2021 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

The 2021 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship was the first season of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the most prestigious event in the sport, to take place following the 2019 IBJJF World edition. The previous 2020 edition was cancelled by the organising International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

This 25th edition took place for the first time at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California instead of the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach where it had been held since 2007 after moving from Brazil to the United States. This edition also took place for the first time at the end of the year instead of the beginning of the year like previous edition, giving more time for athletes to be able to participate. The black belts competition took place towards the end, on 11 December and 12 December (two days); the elimination round and the open class / absolute division matches took place on the first day, Saturday 11 December followed by the quarterfinals all the way to the finals on Sunday 12 December, the last day of the tournament.[4]

This Championship saw Checkmat winning its first world team title,[5] Dream Art competing for its first year as a team and a new generation of black belts winning their first gold medals,[6] such as Tainan Dalpra who was the first black belt to represent Art Of Jiu Jitsu (AOJ) at the IBJJF World final.[7]

In the roosterweight division, Mikey Musumeci became world champion for the fourth time in a row, the first American to do so at black belt, representing his new team, Pedigo Submission Fighting for the first time, after beating ten time world champion Bruno Malfacine by points.[8][9] In the ultra heavy division semifinal Nicholas Meregali was disqualified from the tournament, after winning his match, for giving the finger to a heckler in the audience.[8]

Men's medallists

Adult male black belt results[10]

Division	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Rooster (57.5 kg)	Mikey Musumeci Pedigo Submission Fighting	Bruno Malfacine Alliance	Jonas Andrade PSLPB Cicero Costha USA
			Rodnei Barbosa Qatar BJJ Brasil
Light-feather (64 kg)	Diego Oliveira Batista PSLPB Cicero Costha USA	Malachi Edmond Team Lloyd Irvin	Meyram Maquiné Dream Art
			Rene Eduardo Lopez Jiu-Jitsu Methods
Feather (70 kg)	Fabricio Andrey Fight Sports	Shane Hill-Taylor Team Lloyd Irvin	Alex Sodré Nova União
			Diego Sodre Nova União
Light (76 kg)	Renato Canuto CheckMat	Matheus Gabriel CheckMat	Lucas Valente Gracie Barra
			Murilo Amaral Alliance
Middle (82.3 kg)	Tainan Dalpra Art of Jiu Jitsu	Isaque Bahiense Dream Art	Jonnatas Gracie Atos Jiu-Jitsu
			Tommy Langaker Nova União
Medium-Heavy (88.3 kg)	Gustavo Batista Atos Jiu-Jitsu	Lucas Barbosa Atos Jiu-Jitsu	André Porfirio Fight Sports
			Leandro Lo Unity Jiu Jitsu
Heavy (94.3 kg)	Kaynan Duarte Atos Jiu-Jitsu	Luan Azeved PSLPB Cicero Costha USA	Dimitrius Souza Alliance
			Gabriel Oliveira Alliance
Super-Heavy (100.5 kg)	Erich Munis Dream Art	Fellipe Andrew Alliance	Devhonte Johnson Unity Jiu Jitsu
			Felipe Pena Gracie Barra
Ultra-Heavy (over 100.5 kg)	Victor Hugo Marques Six Blades Jiu-Jitsu	Max Gimenis GFTeam
			Igor Schneider Dream Art
Open Class (any weight divisions)	Felipe Pena Gracie Barra	Fellipe Andrew Alliance
			Kaynan Duarte Atos Jiu-Jitsu

After one of the longest career in the sport and 13 years since receiving her black belt from Fabio Gurgel, "the queen of the heaviest weightclass" Gabi Garcia, after getting submitted for the first time in over 10 years, announced her retirement from gi competition to concentrate on her MMA career.[11] Bia Mesquita won her 7th world title after defeating Luiza Monteiro by points while Gabrieli Pessanha won double gold.[9]

Women's medallists

Adult female black belt results[10]

Division	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Rooster (48.5 kg)	Mayssa Bastos GFTeam	Jessica Dantas Unique Logic Jiu-Jitsu HQ	Brenda Larissa Fight Sports
			Serena Gabrielli Flow
Light-feather (53.5 kg)	Ana Rodrigues Dream Art	Tammi Musumeci Pedigo Submission Fighting	Jessa Khan Art of Jiu Jitsu
			Rose-Marie El Sharouni CheckMat
Feather (58.5 kg)	Gabrielle McComb Atos Jiu-Jitsu	Bianca Basílio Atos Jiu-Jitsu	Gabriela Fechter CheckMat
			Larissa Campos Gracie Humaita
Light (64 kg)	Bia Mesquita Gracie Humaita	Luiza Monteiro Atos Jiu-Jitsu	Margot Ciccarelli Unity Jiu Jitsu
			Nathalie Ribeiro CheckMat
Middle (69 kg)	Andressa Cintra Gracie Barra	Thamara Ferreira Guigo JJ	Claire North TAC Team BJJ
			Raquel Pa’aluhi Canuto CheckMat
Medium-Heavy (74 kg)	Ana Carolina Vieira Aviv Jiu-Jitsu	Elisabeth Clay Ares BJJ	Chloé McNally Unity Jiu Jitsu
			Fernanda Yukari Makiyama Cristo Evox BJJ
Heavy (79.3 kg)	Melissa Cueto Alliance	Izadora Cristina Silva Dream Art	Maggie Grindatti Fight Sports
			Maria Malyjasiak Abmar Barbosa Association
Super-Heavy (over 79.3 kg)	Gabrieli Pessanha Infight JJ	Yara Soares Dream Art	Gabi Garcia Alliance
			Mayara Custódio CheckMat
Open Class (any weight divisions)	Gabrieli Pessanha Infight JJ	Yara Soares Dream Art	Bia Mesquita Gracie Humaita
			Gabi Garcia Alliance

For this season Checkmat brought 102 competitors, Gracie Barra counted 87, Grappling Fight Team known as GFTeam 48, Unity Jiu Jitsu 46, and Art of Jiu-Jitsu who had just separated in early 2020 from Atos 29 athletes.[12]

• World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship
• European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship
• Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship