2017 ADCC: Stacked Roster Promises Weekend of Action in Finnland

The 2017 ADCC is scheduled September 23-24, in Espoo, Finnland. Roughly a month and a half away from the event, the list of athletes qualified or invited features most of the biggest names in the grappling universe today. A quick look onto the list predicts a weekend filled with epic matches. As usual, names can go in and out all the way until the last second. Here’s a brief analysis.

Male

-66kg – Two-time champion Rubens Cobrinha is going after his third title in three editions. The list shows his job should be a tough one. Paulo Miyao, Geovanny Martinez, Eddie Cummings, Augusto Tanquinho are the names most likely to be on the short list of title contenders. AJ Agazarm, Leo Vieira, Baret Yoshida, Justin Rader, Ethan Crelinsten will also create some trouble. As it is the ADCC, you can always count on a tough guy who appears out of nothing.

1. Rubens Charles (Brazil) – ADCC 2015 winner
2. Uranov Zhakshylyk (Kyrgyzstan) – 1st Asian Trial winner
3. Janusz Andrejczuk (Poland) – 1st European Trial winner
4. Justin Rader (USA) – 1st North American Trial winner
5. Pablo Mantovani (Brazil) – 1st South American Trial winner
6. Paulo Miyao (Brazil) – 2nd South American Trial winner
7. Yuta Shimada (Japan) – 2nd Asian Trial winner
8. Ethan Crelinsten (USA) – 2nd North American Trial winner
9. Kuba Witkowski (Poland) – 2nd European Trial winner
10. Bruno Frazatto (Brazil) – Invited
11. Geovanny Martinez (USA) – Invited
12. Eddie Cummings (USA) – Invited
13. Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes (Brazil) – Invited
14. AJ Agazarm (USA) – Invited
15. Baret Yoshida (USA) – Invited
16. Leo Vieira (Brazil) – Invited

-77kg – The 2015 champion Davi Ramos is not on the list so far. The runner-up in Brazil, Lucas Lepri, on the other hand, is. Could this be the the chance for Lepri to add the one title he misses in his resume? To do that, he will have to go pass Garry Tonon, JT Torres, Gabriel Arges, DJ Jackson, Vagner Rocha and Mansher Khera, just to mention the most well known names.

1. Lachlan Giles (Australia) – 1st Asian Trial winner
2. Tero Pyylampi (Finnland) – 1st European Trial winner
3. Mansher Singh Khera (USA) – 1st North American Trial winner
4. Felipe Cesar (Brazil) – 1st South American Trial winner
5. Marcelo Mafra (Brazil) – 2nd South American Trial winner
6. Osmanzhan Kassimov (Kazakhstan) – 2nd Asian Trial winner
7. Vagner Rocha (USA) – 2nd North American Trial winner
8. Oliver Taza (Canada/Lebanon) – 2nd European Trial winner
9. Garry Tonon (USA) – Invited
10. Lucas Lepri (Brazil) – Invited
11. JT Torres (USA) – Invited
12. Gilbert Burns (Brazil) – Invited
13. Gabriel Arges (Brazil) – Invited
14. DJ Jackson (USA) – Invited

-88kg – The division is being called the bracket of death (well, at least we are calling it). The 2015 champion Yuri Simões moved up to the 99kg division, so who’s going to be the next champion? The list shows an unprecedented gathering of talent. Leandro Lo, Keenan Cornelius, Gordon Ryan, Alexandre Ribeiro, Romulo Barral, Pablo Popovitch, Rustam Chsiev and Dillon Danis are all in the mix for the gold medal.

1. Craig Jones (Australia) – 1st Asian Trial winner
2. Jesse Urholin (Finnland) – 1st European Trial winner
3. James Brasco (USA) – 1st North American Trial winner
4. Murilo Santana (Brazil) – 1st South American Trial winner
5. Kaynan Casemiro Duarte (Brazil) – 2nd South American Trial winner
6. Kit Dale (Australia) – 2nd Asian Trial winner
7. John Salter (USA) – 2nd North American Trial winner
8. Piotr Marcin Frechowicz (Poland) – 2nd European Trial winner
9. Romulo Barral (Brazil) – Invited
10. Keenan Cornelius (USA) – Invited
11. Gordon Ryan (USA) – Invited
12. Pablo Popovich (USA) – Invited
13. Alexandre Ribeiro (Brazil) – Invited
14. Leandro Lo (Brazil) – Invited
15. Dillon Danis (USA) – Invited
16. Rustam Chsiev (Russia) – Invited

-99kg – Another “championless” weight class in search of a new king. Rodolfo Vieira is out dedicating himself to MMA. Former champions João Assis and Dean Lister will be joined by the 2015 runner up Felipe Pena and also Yuri Simões, Luiz Panza, Mahamed Aly, Rafael Lovato Jr. and Jake Shields. Should be fire.

1. Roman Dolidze (Georgia) – 1st Asian Trial winner
2. Kamil Uminski (Poland) – 1st European Trial winner
3. Eliot Kelly (USA) – 1st North American Trial winner
4. Mahamed Aly (Brazil) – 1st South American Trial winner
5. Salomao Ribeiro (Brazil) – 2nd South American Trial winner
6. Yukiyasu Ozawa (Japan) – 2nd Asian Trial winner
7. Paul Ardila (USA) – 2nd North American Trial winner
8. Abdurakhman Bilarov (Russia) – 2nd European Trial winner
9. Yuri Simoes  (Brazil) – Moved from -88kg
10. Luiz Panza (Brazil) – Moved from +99kg
11. Dean Lister (USA) – Invited
12. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA) – Invited
13. Felipe Pena (Brazil) – Invited
14. Joao Assis (Brazil) – Invited
15. Jake Shields (USA) – Invited

+99kg – The champion Orlando Sanchez is back to defend his title despite dealing with some serious health issues recently. Marcus Buchecha, Roberto Cyborg, João Gabriel Rocha, Tom De Blass, Jared Dopp, Vinny Magalhães are Sanchez’ biggest problems in the way to a second title.

1. Orlando Sanchez (USA) – ADCC 2015 winner
2. Arman Zhanpeisov (Kazakhstan) – Second Place on 1st Asia Trial
3. Khamzat Stambulov (Russia) – 1st European Trial winner
4. Tom DeBlass (USA) – 1st North American Trial winner
5. Victor Honório (Brazil) – 1st South American Trial winner
6. Hideki Sekine (Japan) – 2nd Asian Trial winner
7. Casey Hellenberg (USA) – 2nd North American Trial winner
8. Abdulaev Ruslan (Russia) – 2nd European Trial winner
9. Vinny Magalhaes (Brazil) – Invited
10. Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” (Brazil) – Invited
11. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil) – Invited
12. Joao Gabriel Rocha (Brazil) – Invited
13. Jared Dopp (USA) – Invited
14. Jeff Monson (USA) – Invited
15. Mario Rinaldi (USA) – Invited

Female

W-60kg – Mackenzie Dern will be back to defend her title. Her recent not so good results put a big question mark on her ability to keep the crown. Beatriz Mesquita, Tammi Musumeci, Michelle Nicolini, Rikako Yuasa and Bia Basílio are strong contestants here.

1. Mackenzie Dern (USA) – ADCC 2015 winner
2. Bianca Basílio (Brazil) – South American Trial winner
3. Rikako Yuasa (Japan) – Asian Trial winner
4. Elisabeth Clay (USA) – North American Trial winner
5. Ffion Davies (Great Britain) – European Trial winner
6. Michelle Nicolini (Brazil) – Invited
7. Beatriz Mesquita (Brazil) – Invited
8. Tammi Musumeci (USA) – Invited

W+60kg – The 2015 champion Ana Laura Cordeiro is out this year. The field is wide open for multiple contestants. Gabi Garcia was invited to make things more interesting. Talita Treta, Tara White, Jessica Oliveira, Venla Luukkonen and Marysia Malyjasiak will fight their hearts off on the mats for the title.

1. Talita Treta (Brazil) – South American Trial winner
2. Tara White (USA) – North American Trial winner
3. Samantha Cook (Great Britain) – European Trial winner
4. Gabrielle Garcia (Brazil) – Invited
5. Jessica Da Silva Oliveira (Brazil) – Invited
6. Amanda Santana (USA) – Invited
7. Venla Luukkonen (Finnland) – Invited
8. Marysia Malyjasiak (Poland) – Invited

Main Superfight

• Andre Galvao vs. Claudio Calasans

Stars Superfight

• Renzo Gracie vs. Sanae Kikuta

Stars Superfight

• Frank Mir vs. Chael Sonnen