The IBJJF added two new names to the 2026 Crown, its invite-only tournament with cash prizes. And the stories behind the two picks are more interesting than the announcements themselves.
One is Omar Nada. He is only 21, and the Crown will be his very first tournament as a black belt.
The other is Pedro Machado, an athlete who is used to the IBJJF’s biggest stages. He took on a very different challenge: leaving his usual division and moving up two weight classes to compete with the ultra-heavyweights.
Both will be at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California, on November 8. That night, 48 athletes will compete in six brackets of eight. Each champion takes home $20,000.
But the roads Omar and Pedro took to get there could hardly be more different.
From brown belt world champion straight to the Crown
Omar Nada won’t get any time to adjust. He finished his run in the colored belts as one of the top names of his generation, and his black belt promotion drew attention around the world.
In 2026, Omar won double gold at the IBJJF World Championship as a brown belt. That means he won both his weight class and the absolute, the open-weight division. He also ended his time in the colored belts ranked No. 1 in the IBJJF world rankings.
Now comes the big jump. Most athletes start their black belt career at a local Open or a smaller tournament. Omar will make his debut at an invite-only event, against some of the best in the world, with $20,000 on the line.
And the division won’t go easy on him. Omar was announced as the sixth athlete in the heavyweight bracket.
So far, the bracket has:
Vinicius Liberati
Fellipe Andrew
Windson Torres
Leo Ferreira
Gustavo “Braguinha” Batista
Omar Nada
Pedro Machado chose a different path: moving up two weight classes
Omar is stepping into the unknown because of his new belt. Pedro Machado is doing it because of weight. Pedro usually competes at heavyweight.
At the Crown, he will be with the ultra-heavyweights. That is two weight classes up. The move puts the Machado Jiu-Jitsu athlete against naturally bigger opponents. But Pedro has one important thing going for him: experience in the absolute division.
Since 2024, he has won nine medals at IBJJF Grand Slam events, the federation’s four biggest tournaments of the year. That includes the 2024 Pan title.
His game mixes pressure passing, strong stand-up and experience against opponents of all sizes. At the Crown, that will be tested in a division where he will be one of the smallest athletes.
The division currently has:
Francisco Papasidero
Seif-Eddine Houmine
Helder Rodrigues
Thierry Felipe
Alexander Sak
Pedro Machado
There is another interesting detail in this bracket. Pedro won’t be the only one at a big moment in his career. Thierry Felipe will also make his black belt debut at the Crown.
In other words, one of the heaviest divisions of the event mixes experience, size and athletes starting a new chapter at the highest level.
