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Galvão vs Palhares: ADCC 2011 final rematch set for ACBJJ 23

André Galvão and Rousimar Palhares headline ACBJJ 23 on November 13 in Rio. Rodolfo Vieira faces UFC veteran Kelvin Gastelum in no-gi

Rousimar Palhares and André Galvão on the official ACBJJ 23 poster in Rio de Janeiro
Palhares and Galvão headline ACBJJ 23. Art: ACBJJ

André Galvão has an opponent for his ACBJJ debut, and it brings back a famous ADCC final. ACBJJ announced on Wednesday that Galvão will face Rousimar Palhares in the main event of ACBJJ 23 on November 13 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The two meet in a 100kg Battle match.

In the co-main event, Rodolfo Vieira also makes his league debut, against UFC veteran Kelvin Gastelum in a 90kg no-gi All-Stars match.

ACBJJ 23 was first set for October 25 at Farmasi Arena and has been moved to November 13. Tickets will be available soon, and the card will stream live on YouTube, X (English) and VK (Russian).

The 2011 ADCC final

Galvão and Palhares met in the 88kg final at ADCC 2011 in Nottingham, England. Palhares had leg-locked his way through three opponents to get there, but Galvão beat him 9-4 on points. Galvão also won the absolute that year.

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Galvão still active at 44

The five-time world champion and IBJJF Hall of Famer returned to competition in early October at the IBJJF Pan No-Gi, where he reached the final and gave the title to his student Natã Tenca. Palhares built most of his career in MMA, with runs in the UFC and WSOF, and now gets a shot at revenge 15 years later.

Vieira vs Gastelum

Vieira, a five-time black belt world champion and ADCC champion, signed with ACBJJ on October 8, 12 days after a unanimous decision win over Robert Bryczek in the UFC. Gastelum, the TUF 17 winner and a former interim middleweight title challenger, was submitted by Vicente Luque at UFC 327 in April. Now he steps into Vieira’s world.

ACBJJ 23 caps a busy week in Rio, following the ACBJJ Pan American Championship (Nov. 4-5) and the Pan American Super Cup (Nov. 6-8).

Who wins the rematch: Galvão again, or Palhares 15 years later? Let us know in the comments.

Read also: André Galvão signs with ACBJJ and fights in Rio in November | Rodolfo Vieira signs with ACBJJ

Vitor Freitas
Written by Vitor Freitas

Vitor Freitas is a journalist who has covered Jiu-Jitsu for more than 15 years, with interviews, news stories and a presence at the sport’s biggest events around the world. In 2022, he created VF Comunica.

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