Kissimmee, Florida is set to host the illustrious 2026 Pans event. As the season's second major championship, the tournament boasts an exceptional cohort of elite competitors, all battling for the coveted Pans title. Color belt prospects hope to garner enhanced recognition, black belt stars strive to fortify their legacies, and juvenile athletes test their skills in one of the year’s most thrilling competitions.  Fans are guaranteed to witness memorable action from the world’s greatest competitors across five days of intense action.

Black Belts

The sport's premier athletes will convene in Florida for the 2026 Pans. An incredible assembly of world-class black belts enter the competition in pursuit of the season’s second major championship. Featuring an abundance of phenomenal competitors and compelling narratives, the black belt divisions are poised to deliver exhilarating performances on the fourth and fifth days of the competition.

The male divisions feature numerous major stars vying for the prestigious Pans title. Amidst many phenoms, the distinct athletes pursuing the Grand Slam Champion status are Jalen Fonacier, Diego Pato, and Tainan Dalpra. Jalen certainly faces a challenging path to his second title of the season, as the roosterweight division showcases five previous World Champions. Diego Pato intends to sustain his mastery among a potent assembly of light-featherweight challengers. Kennedy Maciel, João ‘Bisnaga’ Mendes, and Cole Abate headline a highly competitive featherweight division including formidable contenders, Sam Nagai and Ademir Barreto. Reigning European Champion Will Wilson enlisted in a talented lightweight field alongside Tarcisio Santos, Jackson Nagai, and Mateo Cardona. The medium-heavyweight division projects to be one of the most competitive weight-classes in black belt competition, featuring distinguished athletes such as Wallison Souza, Mikael Rhaillander, Tommy Langaker, Luiz Victor, and fellow established challengers competing for supremacy. Nolan Stuart and Francisco Papasidero are the top names in the heavyweight division, with the possibility of an intense rematch between two foes. The open class event is expected to feature many of the globe's premier black belts, with heavier weight class competitors Vinicius Liberati, Seif-Eddine, and Harryson Pereira emerging as potential contenders.

The female black belt divisions are garnering significant recognition leading up to the championship. Pans showcases preeminent female athletes such as Gabi Pessanha, Sarah Galvão, and Mayssa Bastos. Thaís Loureiro will compete in the roosterweight division after recently securing her European Championship title. AOJ standouts Ashlee Funegra and Mayssa Bastos represent early favorites in the light-featherweight division. Margot Ciccarelli re-enters the major competition circuit, joining current World Champion, Larissa Campos, in a skillful featherweight category. In the lightweight division, Janaina Lebre and Sarah Galvão eye a potential rematch following their duel in the Crown finals in December. Lillian Marchand, Aghata Rabelo, and Elisabeth Clay lead a highly accomplished middleweight division. European Champion, Denise Krahn, arrives at Pans carrying immense momentum, while Maca Vicentini aims for a redemption win to derail Denise’s remarkable trajectory. The female open class remains one of the most anticipated storylines ahead of the 2026 Pans. Potential contenders for the open class title include Gabi Pessanha, Sarah Galvão, Elisabeth Clay, Maria Alencar, Letícia Teixeira, and Larissa Dias setting the stage for a phenomenal female bracket.

Brown Belts 

The sport’s most promising brown belt athletes are scheduled to converge for major championship contention in Kissimmee, Florida. A distinguished roster of current major champions, spectacular newcomers, and ascending stars will headline days two and three of the event. 

Premier male talents are competing with lofty expectations to seize their divisional championships. Alex Vazquez, energized by his commanding European Championship showing in January, will return to defend his 2025 featherweight Pans title. Rafael Gamba, the dynamic Alliance representative, seeks to extend his extraordinary brown belt career, having already amassed four major medals, including his European title earlier this year. Lucas de Bonis, the world’s top-ranked brown belt, is preparing for his third major gold and aiming for his first Pans title. Two rising Atos competitors, Nata Tenca and Adrian Ribeiro, return to Pans as formidable contenders to earn an additional major gold medal. Luiz Rigo brings his European and Pans titles into the super-heavyweight class, where he is favored to attain his third major championship. Exciting prospects entering their first major title bid of the 2026 season include Joao Vitor Alves, Felipe Goulart, and Emerson Feitosa.

A thrilling collection of female brown belts are poised to deliver exceptional performances. Emily Leyva of Atos, following her phenomenal 2025 no-gi season, secured her first major brown belt gi championship in Europe. Featherweight European Champion Emily Genge seems destined to continue her remarkable run. Nikolett Kis leads the field of elite female brown belts, having recently achieved a double-gold performance in Europe. Lauriane Afonso of Gracie Barra and Hazel Butcher-Salazar of Alliance both earned a pair of medals in Europe and are striving to claim their second major titles this season. Mairead Rowland-Coman enters the super-heavyweight category as the frontrunner to secure yet another major championship gold. Eliza Nascimento and Tarciane Santos, both representing Marcio Andre, aim for their inaugural brown belt major titles after achieving purple belt World Champion status in 2025.

Purple Belts 

The world’s top purple belts await their chance to seize the Pans spotlight. Twelve European Champions will return to competition, aiming for a second major title in this young season. 

Lucas Yan, recently victorious with a double-gold achievement in Lisbon, enters Pans as a definite contender to secure another set of gold medals. Ricardo Yoshito and Eiki Suzuki are participating in the roosterweight division, suggesting a potential rematch of the European finals. Moussa Kadi enters the medium-heavyweight class following his exceptional showing at the Europeans in January. Freddy Lele Talla, a gifted athlete, joins the heavyweight division as a powerful contender, while Rodrigo Dantas strives to leverage the momentum he generated in Europe. Kelyson Carlos and Fernando Paiva are determined to maintain their supremacy over their respective divisions amid challenging rivals. 

India Risby is the primary competitor in the women’s purple belt divisions, entering as the European double-gold champion. India appears unstoppable in purple belt competition, as the current World Champion in the middleweight category. After her commanding superfight triumph at the Grand Prix last month, Natalee Funegra joins the light-featherweight division to continue her sensational season. DreamArt’s Agatha Nigro enters Pans as the #2 ranked female purple belt and is considered a favorite to capture the super-heavyweight title. Mia Montesinos from Atos Jiu-Jitsu earned considerable acclaim at the Europeans for delivering one of the most commanding performances across all purple belt divisions. Second-year purple belt, Giada Pedretti of Nottingham - Total BJJ, is embarked on a redemption quest in 2026, already having secured one major title. 

Blue Belts

A remarkable contingent of blue belts is finalizing preparations to demonstrate their expertise under the bright lights of the 2026 Pans.  Given the substantial talent pool at the blue belt level, spectators are ensured compelling bouts across all categories. 

Nurgazy Bagyshbekov leads the adult blue belt division as the returning double-gold victor from the 2025 Pans. Two promising contenders from Gracie Barra Upland, Johnny Anderson and Hawann Hennye, are determined to sustain their successful trajectory in Florida. Alyson Lima and Julio Cesar represent CheckMat’s powerful blue belt squad. Current European Champions, Mauricio Wanderley and Bruno Garcez, seem prepared to secure their second major titles of the 2026 season. 

In the women’s categories, European Champion Chloe Pereira returns to Pans as the defending roosterweight champion from 2025. Fellow Marcio Andre product, Rebecca Nascimento, enters adult competition in 2026 following a commanding juvenile career that culminated in a World Championship title last year. Maria Medeiros, a previous juvenile World Champion, is another compelling athlete who transitions into the adult division with immense potential. Anna Pinheiro has established herself as a powerful presence in the Brazilian circuit and is pursuing her inaugural adult major championship.

Juvenile Blue Belts 

Rising juvenile stars continue their development by acquiring significant experience against exceptional competition. A fresh wave of Juvenile 1 athletes are ready to showcase their abilities under the bright lights of the illustrious event. Twelve 2026 European Champions will return to major contention, aspiring once more to dominate the Juvenile 1 division. Pans will spotlight a formidable cohort of elite Juvenile 2 competitors, including JP Tran, Zain Chaudry, Kaua Diogo, João Figueiredo, Vertti Puurtinen, Luis Felipe, Jose Renner, Kimberly Vallejo, Agatha Azevedo, and Ana Bispo, each of whom holds the title of reigning Juvenile 1 World Champion. The profound depth of talent in the juvenile divisions affirms that the future of jiu-jitsu rests in capable hands. Enthusiasts should anticipate nonstop action and remarkable technical displays from these next-generation athletes. 

Be sure to catch all the Pans action via FloGrappling's exclusive live stream, commencing on March 25th from Kissimmee, Florida.