The IBJJF Pan Championships is underway, and over the first few days, hundreds of aspiring grapplers will try to prove that they are the next generation of world class talent. Any of the purple and brown belts could send that point home with an impressive showing of dominant jiu-jitsu at Pans, but there are a few who have already earned our attention.

The 2021 IBJJF Pan Championship is shaping up to be the most star-studded gi event of the last 18 months. Returning Pans champions, rookie black belts, and some of Brazil’s finest up and coming competitors are all in the mix.

Less confrontational and more human on the mat than his teammate Gordon Ryan, Craig Jones has relished his role as “second place in everything”. Undefeated on WNO with four straight wins, he’s no longer the other guy– Jones has proved time and time again that he is the man to beat, and his match with Tye Ruotolo reaffirmed that.

The Grappling Bulletin podcast will go live at the earlier time of 3:30pm ET today, Monday March 22. Watch it on FloGrappling, and also on our Facebook and YouTube. 

The long-anticipated debut of heel hooks in the IBJJF no-gi format has finally arrived. The Dallas No-Gi Open went down on Sunday, March 7. It was a historic event as the first tournament in the history of the IBJJF to allow heel hooks for adult brown and black belts. 

Thalys Pontes of PSLPB Cicero Costha landed an armbar and three loop chokes to win the gold medal in the purple belt light-featherweight division at the 2020 IBJJF Pan Championship.