The news of a sudden shift in the jiu-jitsu scene took social media by storm this Thursday, Dec. 7.

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.

The IBJJF No-Gi Pans Championship on October 14-16 in Garland, TX will feature more than 30 of the top female black belt competitors of today. We expect to see the final brackets later tonight, (update: they're here!) but no matter how they take form, the favorites — women like Nathieley de Jesus, Ana Rodrigues and Elisabeth Clay — will remain the same. Here are the top women to watch this weekend.

We will keep this list updated as further names qualify or are invited to the 2022 ADCC World Championships.

The first day of black belt competition at the 2022 IBJJF World Championships is wrapped up, and the final rounds of each division are set. This year, the brackets were whittled down to the final four men and the final two women in each division, meaning we now know which athletes will take the podium. All that is left is to decide who takes which medal.

Before the black belts take the mats at the Walter Pyramid, droves of blue, purple, and brown belts will have their opportunity to try and earn an IBJJF World Championship in the junior categories.

There are nearly two dozen first year black belts registered for the 2022 IBJJF World Championship. This year's will be one of the most stacked Worlds in recent memory, but the rookies should not be counted out. In some divisions, they may even be the favorites to win the whole thing.

Gutemberg Pereira was on a hot streak coming into his superfight against Fellipe Andrew at BJJ Stars 8. He went 4-0 at the 2nd South American ADCC Trials with a 100% submission rate; and he followed that up with back to back silver medal weekends in the gi, catching five submissions in five matches there.

The 2022 IBJJF Pan Championships roster is filled with veterans, world champions, and black belt stars. But 10 rookies will be in the search for Pans gold, trying to earn their moment in the spotlight by defeating a sea of decorated opponents.

Day two of the 2022 IBJJF European Championships saw the purple belts take the mats. GF Team’s Pedro Rubim won double gold, winning eight matches and hitting three submissions to claim the medium heavyweight and absolute division titles.

ADCC is the pinnacle of Submission Wrestling in our sport, and the South American trials have long been considered among the toughest roads to qualify for ADCC Worlds. This years crop of champions from South America is a lineup of athletes who should not only contend for gold in Las Vegas but dominate the sport for years to come.

The future of grappling has never looked brighter. The frenzy of excitement for the ADCC 2022 World Championships shows no sign of abating, and it's still eight months away. The continued growth of WNO and other professional no-gi events means athletes have more opportunities to showcase their skills and earn money than ever before.

2022 promises to be one of the most exciting years in grappling history. We can expect the return of the IBJJF season, with major events in Europe, South America and the USA. WNO will continue to host high-level no-gi grappling events that feature the most exciting competitors in compelling matches.

The black belt class of 2021 is a who's who of top notch competitors, many of whom are likely to grace the top of black belt podiums in the coming months. Below are the athletes who earned the rank of black belt in December.

The 2021 IBJJF Worlds finals are set! The absolute divisions and the women’s divisions have been whittled down to a single remaining match to decide this year’s champions; and the male divisions have been narrowed to eight men each.