision
Marcus Vanttinen defeated Martin Zawada por nocaute técnico no R3
Alexander Shlemenko knocked out Sean Salmon in R1
Vener Galiev defeated Mikko Suvanto via unanimous decision
Juha-Pekka Vainikainen defeated Lukasz Bugara via unanimous decision
Emma Watson defeated Outi Louhimo via unanimous decision
Joni Salovaara finalizou Arvydus Zilius via rear-naked choke in R2

Langhi in action at the European Championship. Photo: Ivan Trindade

Winner of all the important competitions he was in in 2009, Michael Langhi kicked off the current season successfully, winning the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, after closing out the lightweight division with Alliance teammate Lucas Lepri. The black belt already has his next challenge in sights.

“I’m going to compete at the Pan-American for sure. My expectations are be best possible and, God willing, it will all work out,” Langhi told GRACIEMAG.com.

The fighter is still in Europe, reaping the rewards of his great results.

“I’m holding some seminars here in Finland. I came here after the European and I’ll be here for two more weeks. After that, I’ll head back to Brazil, where I’ll have three weeks to finish training for the Pan,” he says.

Meanwhile, the Fabio Gurgel student keeps hard at training is pursuit of another good appearance in California.

“Training is going strong here. I have great training partners, the guys are strong and really good technically. I’ve been training twice a day and without the gi as well. My physical conditioning coach, Edson Ramalho, always sends me my routine and tells me what to do and how I should train, using the Studio Personal method, which has been working out really well for me. Also here in Finland are Bruno Malfacine, Alex Monsalve and Bernardo Augusto, so we train together whenever possible. For sure we’ll be in great shape for the Pan and I’ll still have three weeks to iron out my game in Brazil. Training with these Finns here, I’ll be stronger than ever, because you have no idea how strong they are (laughs)!:

On the Old Continent, Langhi is keeping up with the Gentle Art’s evolution. The fighter is impressed by the level of Ju-Jitsu around those parts.

“There is surely a huge evolution going on in Europe. We could see that at the European Championship, with lots of good athletes here. In Finland, for example, the guys are physically really well prepared. That’s how Finnish people are, they are very strong and train the whole day if you let them. You’ll hear a lot about the folks from here,” he says in finishing.