The ADCC World Championships — widely viewed as the sport’s toughest proving ground in submission grappling — are officially set for September 12–13, 2026, in Kraków, Poland. The event will take place at TAURON Arena Kraków, marking a landmark moment as ADCC Worlds arrive in Poland for the first time.
With regional Trials already underway and more qualifiers on the calendar, ADCC has started shaping the main event roster. The latest move: the organization has sent out its first wave of invitations, beginning with the gold medalists from the previous Worlds.
First Wave of ADCC 2026 Invites: 2024 Champions
As is tradition, reigning champions were among the first athletes to receive formal invites for the next edition. The initial list includes the 2024 title winners across all current weight divisions.
Men’s Divisions
- -66kg: Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis
- -77kg: Mica Galvão
- -88kg: Giancarlo Bodoni
- -99kg: Kaynan Duarte
- +99kg: Felipe “Preguiça” Pena
Women’s Divisions
- -55kg: Adele Fornarino
- -65kg: Ana Carolina Vieira
- +65kg: Rafaela Guedes
How ADCC 2026 Will Be Filled: Invites + Trials
ADCC Worlds uses a mix of direct invitations and Trials winners to assemble the bracket. The World Championship divisions are:
- Men: -66kg, -77kg, -88kg, -99kg, +99kg
- Women: -55kg, -65kg, +65kg
The Trials schedule continues through 2025–2026, with multiple regions awarding spots toward Kraków.
Early Trials Winners Already Locking In Spots
While ADCC will keep adding invited athletes over time, a growing list of competitors have already earned their way in through Trials results.
EMEA Trials (Warsaw, Poland)
The first ADCC EMEA Trials for the 2026 cycle took place in Warsaw, and awarded invitations to multiple division winners.
East Coast Trials (Orlando, Florida)
The 2025 East Coast Trials produced five male division winners — a major signal of how deep the 2026 talent pool is shaping up.
Asia & Oceania Trials (Bangkok, Thailand)
Asia & Oceania Trials also delivered standout performances and additional invites, including notable runs at -88kg.
What This First Announcement Really Means
This isn’t the full roster, not even close. It’s the first clear sign that ADCC 2026 is moving from “date and location” into roster-building mode. And historically, once the champion invites begin rolling out, the pace accelerates: more star invitations, more trials winners, and more matchups that only ADCC can realistically produce.
