Happy ADCC and CJI Weekend!
For reading in between livestreams: an article-driven reflection-meets-retrospective on athletes I've covered and who are about be a part of the biggest weekend in jiu-jitsu history.
Hello to the standbys and welcome, new subscribers!
In the last few months, I’ve been lying a bit low, writing more so on my ACL Substack than I have here—not for lack of love or things to say about jiu-jitsu, but
It’s hard to write about the thing I love when I can’t currently do it
Recovery has been a full-time job
My actual full-time job has been more like two full-time jobs
Maybe it’s my renewed ability to slowly walk again1, maybe it’s initial glow of being on PTO, or maybe it’s the cold brew, but I’m feeling optimistic as I sit down and hit the keys ahead of hitting the stands in T-Mobile Arena.2 I hope I can get back to a better cadence of writing here, focused on sharing insights from interviews and conversations I’ve had in and around the world of combat sports in the last few years.
But for today—because Instagram stories are fleeting and Substack is a little more substantial and “permanent,” in honor of ADCC/CJI weekend—I’m going to adapt, share, and extend what I just did on my stories yesterday. I hope you enjoy it.
August marks two years since I formally started freelance writing about BJJ and combat sports…
…and in honor of ADCC and CJI, I wanted to share some of my favorite throwback pieces about athletes competing out in Las Vegas this weekend.
First up, the first-ever piece I wrote for FloGrappling on Nicholas Meregali’s WNO Debut against Rafael Lovato Jr. (link here)
This WNO match was the first time that Lovato Jr. and Meregali ever faced off, which is saying something, because they’ve matched up a few times since, with Meregali consistently getting the edge over the American legend. These two very well might rematch again this weekend in -99kg at ADCC.
Only time will tell if…
This eighth ADCC is truly Lovato Jr.’s last one: a father of two in his forties and still competing, he’s no stranger to defying Father Time and despite teasing retirement for the last two years, hasn’t really stepped away.
Meregali can walk the walk after literal months of talking the talk on on social media of, “I will be an ADCC double gold champion.” Given the gutting of divisions by CJI, unless Kaynan Duarte defending 2x champ of -99kg, odds are good that Meregali sweeps the division—and calls his subs along the way.
Next up, a rematch I’d love to see at -88kg between the reigning champ, Giancarlo Bodoni and the heavy contender, Pedro Marinho (link here)
Bodoni got the celebrity treatment in the FloGrappling documentary, “Becoming Dangerous.” The real question going into ADCC this weekend is whether Bodoni is remaining dangerous.
Folks shouldn’t sleep on Marinho. He hasn’t quite gotten his big moment, but he’s a definite force to be reckoned with at -88kg—and in WNO, at least, edged out a decision against Bodoni and shut down much of his game.
That said, if Bodoni has a 2024 version of his ADCC 2022, he handily defends his title this weekend: his skills, the New Wave game plan, and proven understanding of the ADCC ruleset should set him up for success.
One of my proudest works of foresight: spotting Amy Campo’s potential before she “made it” by winning ADCC 2022 (link here and another link here)
When I was researching 60+kg back in 2021-2022, so many people were sleeping on her coming into ADCC. I was betting on her pretty hard—and if only I’d put actual money on her. She beat the odds and delivered one of the most legendary performances of all time, not only defeating Gabi Garcia in the semis, but also staking her claim to become the first American to win the 60+kg division.
This weekend will be interesting for Campo given the new weight class breakdown for the women and Campo opting for 65+kg, preferring to play David rather than Goliath in a division.
She’s rolled around with the likes of Gabi Pessanha—and no one in this division is quite as big as her—but it’ll be interesting to see if she can repeat her success against Rafaela Guedes, put the boots on Kendall Reusing, and defy Nathiely de Jesus (who is criminally underrated in this division despite her record against many competitors in and adjacent to this division).
Two years since her breakout performance, Campo remains a refreshing fighter to follow and watch on and off the mats. She keeps her social media presence pretty mild. No nonsense. No drama. Just really strong, fundamentals-driven, effective grappling.
The rematch I most want to see at ADCC: Rafaela Guedes and Nathiely de Jesus at 65+kg (link here)
I had the pleasure (and pain) of training at Atos Jiu-Jitsu Headquarters between October 2021-April 2022. Rafaela was running the ladies’ class for part of that time,3 and I also did at least one no gi class where I rolled with her.
She. Is. A. Beast.
People say that phrase a lot in a complimentary way in women’s jiu-jitsu: “Omg ur such a beast.” Most of those people have never rolled with Rafaela.
Rafaela is a legit beast—the fear she strikes in hearts on the mat matched only by her heart of gold. Easily one of the shyest and most humble interviewees I’ve had.
As for Nathiely—as mentioned above in the bit about Campo, de Jesus is criminally underrated. Her performances are strong, and the fact that she’s stepping back onto the mats as a (relatively) new mom is inspiring.
If these two match up in the bracket, it would be a rock and a hard place for me to watch this match and want one woman to win over the other. I wish both of them could win, because I find both ladies uniquely inspiring. Since both of them can’t win, I’m hoping that they deliver the best performances of their careers.
This piece on the rise of the Rochas aged incredibly well: all three of them will be competing at ADCC (link here)
Leave it to the Rochas to upgrade on a Who’s Number One with all three of them on the card to an ADCC with all three of them spread across brackets. Vagner is a veteran coming into ADCC (this is his third), and Achilles and Jasmine will be making their debuts at -88kg and -55kg, respectively.
Vagner posted a lovely thing on social media about already feeling like a winner as a father getting to compete alongside his children at the highest levels. It captures the spirit of the family and of what I gathered when speaking with each of them over a year ago.
Earlier this summer, I’d hoped to go down to Florida, watch a week of their camp and see “the family business” in action. Knee surgery made that trip a no-go, but visiting the Rochas’ academy is one of the first trips I hope to take when I’m healed up and able to roll again.
Vagner may not win, but he’s leading his kids from the front. Achilles is an animal and despite being a teenager, could turn some heads in this division in light of all the CJI talent shake-ups. Love or hate her trash talk, if Jasmine can rise to the occasion and triumph at ADCC—or at least avoid falling victim to a basic knee cut—she’ll silence every hater out there.
No one is asking this question anymore because Dima Murovanni is no longer a man of mystery after running the B-Team ADCC/CJI Camp (link here)
This piece will hold a special place in my heart for a few reasons—I’ve spoken to a few of them in a dedicated piece about this piece on Substack (which might be the reason some of you have subscribed here—and if so, thank you!)
I started the Flo piece right after I injured my knee and it went live the week before my knee surgery. It pretty much got me through those nine weeks of odd jiu-jitsu-less limbo.
I’ll never forget sitting on the bike, trying to stay active and “pre-hab” my knee while watching Margot Ciccarelli’s performance at ADCC European Trials, watching her run, and saying, “Hold up. I know her, but…who is this?!”4
I got a nudge from Ciccarelli’s ex to reach out to Dima for a piece, and I’m glad I followed through with it and chased this piece. It became one of my proudest because of the ambitiousness of its scope: I got the chance to interview a wide swath of athletes and it was a fulfilling challenge to stitch together the story of how Dima unlocked something unique and special in each of his athletes: Jozef Chen, Margot Ciccarelli, Owen Jones, and Brianna Ste.-Marie, among others.
Anyway, back to the Not-So-Mysterious Berliner under BJJ Akademie: Murovanni is going to be a busy man this weekend with Chen and the B-Team boys over at CJI and Owen, Ciccarelli, and Ste.-Marie at ADCC. Fortunately, he’s a bit of an insomniac and is happiest when his many waking minutes are filled with jiu-jitsu. It’ll be interesting to see how all his athletes perform this weekend and whether this weekend’s events will reinforce the nickname going around for Dima of “the German Danaher.”
From before she was “Daddy,” when Adele Fornarino was an Aussie underdog on the way to the top (link here)
Adele was one of the nicest interviewees I’ve ever had, and aside from her accent, the thing I recall most was her generosity with her time—she took the call in a hotel room in between the first ADCC Asia and Oceania Trials and No Gi Worlds.
This piece stands out because of how Adele, as a bit of a “lone wolf” female competitor coming out of Australia, has managed to build a global community and team that has her back: from her parents who make her “welcome home, champ” signs at the airport, to her partner, Nev, to her first coaches in Australia to her chosen teammates at Atos Headquarters.
Her “Daddy” energy and identity came after this interview, so you won’t read about it here. What you will see is a look at an ADCC 2022 underdog who evolved in compelling fashion into 2023 and has only become more dangerous in 2024. Keep an eye on her in -55kg. She’s no longer a dark horse at ADCC. Especially if she gets to her guard or gets a bite on a leg, she very well might be the one to beat.
I train at Atos Atlanta, so I have a behind-the-scenes investment in this one, but there’s a bigger story here about resilience from Alex Enriquez (link here)
It can be really, really hard to write about someone you know and be objective.
The biggest challenge I have in writing about Alex knowing a little too much. I’ve trained with her, her fiancee, Faye, and her coach, Bruno, for the last two years. I have a bit of behind-the-scenes insight into the things Alex has done to get to this point of her career.
I’ve written about Alex a few times for Flo, and when I have the opportunity comes to write about her, I’m very careful. For one, she has to truly earn the coverage, because otherwise, I’m a crap journalist. Two, when I do write about her, I’m forced to scrub any remote hint of favoritism or bias—again, because otherwise, I’m a crap journalist.
This piece, written ahead of Alex’s debut run at ADCC at -55kg, forced me to take a step back from “Alex, the training partner” and “Alex, the friend” in a whole new way. What I love about this piece is it goes beyond “Alex, the athlete” and into “Alex, the person.” I think it tells a story that will appeal to folks more broadly outside the world of jiu-jitsu. From recovery from injury, life’s emotional highs and lows, and, most of all, getting to moments where you can really relish and enjoy the present—there’s a lot in this piece.
If you’re reading this Substack, have read the piece, or you’ve met Alex, it’s hard not to want her to deliver a career-best performance at ADCC. She’s been through it in the last nine months, and if there’s someone for whom a triumph at this tournament ADCC would be especially sweet, it’s Alex.
Last but not least, a new piece, fresh off the presses ahead of ADCC: a little something on the ADCC “home team heroes” hailing from Atlanta, Georgia (link here)
I have to admit—I moved to Atlanta thinking that the jiu-jitsu scene was still as good as it might have been in the era of the Alliance hotshots. Living here, I’ve discovered that the scene is a bit subdued and distributed. There are some heavy hitters, but they’re not concentrated in a single spot, like they were in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
As I said on Instagram, I’d love to do a Robert Drysdale-style history of jiu-jitsu’s growth across American cities, which would give me the opportunity to go beyond word-of-mouth and really dig into the rise, fall, and possible renewal of Atlanta as a great American city for jiu-jitsu.
Until I embark on that historical adventure, I wanted to give some props to the home team: obviously I’ve written about Alex before, but this was a first about Paul Ardila and Ryan Aitken, about whom I’d heard good things but hadn’t connected with in person until pulling this piece together. They’re all awesome, and there’s a ton on the cutting room floor from those interviews that I hope to feature in future Substack pieces…
…but until then, happy ADCC and CJI weekend!
Drop some comments. Share some love. Subscribe and share if you haven’t already. And, of course, watch some top-notch grappling.
If the spirit moves you, let me know whom you’re most excited to watch in this weekend’s roster.
Until next time,
EZ
And crawl! Crawling on your knees is also a big deal post-knee surgery.
And maybe Thomas and Mack Center on a whim. CJI tickets are pretty discounted, and I’d be stoked to watch the CJI Finals on the cheap after clocking out of ADCC Day 1.
Reggae was always playing in her classes for the warm ups. Whenever I hear “Welcome to Jamrock,” I immediately think of her.
I’d done a mentorship with Margot back in 2020-2021, and during that time, she was primarily a ‘bolo and guard player, not a pinch headlock person or takedown artist. Margot talks a lot on social media about her mindset around movement and evolution—look at her footage between her ADCC Trials run in 2022 vs her Trials run in 2024: her movement evolves, big time.