Among the six weight divisions featured in The Crown, the brand-new IBJJF invitation event presented by FloGrappling, the heaviest stands to take the competition to the next level on Nov. 19, as athletes with completely different fighting styles take to the mats in Long Beach, CA. 

In a division alongside three heavy hittiers, Erich Munis, Roosevelt Sousa, and João Gabriel Rocha, the GFTeam black belt Victor Honório is set to take his spot in the ultra-heavyweight bracket and he'll be gunning for the 15k cash prize destined for the champion. 

As far as Honório is concerned, the confidence in his strong game of guard passes and chokes, combined with a reliable knowledge of the basics, is the recipe for success, regardless of the tournament's rules.

"I didn't care about how many fights there would be, how long these fights would last, or even which rules would be applied, I accepted the invitation straight away,” he said. “My goal is to take that beautiful crown home. I have fought against João Gabriel before, but never against Erich and Roosevelt. They're very tough opponents, but I believe I have enough weapons in my arsenal to take care of all three of them. I'm ready, been training a lot and I'm confident that I'll be victorious."

A big part of that confidence comes from the five years he spent in Qatar, working alongside the country's security forces. Brought in to teach Jiu-Jitsu to the local army, Honório quickly learned that what his new students really needed was self-defense lessons instead of competitive Jiu-Jitsu skills. Leaning on the sturdy foundation that he gained from his professors and father, who is also a black belt, Honório became a self-defense specialist and he now uses that knowledge to improve his game.

"In addition to classes, we worked directly on security at major events, such as the soccer World Cup. The time I spent in Qatar was an incredible experience that expanded my vision of Jiu-Jitsu and made me see that it is much more than a simple sport. It made me understand the weight of being a black belt and how important it is to be careful when you're in that position. I've had numerous conversations with heads of state and military leaders, and there is a huge responsibility that comes with that. But I also had the chance to be like a blank canvas in those situations and learn from powerful people, all thanks to Jiu-Jitsu."

Now back in Brazil and armed with all the knowledge gained from the people of the desert, Honório returned full-throttle to the competitive scene. In 2023, he won the Rio Fall Open by submitting seven opponents with his fearsome scarf choke, and made a memorable campaign at the Brasileiros, reaching the finals of both weight and absolute before falling twice to Victor Hugo. With his game mostly unchanged, Honorio looks back to his time in Qatar and how teaching the basics to his students has evolved his fighting style. 

"The fundamentals are important because they teach how things work. For example, one of the first things taught in a Jiu-Jitsu class is how to move forward and backward, and yet you see black belts in championships walking wrong all the time. It's important to value the basics because that's where the extraordinary comes from. Because of the time I spent focusing on the basics, I now position myself much better, know how to distribute my weight, and understand every step I take on the mat."

IBJJF's The Crown: Presented by Flograppling
Walter Pyramid, Long Beach-CA
November 19th, 2023

Men's Featherweight (70kg/154.3lbs)

• Fabricio Andrey, IBJJF World Champion
• Isaac Doederlein, IBJJF World Champion
• Samuel Nagai, IBJJF World Champion
• Diego Pato Oliviera, IBJJF World Champion

Men's Middleweight (82.4kg/181.4lbs)

• Andy Murasaki, 2-time IBJJF Worlds Finalist & Pans Finalist
• Tainan Dalpra, 2-time IBJJF World Champion & 3-time Pans Champion
• Pedro Maia, IBJJF Worlds & Pans Finalist
• Mauricio Oliveira, IBJJF Brasileiro Champion

Men's Heavyweight (94.3kg/207.9lbs)

• Fellipe Andrew, 2023 IBJJF World Champion, 4-time Pans Champion
• Gustavo Batista, 3-Time IBJJF World Champion, 4-time Pan Champion
• Francisco Lo, 2023 No-Gi Pan Champion
• Uanderson Ferreira, 2023 IBJJF Sul Americano Champion

Men's Ultra-Heavyweight (Unlimited)

• Erich Munis, 3-time World Champion, 2023 World Absolute Runner-Up
• Joao Gabriel Rocha, 2-time Pan Champion, 3-time World Medalist
• Roosevelt Sousa, 2023 Pans Medalist
• Victor Honorio, European Champion, Brasileiro Champion

Women's Lightweight (64kg/141.1lbs)

• Janaina Lebre, 2022 IBJJF Grand Prix champion & 2-time IBJJF World Finalist
• Nathalie Ribeiro, 2-time IBJJF Worlds Medalist & 2-time IBJJF Pans Champion
• Brianna Ste-Marie, IBJJF Worlds Medalist
• Luiza Monteiro, 2-time IBJJF World Champion & 9-time Pans Champion

Women's Super-Heavyweight (Unlimited)

• Gabi Pessanha, 6-time IBJJF World Champion
• Amy Campo, IBJJF World Champion
• Melissa Stricker, 2-time IBJJF World Champion
• Nathiely de Jesus, 4-time IBJJF World Champion