Female Light-Featherweight Division

Though a smaller bracket, the Female Light-Featherweight division for the 2025 No-Gi World Championship is stacked with talent. Headlining the field is Emily Leyva, fresh off her Brasileiro and No-Gi Pan Championship gold medal runs.  As one of the most exciting young prospects in the female divisions, Emily will certainly capture plenty of attention. The notorious submission hunter will face formidable challenges from Malena Aoun, Nathalya Lima, and Alexia Arnold.  Although, it seems the gold medal will likely go through Emily Leyva in the light-feather division.

Female Featherweight Division

The 125lb female brown belt division is poised for compelling matchups. Top-seed Elizabeth Genge, a medal winner at both the 2025 European and Pan Championships, enters as one of the top athletes in the division. The Stealth BJJ representative was phenomenal in the Pan finals, where she secured an impressive 45 points and a mounted guillotine finish against a highly skilled opponent. Genge, an experienced competitor who took Worlds bronze in 2024, will face a new challenge with the arrival of Michal Baly. Baly, the reigning purple belt Pan Featherweight Champion, earned a mid-season promotion to brown belt and immediately cemented herself as a contender by capturing the Light-Feather title at No-Gi Euros. Other athletes to watch include Cindy Ung of Balance, who impressed with featherweight gold at this year’s Pan Championship, and Quezia Braga and Giovanna Lopes, both looking to stage an upset for World gold.

Female Lightweight Division

The largest female bracket features top prospects Valentina Peña and Jadeya Reber. Peña has had a dominant 2025 campaign, having captured gold at both the Europeans and Brasileiros, alongside a Pan silver medal.  She employs a balanced game, proving to be technically dangerous in seemingly every position.  Jadeya Reber, the Atos athlete, earned two podium finishes at the 2025 Pans and is focused on capturing her first World gold. Jadeya relentlessly hunts the submission, utilizing her long and athletic frame to create constant threats. The two prospects met twice at Pans in October, splitting the victories, leaving fans very intrigued by a potential rubber match at No-Gi Worlds.  Larissa Santos of Gracie Barra adds depth with her Pan bronze and double gold at the Nashville Open. Potential upset worthy competitors, including Euro silver medalist Melanie Iverson and Kingsway representative Trinity Pun, are serious contenders to challenge for the Lightweight World Championship title.

Female Middleweight Division

Natalia Maguerroski enters the bracket as the top-seed and is ranked the #8 female brown belt globally. Maguerroski has secured multiple double gold performances this year, highlighted by a Brasileiro gold medal. The Alliance team member is projected for a likely clash with Naomi Sharp, the 2025 Pan Champion, representing Unity Jiu-Jitsu. If Naomi is able to get to a comfortable guard, she is going to be a very dangerous middleweight contender. She had a very tightly contested match with Rebecca Charbonneau in the Pans finals this season, creating a potential rematch opportunity at No-Gi Worlds. The division also features tough matchups in Eliza Nascimento (Marcio Andre Jiu-Jitsu), Mariana Piccolo (Inspirit), and American National open class champion Giovanna Chaves.

Female Medium-Heavyweight Division

This is potentially the most competitive female bracket. Peyton Letcher of Workshop Jiu-Jitsu, coming off an impressive Pan No-Gi title, is aiming to improve on her World silver medal from last year. The top-seed, Greta Notaro, is back to repeat her success from last year's Heavyweight No-Gi World Championship gold. Notaro appears to be in top form after capturing the open division title at Pans this year. Delia Kolanowski, who has secured multiple double gold performances at IBJJF Open events, is focused on her first World title. Martyna Kapuscinska of Academia Gorila impressed at the Euros with a weight class bronze and an open class gold medal, as she looks to improve upon her double bronze finish at the 2024 No-Gi Worlds. Hannah Robinson and Isabella Clark, both with double gold open event performances this season, round out a division guaranteed to attract significant attention as these top prospects vie for World Championship gold.

Female Heavyweight Division

All attention will be on Hannah Griffith of Renzo Gracie. Following double gold at Jiu-Jitsu Con, Griffith secured a Pan title, setting high expectations for her continued undefeated run. Anna Rocha, the Checkmat representative, who holds American National gold and a Pan American silver medal, will present a tough challenge. Milla Pena also joins the bracket in pursuit of her first major title. Looking beyond her weight class, Hannah Griffith is a strong candidate for double gold at the brown belt level in mid-December.

Male Lightweight Division

The Lightweight division is shaping up to be highly intriguing, with Daniel Deeder of Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu the top-seeded athlete after an impressive 2025 campaign that includes Brasileiro gold and Pans silver.  Antonny Lima of Zenith Jiu-Jitsu has been exceptionally active this year, collecting numerous IBJJF Open gold medals and podium finishes at Brasileiros and Sul-Americano events. He will contend with top prospects Anthony Ortiz and Shai Esquilin, both major event medalists this year. Ortiz, a Unity Jiu-Jitsu product, is riding a wave of confidence after capturing European Championship gold. Esquilin is looking to repeat his success from the Pan Championships, where he stood atop the Lightweight podium. Riley Golden, a well-rounded competitor, embodies a dark horse, presenting unique challenges from many positions. Owen Jones is also in the division and will bring a wave of attention to this talented bracket. With the title wide open as we approach the final major of the 2025 season, this division promises excitement.

Male Middleweight Division

Brown belt Middleweights are set to descend upon Las Vegas for one of the most anticipated colored belt divisions of the year.  2025 Brasileiro champion Emerson Feitosa, who also secured Sul-Americano gold, aims to cap off his successful season with a Worlds title. Top European prospect Sebastian Sonntag consistently earns podium finishes at IBJJF events across the pond. Joshua Dawson of Gracie Barra, a dangerous leg-locker who medaled twice at this year’s Brasileiro event, poses a serious risk to the rest of the field as he seeks World Championship honors. Luan Veras (MG Team Luxembourg) is a dangerous contender with multiple double gold performances and a 2025 Euros bronze medal. Samuel James has made a strong statement this season with four gold and two silver medals at International Open events. Finally, Jacob Bornemann of Pedigo Submission Fighting, recently promoted after dominating the purple belt Pan Championship with double gold, will bring a relentless physicality and a high degree of confidence into the division. This bracket will command significant attention, and the athlete who emerges unbeaten will have truly earned the World Champion title.

Male Medium-Heavyweight Division

The Male Medium-Heavyweight division is headlined by Marlon Tajik, one of the most exciting colored belt prospects. The #3 ranked brown belt globally is coming off a stellar season that includes double gold at the European Championships alongside gold and bronze honors at Pans. The Atos product is looking to upgrade his silver medal from last year’s World Championships. Tajik’s stiffest competition appears to be Zack Ghalayini and Luuk Nieuwamerongen, who are slated for a potentially thrilling semifinals matchup. Caio Ramos and Caleb Nascimento are also great athletes in a bracket guaranteed to draw attention. Marlon Tajik is a must-watch athlete, as this could be his final event before his promotion to black belt.

Male Heavyweight Division

An impressive collection of brown belts are ready to showcase their abilities in the heavyweight division. Dylan Melton, the #1 division seed and #4 overall IBJJF brown belt, is seeking his first World Championship after placing at multiple major events, including double gold at the 2025 Brasileiros. Placido Santos enters the division with confidence following a gold-medal performance at the Pan Championship. Linus Schrenk is another interesting contender, having earned European gold and bronze medals this year. Takeshiro Yuuki rejoins IBJJF no-gi major competition after a two-year hiatus, looking to recapture the World Championship title he earned in 2023. Securing the coveted heavyweight title will be a difficult task for the division's newest champion.

Male Super-Heavyweight Division

The 215lb division is drawing substantial attention. Michael Pixley of Pedigo Submission Fighting is a highly respected contender to win it all. Pixley's sole IBJJF event in 2025 was a masterful front headlock heavy run en route to Pan No-Gi gold. Yonathan Guertznstein enters as the top-seed and #7 ranked no-gi brown belt. The 2024 No-Gi Worlds bronze medalist, Natã Lima, is focused on progressing his position on the podium this year. Pietro Leal (DreamArt) is a new super-heavyweight addition coming off an incredibly active 2025 season, notably securing Pans bronze and American National silver medals. Mateusz Mazur, the current European Championship gold medalist and 2023 World silver medalist, joins the bracket alongside the 2025 Brasileiro champion, Rodrigo Santos, creating genuine depth in the field. The Super-Heavyweight division is projected to deliver thrilling matches and a challenging path for the athlete who ultimately prevails.

Male Ultra-Heavyweight Division

Nicklas Hartman, the #1 ranked no-gi brown belt, headlines an ultra-heavy division rich with talent. Hartman, the reigning no-gi World Champion, added a double gold performance at the Pans this season and is one of the front runners in the bracket. Brandon Reed of Pedigo Submission Fighting presents an interesting stylistic matchup as he attempts to derail Hartman’s title run. Adrian Ribeiro from Atos Jiu-Jitsu, the reigning gi World Champion, joins the bracket hoping to secure a No-Gi World Title to cap off his 2025 campaign. Ian Daube, a 10th Planet athlete who recently received his brown belt, plans to shake up the division. Daube, who earned World Championship glory in 2024 at purple belt, hopes to return to the World finals in 2025. The Ultra-Heavyweight bracket is expected to deliver an array of exciting and competitive matches to conclude the year.