Before the 2022 ADCC World Championships go down in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18, hundreds competed at this year’s ADCC Open. This year’s Open featured more than 100 divisions spanning from kids, teens, and masters to the adult pro divisions. The Open portion of the weekend serves as an opportunity for athletes of all ages to experience the unique ruleset of ADCC and for current and aspiring pros hoping to earn a spot in a future ADCC World Championship.
The full results from the day can be found here.
Men’s Results
Pro Division
Recent FloGrappling Who’s Next competitor Andrew Tackett out of Checkmat Brazilian Fight Factory decimated the competition en route to winning the men’s 76kg championship over B Team’s Jozef Chen. Tackett managed to put his opponents away in each of his six fights, last defeating Chen, the bronze medalist at the ADCC Oceania & Asia Trials with a rear naked choke after ending up on his opponent’s back following a scramble. The Austin, Texas native proved unstoppable when on the back of his opponents, finishing five of his six rivals by way of rear naked choke. The outlier, Steadfast Martial Arts’ Daniel Larman, succumbed to an inverted triangle from mount in the semifinals.
Cameron Mellot took down the 60kg competition, last defeating Urban Jungle Self Defense’s Sebastian Oyervidez in the finals, 5-0. Mellot showcased his versatility as a grappler over the five rounds, and showed he could dominate the key moments by outscoring his opponents 16-4 on fights that went the distance. Osamah Almarwai scored one of the round’s biggest upsets when he defeated Estevan Martinez via arm triangle nearly two minutes into the match. Almarwai went on to take third place overall.
Deandre Corbe parlayed his run with ADCC this year into a victory in the 60kg tournament. Corbe pulled through the six rounds of competition to defeat Gracie Barra’s Henrique Barreto in 25 seconds into the championship match. Corbe won with ankle lock after luring his opponent into guard. The win should give Corbe plenty to build on after finding success at 66kg and 77kg earlier this year.
Jeferson Guaresi made a statement at 83kg when he defeated Sebastian Rodriguez in the finals of the deepest tournament field on the men’s side. Guaresi tore through the competition with finishes in three his first four bouts, first beating Kaya Rudolph with a double armbar in the final minute of their bout. He would go on to take a 2-0 victory on points over David Garmo before meeting and defeating Rodriguez in the finals. Garmo had been coming off an impressive run at West Coast Trials, taking fourth at 88kg.
In other weight classes, Jacob Couch won the 91kg tournament, outlasting one of the most experienced fields on the men’s side to defeat Aaron Tiegs in the final. Meanwhile, Michael Pixley won the tournament at 100kg, Vincent Pezzuto got the job done at 100+kg, and Lucas Pinheiro reigned supreme at 65kg, winning his last two matches a combined 7-0 on points.
Absolute Division
Fifth-seeded Tackett took first in the men’s absolute division, defeating 14th-seeded Cinderella Kevin Crane by way of rear naked choke thanks to a slick back-take that saw him roll his opponent forward to get him grounded. In doing so, Tackett became the only adult competitor of the day to win more than one tournament and went 8-for-10 on finishes without dropping a single match. The end came precisely two minutes into the match. Tackett capitalized on a favorable draw, with top-seeded Guaresi falling to unseeded Jacob Couch, the much larger man, in the quarterfinals. Couch baited Guaresi into a leglock attempt from bottom, only to obtain the necessary leverage to submit his seated opponent with a triangle choke. Couch would fall to Tackett in the semis.
Crane made his presence felt early with a 45-second submission over third-seeded John Combs. When Combs tried to counter Crane’s leglock attempt, the Cranestyle competitor transitioned into a single-leg takedown, pushing his opponent off camera before eventually notching the submission. He would go on to win his next two matches by way of a referee’s decision and points.
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Super Fight
A grappling super fight between YouTubers Devon Larratt and Jujimufu took place to cap off the men’s portion of the open competition. Jujimufu, real name Jon Call, gained notoriety for his physique and willingness to perform feats of epic physical proportions on YouTube while the Canadian Larratt is considered to be one of the greatest arm wrestlers of all time. The match saw Jujimufu immediately shoot a single-leg takedown only to get put in a front headlock by Larratt. Just as Larratt seemed poised to jump a guillotine choke, he calmly transitioned to the back and choked out the fellow influencer in just under two minutes.
Women’s Results
Pro Division
The ADCC crowned six new open champions on the women’s side with prohibitive favorite Tammi Musumeci being chief among them at 55kg. Musumeci, who trains out of Pedigo Submission Fighting, forced the tap from Ashley Bendle with a rear naked choke. The New Jersey native exhibited great poise and balance following a recent, repositioning herself on the back of her opponent following a brief scramble to sink in the choke. Ultimately, the sister of five-time IBJJF black belt world champion was able to capitalize on the momentum she created at this year’s West Coast Trials.
Alex Enriquez navigated a tricky field en route to the 60kg champion. The third-place finisher at this year’s East Coast Trials needed to get through a tough, game opponent in Pun, but ultimately took possession of a body triangle and finished her opponent at an awkward angle. She would earned a quick victory over Skylar Idell in the semi-finals and defeat eventual absolute champion Morgan Black on points, 3-0, in the finals.
Two name competitors would also face off in the 65kg bracket. Nathalie Ribeiro needed the full six minutes with 15-year-old standout Helena Crevar, but ultimately got the job done and advanced to the final. However, Rosa Walsh would spring the upset. The Pedigo product needed just 23 seconds to defeat Ribeiro, snaring an arm on a scramble that saw her evade a leglock attempt from Ribeiro.
Elsewhere, Syndicate MMA’s Courtney Martell became the women’s 50kg champion, and Renzo Gracie NYC product Bridget McEliece needed just 42 seconds to submit Brittney Johnson in the 70kg final. Experienced 2019 North American Trials winner and one-fight PFL veteran Amanda Leve took first in the 75+kg bracket.
Absolute Division
Fifth-seeded Black won the women’s absolute bracket, defeating unseeded Maria Ruffatto by way of rear naked choke at roughly the five-minute mark. Black, who represents PrimeBJJ, notched submission victories over her first two opponents Rebecca Faris and fourth-seeded Emma Reusing, but faced her toughest test of the day against top-seeded Ribeiro in the semifinals. Ribeiro entered the tournament off an impressive run to a bronze medal in the 60kg division at the West Coast Trials. Black neutralized the tournament’s top-seeded grappler with smothering top control, particularly from half-guard, en route to the win.
Ruffatto had likewise needed to win on points to earn her spot in the finals. She pulled out a narrow victory over seventh-seeded Trinity Pun, pulling a beautiful sweep to earn her first two points before earning the decisive three points on a guard pass. From there, she would simply need to hold her opponent off over the remaining seconds of the contest.
