Brave Challenge II: gi or no-gi by roulette
Max Gimenis explains the format of this Saturday’s event in Maryland: “An athlete has to be complete”; see how it works, who competes, the schedule and how to watch live
Brave Challenge II takes place this Saturday, October 10, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with a format that organizer Max Gimenis says is unlike anything else on the market: a roulette decides, before each match, whether it will be gi or no-gi. In an exclusive interview with VF Comunica, Gimenis explained why he bet on the idea.
“There is nothing on the market like Brave Challenge. Before each match, the roulette is spun to decide if it will be gi or no-gi. I really believe an athlete has to be complete,” he said.
How the Brave Challenge roulette works
Before each match, the roulette is spun and sets the format. Athletes only find out at that moment whether they will compete in the gi or without it, so they have to show up ready for both. Matches are six minutes long.
For Gimenis, the format answers a trend in professional jiu-jitsu, where many competitors now focus on only one of the two. “You have to do both. Brave comes exactly to break this idea of the athlete being a specialist only in the gi or only in no-gi,” he said.
Brave Challenge II: date, location and format
- Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
- Location: Culture of Jiu-Jitsu, in Gaithersburg, Maryland
- Card: 24 matches, with two Grand Prix brackets and ten superfights
- Match length: six minutes
- Prize money: $1,000 for the champion of each Grand Prix, the same amount for men and women
- Stream: live on the VF Comunica YouTube channel
Who competes at Brave Challenge II
The women’s Grand Prix is an open-weight bracket with eight purple, brown and black belts. Among them are Tayane Porfírio, a seven-time world champion, Letícia Teixeira, from Atos, and Maia Matalon, the 2026 Pan No-Gi heavyweight champion.
The men’s Grand Prix has eight brown and black belts at up to 185 pounds, and the champion also takes home the event belt. See the full brackets and the ten superfights.
Brave Challenge II schedule (Eastern Time)
- 4:30 p.m.: opening ceremony
- 4:40 p.m.: first match, women’s Grand Prix quarterfinals
- 7:00 and 7:10 p.m.: women’s Grand Prix semifinals
- 7:30 and 7:40 p.m.: men’s Grand Prix semifinals
- 8:35 p.m.: women’s Grand Prix final
- 8:55 p.m.: men’s Grand Prix final
How to watch Brave Challenge II live
VF Comunica will stream the event live on its YouTube channel. Turn on notifications to be alerted when the stream starts.
Who Max Gimenis is
Born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in the Cascadura neighborhood, Max Gimenis is a GF Team black belt who won the Pan in 2020 and was the World Championship runner-up in 2021, at super-heavyweight. Since 2025, he has also fought at heavyweight in the UFC. He now runs Culture of Jiu-Jitsu, the academy hosting the event.
In the same conversation with VF Comunica, he explained why he pays men and women the same prize money and said he runs the tournament with the eyes of someone who still competes.
Brave Challenge II: frequently asked questions
When is Brave Challenge II?
On Saturday, October 10, 2026, with the opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Where is Brave Challenge II?
At Culture of Jiu-Jitsu, in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Is Brave Challenge gi or no-gi?
Both. A roulette is spun before each match and decides whether it will be gi or no-gi.
What is the prize money at Brave Challenge II?
Each Grand Prix pays $1,000 to the champion, the same amount for men and women.
How can I watch Brave Challenge II?
Live on the VF Comunica YouTube channel.
Gi or no-gi: which one do you think will decide the Grand Prix finals? Leave your pick in the comments.
