IBJJF European No-Gi: What to Expect
The biggest European No-Gi ever kicks off October 28 in Rome: 2,960+ athletes, five days, and the No-Gi Grand Slam title on the line.
It's the 13th edition of the event, the third no-gi major of the year, and the finale of IBJJF's 2025-26 No-Gi Grand Slam. Translation: the black belts showing up aren't here for a tune-up. Points and pride are both on the line.
Who to watch
IBJJF's own preview spotlights Gabi Pessanha, Mayssa Bastos and Elisabeth Clay on the women's side, and past champions Pawel Jaworski, Tarik Hopstock and Shay Montague on the men's. Here's how the notable black belt entries break down by division.
Men's black belt
- Rooster: Shay Montague
- Light-feather: Edwin "Junny" Ocasio
- Feather: Sam McNally, Thiago Bud
- Light: Richard-Raul Bukovcsan, Chazz Williams Canas, Julian Espinosa, Pierre-Olivier Leclerc
- Middle: Kieran Kichuk, Tarik Hopstock, Espen Mathiesen, Natan Sap
- Medium heavy: Pawel Jaworski, David Garmo, Ellis Younger
- Heavy: Faris Benlamkadem, Linus von Schrenk
- Super heavy: Jean Maltese, Moritz Koellensperger, Cemil Karahan
- Ultra heavy: Alexander Sak
Women's black belt
- Feather: Jessie Crane
- Light: Amanda Bruse, Zara Di Tofano
- Middle: Rosary Walsh, Selma Vik, Injana Goodman
- Medium heavy: Martyna Kapuscinska, Violet Bennett
- Heavy: Nia Blackman, Denise Krahn
The division to circle: men's middleweight. Hopstock, Kichuk, Mathiesen and Sap in one bracket is a final-four you'd pay for at a pro show.
Storylines
Grand Slam math. As the season finale, every black belt podium here moves the final No-Gi Grand Slam standings. Expect some athletes to chase double gold in the open class for the extra points.
Champions vs. the new wave. Reigning champs are back, but the bracket is full of fresh black belts with nothing to lose. Europe's ADCC trials crowd, guys like Benlamkadem and von Schrenk at heavy, bring a different style to an IBJJF mat.
The women's middleweight crunch. Walsh, Vik and Goodman in one bracket means at least two of them leave without gold.
Rules to know
This is IBJJF no-gi, so points and advantages decide close matches. At adult brown and black belt, heel hooks and knee reaping are legal, so the leg-lock specialists are fully armed. Slams are still illegal. New to the differences? Our IBJJF vs. ADCC vs. EBI cheat sheet breaks it down.
How to watch
Every mat streams live on FloGrappling. Action starts at 8:30 a.m. UTC each day, which is 3:30 a.m. Central, so U.S. fans are watching over breakfast or catching replays. Black belts typically close out the final days, but check IBJJF's official schedule and brackets for exact times.
