Gianni Grippo, JT Torres, Beatriz Mesquita, and others come for more gold medals.
There’s yet another weekend upon us and yet another major grappling event is here to enjoy. This weekend is about the 2018 edition of the IBJJF Pans which features some of the biggest names in the sport. Whether it’s past champions or one of the upcoming names to watch, there’s plenty of action to enjoy from the West Coast.
With so many important competitors in one event, it’s difficult to select one to focus on. But this conversation will start with four-time lightweight champion, Michael Langhi. Expectations are high for him to take home his fifth title to go along with the golds that he won back in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014. To go along with these golds, he’s claimed titles at Worlds (both in the gi and no-gi) and is a Brazilian and European national champion.
The path for Langhi to stay victorious won’t come easy though. Many are looking at either JT Torres or Masahiro Iwasaki as potential spoilers. Both men come with a lot of experience and success across multiple competitions. This is an extremely deep division offering a wealth of can’t-miss action.
One weight class below are the featherweights; where there’s another intriguing storyline developing. Gianni Grippo seems to be the top pick to step into the gold medal position, but two names to watch are Isaac Doederlein and AJ Agazarm. Doederlein and Agazarm are two athletes that have continued to find success in both small and large events, but seem to be one step off from winning a major contest such as Pans. Grippo has found a way to win across multiple tournaments and in super fight settings; making him the favorite to take home the gold this weekend. But none should be surprised if either of these men finds a way to play spoiler.
When the big men come out to compete, everyone will have their eyes on the mats. The heavyweight, super-heavyweight, and ultra-heavyweight features names such as Leandro Lo, Keenan Cornelius and Joao Gabriel Rocha. While these men may be favorites to win the division, it will be interesting to see what happens when these athletes meet in the absolute division.
No one can forget about the women. The ladies consistently put on some of the most competitive bouts across every division. The ladies feature some important returning champions in Talita Alencar, Beatriz Mesquita, Jessica Flowers, Bianca Basilio, and Gezary Matuda.
Mesquita is looking to add her seventh title to her collection; the most among the group. Matuda is another multiple-time winner with three titles under her belt heading into this weekend’s action. Alencar had an incredible first year as a black belt as she won Pans in 2017 and is looking to repeat, but the light-featherweight division is stacked for former champions. Luiza Monteiro is yet another highly entertaining, multiple-time champion that puts on must-see performances whenever she’s on the mat.
Whether you are out in California to enjoy this grappling event or watching across the world on FloGrappling; the 2018 edition on the IBJJF Pan-Am Championship features more than enough to get excited. With so many different storylines and potential for surprises, this is an excellent event to catch this weekend.