The IBJJF Pro League returns on Saturday in Las Vegas with a huge $40,000 payday for the Grand Prix winner. The tournament is stacked with eight solid names, and the brackets are set to deliver explosive matches from the get-go.


• Marcus Buchecha vs. Dimitrius Souza 
• Joao Gabriel Rocha vs. Marcio 'Pe de Pano' Cruz 
• Leandro Lo vs. Ricardo Evangelista
• Andre Galvao vs. Xande Ribeiro

The most recent IBJJF Pro league was held just over a year ago, in July 2016. That day, Buchecha emerged winner in an eight-man bracket very similar to the one we see this year. 

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A look back at the 2016 IBJJF Heavyweight Pro League Grand Prix 

Opening round
Buchecha def. Bruno Bastos via bow and arrow choke 
Joao Gabriel Rocha def. Felipe Pena via advantages 
Mahamed Aly def. Xande Ribeiro via points 2-0
Leo Nogueira def. Alexandre Ceconi via choke 

Semis
Buchecha def. Joao Gabriel Rocha via points 7-0
Leo Nogueira def. Mahamed Aly via points 4-2

Final
Buchecha def. Leo Nogueira via pointa 0-0 (3-2 adv.) 

Last time around, Buchecha cruised to the final. He submitted Bruno Bastos from the back in his opening round before putting seven points on Joao Gabriel Rocha in the semifinal. Leo Nogueira, not yet under suspension for a failed drug test relating to the World Championships, gave him his closest match: Buchecha won 3-2 on advantages. 

Of the 2016 entrants, only two others will make their return to this year's Heavyweight Grand Prix: Joao Gabriel and Xande Ribeiro. 

Maybe unfortunately for Gabriel (or good for him, depending on your outlook), he's on the same side of the bracket as Buchecha. They've fought three times over the least year, with Buchecha coming out on top every time. Rocha still needs to find an answer for Buchecha'a game. At 2016 Worlds, Buchecha tapped Rocha with an armlock from mount. At the 2016 Pro League, Buchecha won 7-0. At Worlds this year, he submitted Rocha with an Ezekiel choke. 

Sure, Buchecha is the favorite. But let's not count out the rest of the pack just yet -- he's facing a tough, tough lineup of world champs. 

​​Let's take a look at the lineup…

Marcus Buchecha 

The big bad 10-time world champion Buchecha is the hot favorite to win -- regardless of what happened recently. He's still the same physically imposing dangerous grappler he's always been. 

Dimitrius Souza 

Alliance's heavyweight stalwart has been racking up experience these past months, collecting medals in tournaments all over Brazil. 

Joao Gabriel Rocha

Young, powerful, and on the cusp of greatness -- Rocha is a rough draw for anybody and always comes to fight. 

Marcio 'Pe de Pano' Cruz 

The oldest man in the bracket is also one of the craftiest. This big man is a legit world champ and knows how to win. 

Leandro Lo 

He fell short at Worlds, but Leandro Lo is a favorite among fans and analysts for a good reason: He is compulsive viewing for the fireworks he brings to every match.

Ricardo Evangelista 

GF Team's big man is a solid, dangerous opponent. As a closed guard specialist, he may not have the flashiest game, but he's certainly a huge threat in more ways than one. 

Andre Galvao 

Tough. technical and tenacious. Galvao is coming into the GP off the back of hellacious training at Atos HQ for ADCC and will be in prime physical shape. 

Xande Ribeiro

The veteran champ has it all: a versatile game, tons of experience, and an unbreakable will to win.

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What can we expect?

The opening-round matches weren't made by chance. The top grapplers were seeded so they sit in opposite corners, and their position was based on recent accomplishments and performances. 



Buchecha is obviously the No. 1 seed, as he's the current ultra heavyweight and absolute world champ. It seems Leandro got the No. 2 seed and so is in the top right corner. Even though he didn't take gold at Worlds, he won double gold at Pans and Euros. Rocha took the No. 3 seed, while Galvao took No. 4. 

Marcus Buchecha vs. Dimitrius Souza 
Souza is capable, but Buchecha is -- to be frank -- a beast. It's hard to even imagine what Souza can do to take out the dominating figure of Buchecha. The Checkmat rep is bigger and stronger and will be out to redeem himself following his recent match against Roger Gracie. It was Buchecha's first submission loss in six years and his first real loss in four. 

That means Souza is likely to bear the brunt of Buchecha's built-up frustration and anger, not a place anyone would like to find themselves. Look for the champ to win by submission. 

Joao Gabriel Rocha vs. 'Pe de Pano' 
Cruz is 13 years older than Rocha and won his first black belt world title in 2002. His experience and jiu-jitsu knowledge -- not to mention his physicality and huge frame -- make him a wild card in this tournament. Cruz is no slouch -- he beat another veteran world champ in the form of Gabriel Gonzaga earlier this year -- and his late call-up to the event was definitely a disrupter to the perceived status quo. 

Rocha is younger, faster, and hungrier. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy for him. Cruz matches his size and is probably heavier, while Rocha (an imposing 240lb+) is used to facing people smaller than him. His youth and energetic style will test Pe de Pano, but there is no clear outcome for this match. 

Leandro Lo vs. Ricardo Evangelista 
Lo loves a challenge, and that's exactly what he's got on his hands in this matchup. Evangelista loves to slow his opponents down with his unbreakable closed guard, which will be death to Lo's movement-based game. 

Lo looked somewhat drained at Worlds, maybe the result of a tough season of nonstop competition. He's not been active since Worlds though, meaning he could well show up to the GP in top shape. He'll need to be to take on a monster like Evangelista. 

Andre Galvao vs. Xande Ribeiro
As previously said, Galvao is coming into the GP just four weeks out from ADCC, for which he's been training for well over a month now. Always well prepared both physically and mentally, Galvao may be one of the smaller competitors, but he makes up his this with his tactical smarts and competition experience. However, if there's anybody who can match him in those areas it's got to be Xande Ribeiro. 

Ribeiro was the last man to be added to the GP, replacing an injured Mahamed Aly. He brings a wealth of experience and has a winning record against Galvao in particular, having beaten him four times to Galvao's one. That said, Ribeiro's last-minute call-up and lack of high-level competition (he skipped on Worlds this year and last) might see him fighting an uphill battle. 

Semifinals and beyond

We'll save the picks for our upcoming breakdown video, but the semifinals are set to be loaded regardless of what happens in the opening rounds. 

​​The IBJJF Heavyweight Grand Prix goes down on Saturday, August 26, from around Noon PST. You can watch it live or on demand ONLY on FloGrappling