The most anticipated gi tournament of the year returns to the iconic Walter Pyramid in just a few days time, and it is no exaggeration to say that this is one of the most competitive editions of the tournament in its rich 25-year history.

The IBJJF 2022 World Championships are nearly upon us, and with just a few days left in the registration, it’s worth reviewing the batch of returning World Champions that have decided to defend their crown.

The 2022 IBJJF World Championships is just weeks away. For you hardcore no-gi fans, you may be surprised to see so many familiar faces dust off their gi for the biggest IBJJF tournament of the year– there will be a number of Trials winners in the mix, and a decent amount of invitees, too.

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.

All year, the 2021 jiu-jitsu season has shown signs that it could bring the changing of the guard, the rise of the next generation. Throughout the year, we’ve seen legacy champions fall to the young up-and-comers; we’ve seen new styles and strategies overthrow the more traditional ones.

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.

Day one of the IBJJF World Championships was filled with the action, submissions and incredible stories expected of an event of this caliber. Day two is sure to deliver as well, as the male purple and brown belts will take their place on the mats in search of the most coveted title in jiu-jitsu. With hundreds of competitors in search of just a few medals, we're guaranteed  thrilling action throughout the day.

Fellipe Andrew won his first double-gold in an IBJJF major putting 18 points on Gustavo Batista in the absolute division final.

Day four of the 2021 IBJJF Pan Championships is in the books, and the stage is set for the final rounds of the black belt tournament.

The rosters for the 2021 IBJJF Pan Championship are stacked with returning champions, fan favorites, and rookies looking to break out. Some of the divisions have clear cut favorites to win gold, while others are harder to call. Here are our predictions for the favorites to reach the top of the podium, the dark horses who could steal the show, and the disruptors who could make things difficult for their division cohorts.

Fight to Win is back on July 30 for another night of grappling superfights. In the main event, Kennedy Maciel will try to double down on his recent win over Joshua Cisneros. Their last encounter was an early contender for match of the year, and Kennedy will be looking for a repeat outcome, if a more one-sided performance.

The 2021 No-Gi Pan Championships kick off on Saturday, May 15. The divisions are loaded with some of the biggest names in grappling. And this year, there's a new wrinkle in place; heel hooks and reaping are legal for black belts. New faces have come out in droves, and we could see the crowning of some first-time IBJJF No-Gi Pans champions. But those new faces will still have to get through some of the best in the world.

This week marks the start of a new era for Grappling Bulletin. Every Monday morning we will publish a new and improved news and recap article like you’re used to, and at 4:30pm Central Time we’ll debut the first episode of the Grappling Bulletin podcast! You can watch it live on the FloGrappling homepage and app as well as on YouTube and Facebook. 

It did not take long for registration to close for No-Gi Pans. The IBJJF announced the Pan No-Gi Championships and it has reached capacity very quickly. Here are the key names to watch in each black belt division.