The 2019 ADCC World Championships is over, but the shockwaves from the event in Anaheim, CA, will continue to be felt for a long time. 

There were upsets, shocks, and surprises. Returning champions asserted their dominance, newcomers wrote their names in the history books, and others defied the odds and expectations to achieve the unthinkable. 

Catch up every major story from ADCC below; go back and look at the brackets, watch the matches, listen to the interviews, and check out the stats! 

WATCH:

Day 1 Full Replays: Mat 1 | Mat 2 | Mat 3 | FloZone

Day 2 Full Replays: Mat 1 | Mat 2 | Mat 3 | FloZone 

Top stories from ADCC

• ADCC: Watch Every Submission From The Absolute Divison
• Strategy, Brutality & More: Three Major Takeaways From The Best ADCC Ever
• ADCC By The Numbers: Submission Rates, Trends & More

Updated Rankings (post-ADCC)

• Pound-for-Pound
• -66kg ranking
• -77kg ranking
• -88kg ranking
• -99kg ranking
• +99kg ranking
• Women's Under 60kg 
• Women's Over 60kg

Superfight: Andre Galvao

Galvao confirmed his ADCC legend status with a resounding win over Felipe Pena in the superfight, beating his rival 2-0 in a one-sided contest. A fired-up Galvao used superior wrestling and an aggressive work rate to out-hustle Pena, who had no answer for the veteran's pace and pressure. 

It was Galvao's 37th birthday on the day of the superfight, and his students jubilantly sang to him as his arm was raised by the referee. 

WATCH: Andre Galvao vs Felipe Pena 

-99kg: Gordon Ryan

Was there ever any doubt? Few people watching Gordon Ryan at the 2019 ADCC World Championships in Anaheim would have bet against him taking gold, and the certainty of him becoming champion only increased as the tournament progressed. 

With three submissions in four matches, Ryan cruised to gold in the -99kg division, barely challenged by any of the opponents he faced. He rarely shifted into second gear, moving through his matches with an eye already on the absolute division. Employing a conservative style designed to save his energy for a possible eight matches overall, Ryan showcased the highly technical game he has become known for in every match. 

The absolute division was much of the same. Ryan continued to go unsecured on and submitted three of his four opponents, with only Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida avoiding a submission in the final. 

Ryan is the first person to win double gold since Galvao in 2011, and only the seventh person (and second American) in ADCC history to win both the weight and absolute division at the same tournament, joining the likes of Mario Sperry, Mark Kerr, Ricardo Arona, Roger Gracie, Braulio Estima, and Andre Galvao. 

WATCH:

Elimination round: Gordon Ryan vs Ben Hodgkinson

Quarterfinal: Gordon Ryan vs Tim Spriggs

Semifinal: Gordon Ryan vs Lucas Barbosa

Final: Gordon Ryan vs Vinicius Ferreira

WATCH Absolute Division: 

Elimination: Gordon Ryan vs Pedro Marinho

Quarterfinal: Gordon Ryan vs Garry Tonon

Semifinal: Gordon Ryan vs Lachlan Giles

Final: Gordon Ryan vs Marcus Buchecha Almeida 

-66kg: Augusto 'Tanquinho' Mendes

In a division where the average age was only 25, the 37-year-old veteran Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes saw off the new generation to affirm his position as one of the best lightweight grapplers alive. Tanquinho’s clean sweep included a submission win over Keith Krikorian in the opening round, referees’ decisions over Matheus Gabriel and Paulo Miyao, and a 3-0 points victory against Kennedy Maciel (aka “Cobrinha Jr.”) in the final. 

The gold-medal-winning performance saw him beat No. 1 seed Miyao and the current IBJJF World champion Matheus Gabriel. In his post-match interview, Mendes said he felt he had been overlooked with all eyes on the young guns. It was Tanquinho’s fifth time out at ADCC having competed in every edition since 2011. His best result to date was a bronze medal in 2015. 

Read: Veteran Tanquinho Defies Youthful Challengers For ADCC 66kg Championship

WATCH:

Elimination: Augusto Mendes SUB Keith Krikorian 5-0 7:55

Quarterfinal: Augusto Mendes REF Matheus Gabriel 0-0 15:00

Semifinal: Augusto Mendes REF Paulo Miyao 0-0 15:00

Final: Augusto Mendes SCORE Kennedy Maciel 3-0 20:00 

Interview: Tanquinho Stopped Skipping Steps To Take ADCC Title 

-77kg: Jonathan 'JT' Torres

With solid wrestling, smart strategy, and an unbreakable will, Jonathan “JT” Torres stormed to his second straight ADCC 77kg gold medal. Torres joined a select group of American grapplers to win a second ADCC World Championship gold medal.

He had to overcome a serious of ever-tougher opponents in European Trials winner Ross Nichols, no-gi World champion DJ Jackson, Garry Tonon, and the 2017 bronze medalist Vagner Rocha in the final. There’s already talk of Torres coming back in 2021 for a three-peat. The Atos rep turned 30 this year but has never looked better. 

Read: Razor-Sharp Jonathan "JT" Torres Takes Second ADCC Championship

WATCH:

Elimination: Jonathan Torres vs Ross Nichols 

Quarterfinal: Jonathan Torres vs Dj Jackson 

Semifinal: Jonathan Torres vs Garry Tonon 

Final: Jonathan Torres vs Vagner Rocha 

Interview: JT Torres Is Glad His Parents Signed Him Up For Wrestling 

-88kg: Matheus Diniz 

With four-time ADCC champ Marcelo Garcia in his corner, Matheus Diniz stuffed Craig Jones’s attacks and was able to secure the win via a takedown in the second overtime period. If anybody was suited to play spoiler to Jones’s submission-focused style, it was the rock-solid Diniz. This is the second time Diniz has beaten Jones this year, and both times the takedowns proved the decider. 

Read: Matheus Diniz Stops The Craig Jones Hype Train in ADCC 88kg Final

WATCH: 

Elimination round: Matheus Diniz SCORE Pedro Marinho 5-0 10:00

Quarterfinal: Matheus Diniz REF Gabriel Arges 0-0 15:00

Semifinal: Matheus Diniz SCORE Josh Hinger 3-0 10:00

Final: Matheus Diniz SCORE Craig Jones 2-0 30:00 

Interview: Emotional Matheus Diniz's Next Dream After ADCC Title 

+99g: Kaynan Duarte

The youngest competitor in the +99kg division defied the odds to become champion at the 2019 ADCC World Championships in Anaheim. Twenty-one-year-old Kaynan Duarte battled two returning ADCC champions in Yuri Simoes and Marcus Buchecha Almeida in the quarterfinals and semifinals before outpointing the surging Nick Rodriguez in the final. 

This caps the most successful year for an emerging black belt in jiu-jitsu and grappling history. Duarte has been busy filling his trophy cabinet since the beginning of the year. He was crowned champion at the IBJJF World and Pan Championships, won the KASAI Pro 205lb tournament, took gold at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, and scored victories at various superfights and invitational tournaments. 

Read: Kaynan Duarte Caps Best Year Ever With ADCC +99kg Gold

WATCH:

Elimination round: Kaynan Duarte vs Eldar Rafigaev

Quarterfinal: Kaynan Duarte vs Yuri Simoes

Semifinal: Kaynan Duarte vs Marcus Buchecha Almeida

Final: Kaynan Duarte vs Nick Rodriguez 

Interview: Kaynan Gave Up The Takedown So He Could Pull Guard

Women's -60kg: Bianca Basilio

In 2017 when she was only 21, Basilio took silver to Beatriz Mesquita. Returning in 2019, she scored two submissions in three matches for gold at 23 years of age. 

The Atos / Almeida JJ black belt made short work of Livia Giles in her first match, outpointed 10th Planet standout Elvira Karppinen 2-0 in the semifinal, and scored a savage footlock against Ffion Davies for the second time this year in the final. All told, her three matches combined 20 minutes of competition time. 

WATCH:

Quarterfinal: Bianca Basilio vs Livia Giles

Semifinal: Bianca Basilio vs Elvira Karppinen 

Final: Bianca Basilio vs Ffion Davies 

Interview: Bianca Basillo After Amazing ADCC Performance 

Women's +60kg: Gabi Garcia 

With wins in 2011, 2013, 2017, and now 2019, Garcia has entered the history books as the winningest ADCC female competitor ever. 

Garcia stormed to the to of the podium by winning three matches: a 2-0 win over European Trials winner Stephanie Egger in the opening round, a referees’ decision versus Ana Carolina Vieira in the semifinal, and a submission against Carina Santi in the final. An emotional Garcia poured her heart out and said she is 100 percent coming back in 2020 for a fifth gold medal. 

Read: Gabi Garcia Powers Through To Historic Fourth ADCC Gold Medal

WATCH:

Quarterfinal: Gabi Garcia vs Stephanie Egger

Semifinal: Gabi Garcia vs Ana Carolina Vieira

Final: Gabi Garcia vs Carina Santi 

Interview: Gabi Garcia Has Her Eye's On Marcelo's Record 

Biggest stories 

Lachlan Giles, the people’s champ

Perhaps the best feel-good story to come out of the tournament, Australian submission machine Lachlan Giles forever became a legend with his brutal efficiency and amazing finishes in the absolute division. Giles is the lightest competitor to hit the absolute podium since 2007 when Marcelo Garcia and Andre Galvao (both 77kg) took silver and bronze respectively. A physiotherapist and Ph.D. (whose specialty was knee injuries), Giles proved technique can overcome size and strength when applied correctly; he submitted the +99kg champ Kaynan Duarte and physical specimens Patrick Gaudio and Mahamed Aly for one of the most memorable ADCC performances ever. 

WATCH:

Elimination: Lachlan Giles vs Kaynan Duarte

Quarterfinal: Lachlan Giles vs Patrick Gaudio 

Semifinal: Lachlan Giles vs Mahamed Aly 

Interview: Lachlan Giles After Inspirational Absolute Run

Gordon is untouchable

"King" Ryan's trophy cabinet now contains three ADCC golds and an ADCC silver, and that's from just two events. Gordon was one of the few athletes who was successful with a guard pulling strategy, and his success all boils down to the systems that John Danaher has developed in the blue basement. Gordon was in cruise control the entire time, even against major threats such as Lucas "Hulk" Barbosa and Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida. Ryan caught six subs in eight matches and was always on the offense. The only two matches in which he did not get a submission were against Buchecha and Hulk.

Strategy matters

Guard pulling came back to bite the person on bottom over and over, as athletes who pulled were typically inferior wrestlers and you need to wrestle to finish just about any sweep at this tournament. Countless times we saw an athlete pull guard only to be unable to score during regulation, and then find themselves forced to stand in the overtime period with the opponent they initially did not want to wrestle with. A significant observation at the tournament was that the guard puller more often than not loses the referee's decision at ADCC. 

Age is no barrier

We mentioned how Tanquinho was the oldest ADCC champion this year at 37. While Tanquinho was winning gold, another much younger competitor in new same division was winning the respect of the crowd and his fellow competitors with thrilling performances. We’re talking about Tye Ruotolo, of course. The 16-year-old was among the lowest-seeded competitors in the division, and he had to fight four tough opponents over the course of the two days. 

First he outscored Atos teammate Bruno Frazatto, silver medalist at ADCC in 2015. Then he beat Pablo Mantovani, who placed fourth in 2017. He came up short to eventual silver medalist Kennedy Maciel in the semifinal and lost to Paulo Miyao in the bronze medal match, but his attacking style saw him latch onto a number of submissions that were close to taking him into the final. Ruotolo advanced further than any other competitor his age in ADCC history, and will surely be invited back in two years' time – who knows what kind of grappler he will be in 2021?

WATCH:

Elimination: Tye Ruotolo vs Bruno Frazatto 

Quarterfinal: Tye Ruotolo vs Pablo Mantovani

Semifinal: Tye Ruotolo vs Kennedy Maciel

Bronze match: Tye Ruotolo vs Paulo Miyao

ADCC 2019 Stats 

Total number of competitors: 98 

Total number of matches: 110 (three forfeits) 

Total Submissions: 35

Most Common Submission: RNC (14)

Division with most submissions: Absolute (12)

Weight Division with most submissions: 88kg division (6)

Division with fewest submissions: 77kg (2), +99kg (2), women's +60kg (2)

Competitor with most submissions: Gordon Ryan (6)

Most points scored: Pablo Mantovani (13-0 vs Tom Halpin)

Female competitor with most subs: Bianca Basilio (2) 

Fastest submission: Garry Tonon vs Edwin Najmi, rd1 absolute – heel hook 15 seconds (registered by officials as 0:18) 

Longest match: Craig Jones vs Matheus Diniz, men's -88kg / Gordon Ryan vs Marcus Buchecha, absolute / Andre Galvao vs Felipe Pena superfight (30 mins) 

Shortest final: Bianca Basilio vs Ffion Davies, women's -60kg (2:43) 

Youngest competitor: Tye Ruotolo (16) 

Oldest competitor: Eliot Marshall (39) 

Total match time per champion:

Longest total match time was Buchecha, who took bronze in the +99kg and silver in the absolute. He spent 35:00 in the +99kg division and 51:07 in the absolute for a total of 86:07, just beating Gordon Ryan whose total match time was 83:16