Leo Ferreira picks Fellipe Andrew for the Crown final: “Our match at BJJ Stars left some doubts”
The 2026 European and Brazilian champion tells VF Comunica he would like to meet the event’s first heavyweight champion again in the final, after beating him last year
If he could pick his opponent for a Crown 2026 final, Leo Ferreira already has a name. In an exclusive interview with VF Comunica, the 2026 European and Brazilian champion chose Fellipe Andrew, who is in the same heavyweight bracket of the IBJJF tournament, set for November 8 in Long Beach, California.
“I would pick Fellipe Andrew. He has already been a Crown champion and a world champion. Also, our match at BJJ Stars left some doubts, so I believe a new matchup would be very interesting,” Ferreira said.
Their first meeting, at BJJ Stars
The two faced each other in September 2025, in a superfight at BJJ Stars 17, a professional event in Brazil, and Ferreira won 2-0. At the time, Andrew was serving the two-year suspension that kept him out of IBJJF tournaments, and he was competing outside the federation’s circuit. Even though he won, Ferreira himself says the match left doubts.
The resume he mentions also carries weight. Andrew was the first heavyweight champion in Crown history, in 2023, the same year he won the world title in the division. In 2026, he returned to the IBJJF at the Brazilian Nationals, had back surgery and, in September, won the Master World Championship. After that title, he left a message in the comments on VF Comunica’s Instagram: “Nos vemos no crown” (See you at the Crown).
Ferreira arrives with two titles this season
At 25, the Alliance athlete from Tramandaí, in southern Brazil, is having his most successful year since he received his black belt from Mario Reis in 2024. In 2025, he reached the finals of the European Championship, the Brazilian Nationals and the World Championship, and lost all three to Adam Wardzinski. In 2026, he won the European and Brazilian titles and took bronze at Worlds, losing to Rider Zuchi in the semifinal.
The Crown takes place at the Long Beach Pyramid, the same venue as the World Championship. After that loss, Ferreira wrote on Instagram: “Ainda vamos ter a melhor vista da pirâmide, podem ter certeza” (We will still have the best view of the Pyramid, you can be sure of that).
Where the heavyweight bracket stands
Six of the eight heavyweight names have been announced by the IBJJF: Vinicius Liberati, Fellipe Andrew, Windson Torres, Leo Ferreira, Gustavo “Braguinha” Batista and Omar Nada. Ferreira has already beaten three of them: Liberati, Torres and Andrew himself. For the two to meet again in a final, the bracket still has to place them on opposite sides.
The Crown is an invitation-only tournament held in a single night, with eight athletes per bracket and $20,000 for the champion of each division. It streams on FloGrappling.
Read also: Crown: Omar Nada makes his black belt debut and Pedro Machado moves up two weight classes.
Leo Ferreira vs. Fellipe Andrew in the Crown final: who wins? Leave your opinion in the comments.
