2026 European No-Gi | Color Belt Watchlist
Color Belts to Watch at Euro No-Gi

2026 Euro No-Gi Announcement
The 2026 European No-Gi has attracted a remarkable collection of world-class No-Gi athletes. The jiu-jitsu spotlight focuses on Rome, Italy for the year’s third major No-Gi event and the thirteenth edition of the European No-Gi Championships.
While elite black belts capture much of the event’s spotlight, a fascinating group of young color belts prepare to showcase the up-and-coming talent in the sport. With such a deep collection of color belt talent it becomes difficult to cover the complete list of young prospects, nevertheless let’s take a look at Euro No-Gi’s top color belt prospects you don’t want to miss.
2026 Euro No-Gi - Color Belt Prospect Preview
Kacper Garczynski
One of the most exciting prospects in No-Gi jiu-jitsu, Kacpaer Garczynski is the reigning featherweight Brasileiro No-Gi and World No-Gi Champion. Kacper’s tactical and technical prowess, specifically in his guard, make him one of the very best pound-for-pound brown belts in the world. His unfortunate double-disqualification at the 2026 Pan No-Gi event put an end to his No-Gi Grand Slam aspirations, yet the young talent enters Euro No-Gi with an opportunity to capture three of the four major events this season.
Shai Iftar
Shai Iftar of Brasa CTA returns to the No-Gi Grand Slam circuit after securing his second consecutive Pan No-Gi title just a few weeks ago. A highly skilled guard player and submission hunter, Shai has extensive major event experience at the brown belt level. A podium visit in Rome would be Shai’s eighth major No-Gi medal in a strong two year brown belt career thus far.
Sebastian Patyk
An incredible talent out of Academia Gorila enters European No-Gi with distinct confidence and immense expectations. Sebastian’s 2026 Pan No-Gi triumph witnessed him secure brown belt double-gold with numerous thrilling finishes. Sebastian’s gamestyle has led to early comparisons of his teammate and #1 globally ranked black belt Pawel Jaworski. Sebastian projects to lean heavily on his elite guard play while showcasing an exciting submission arsenal.
Oliver Silvestro
Australia’s own, Oliver Silvestro, is prepared to make his brown belt No-Gi debut in Rome this week. The High Rollers product has proven his elite ability throughout the 2026 season, with a fantastic purple belt Gi campaign. His brown belt debut came in Japan at the 2026 Asian Championships where he secured double-gold in dominant fashion. A rising prospect with immense skill, Oliver’s brown belt No-Gi debut is attracting significant attention.
Elizabeth Genge
Stealth BJJ is home to a strong brown belt prospect. Elizabeth Genge recently secured her second consecutive lightweight Pan No-Gi title, proving her elite ability on the major event stage yet again. Elizabeth is the reigning European Gi Champion and has specific intention of also securing Euro No-Gi as well. Her intricate technical ability and deep experience at the brown belt level make her an early favorite to complete a standout performance.
Rana Willink
Rana returns to the European No-Gi Championships after securing the purple belt open class title in 2025. Rana’s strong guard play and dangerous leglocks make her a significant threat in both the middleweight and open class divisions yet again. Representing Corvus Grappling Collective, Rana is hoping to secure her first major event title at the brown belt level.
Ana Fernandes
The Athlas Training Team standout aims to commence her brown belt Grand Slam career with a resounding statement. Ana secured the purple belt middleweight World Championship in 2026, leading to a brown belt promotion for the young prospect. Ana is an athletic and aggressive competitor with a balanced approach, which many project will lead her to a Euro No-Gi title this week.
Luca Veras
The youngest of three Veras brothers who look to steal the Euro No-Gi spotlight, Luca recently received his brown belt promotion following an impressive purple belt career. Luca is physical and technical, presenting significant challenges from nearly every position. His lone brown belt outing resulted in a No-Gi double-gold performance at the 2026 Lisbon Open. Luca immediately becomes a top brown belt prospect who is looking for his first major event title in the category.
Notable Athletes
Henry Zachary
Armin Douzali
Afek Agaba
Guy Burshtein
Liam Veras
Arthur Lopes Bysnetto
Javiera Zuñiga
Aleksandra Moranda
For further athlete and bracket information, stay tuned to IBJJF News and the 2026 Euro No-Gi Event Guide. Be sure to login to FloGrappling for the exclusive Euro No-Gi livestream running from October 28th through November 1st.