ADCC 2026 opened in Krakow with elite finishes, new names breaking through and one post-match confrontation that changed the 66 kg bracket.
Kaynan Duarte and Felipe Pena each scored two submissions, while Pawel Jaworski announced himself with back-to-back finishes, including a quarterfinal submission of Felipe Costa. Daniel Schuardt, Gavin Corbe, Mayssa Bastos, Sarah Galvao and Helena Crevar also punched their semifinal tickets by submission.
The day's biggest upset came at women's +65 kg, where Anabel Lopez advanced over Gabi Pessanha by referee decision. Sixteen-year-old Jasmine Rocha and 17-year-old Sarah Galvao moved on in their divisions, while 15-year-old Helena Crevar submitted Matilda Reid. Joslyn Molina, just 14, also reached the 65 kg semifinals.
The Moment That Changed the Bracket
Dorian Olivarez submitted Bekzat Kapashov in the opening round, but a melee followed near the competition area. ADCC later disqualified Olivarez and Kapashov and issued both athletes one-year bans. Owen Jones was placed back into the bracket, then lost to Dominic Mejia in the quarterfinals.
Gordon Ryan, who was involved in the confrontation, posted his account of the incident on Instagram. FloGrappling also shared the official disciplinary announcement.
Day One Semifinal Field
- Men's 66 kg: Diego Pato, Kennedy Maciel, Gavin Corbe, Dominic Mejia
- Men's 77 kg: Magomed Dzharbaev, Mateusz Szczecinski, PJ Barch, Jacob Bornemann
- Men's 88 kg: Pawel Jaworski, Gabriel Brod, Jozef Chen, Marlon Tajik
- Men's 99 kg: Kaynan Duarte, Daniel Schuardt, Luke Griffith, Achilles Rocha
- Men's +99 kg: Felipe Pena, Josh Saunders, Victor Hugo, Mark Macqueen
- Women's 55 kg: Jasmine Rocha, Ana Mayordomo, Mayssa Bastos, Ana Rodrigues
- Women's 65 kg: Ana Carolina Vieira, Mo Black, Sarah Galvao, Joslyn Molina
- Women's +65 kg: Helena Crevar, Elizabeth Mitrovic, Anabel Lopez, Paige Ivette Clymer
Day One on Instagram
Gordon Ryan's account:
FloGrappling disciplinary notice:
Men's semifinal field:
Women's semifinal field:
Official ADCC day-one photo gallery:
Day two brings the medal rounds, the 16-person absolute bracket and the Kaynan Duarte vs. Yuri Simoes superfight. Watch the action on FloGrappling and follow the official ADCC channels for highlights and updates.
Featured photo: ADCC 2026 day one in Krakow. Photo by @marchewka_jitsu, via @adccworld.