This year, ADCC has officially added one more female weight class, resulting in a total of five male weight classes and three female weight classes. Each male category features 16 competitors, while each female category has 8 competitors. Notably, three-time ADCC champion Gordon Ryan will be participating in two superfights as anounced by ADCC itself: the first against Yuri Simoes and the second against Felipe Pena, who has previously defeated Ryan twice. This will be particularly interesting as Ryan has been dealing with recurring chronic stomach issues and was hospitalised over the past year.

Many ADCC qualified athletes, including a reigning champion, have made the surprising decision to switch their allegiance and compete in the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) instead. This shift has sent ripples through the competitive grappling community, as the CJI offers a tantalizing prize: a chance to win 1 million dollars. In addition to this grand prize, every participant is guaranteed $10,001 in participation money, a substantial incentive that has proven irresistible to many top competitors.

The Craig Jones Invitational, known for its innovative approach and lucrative rewards, has quickly become a formidable rival to the ADCC, traditionally seen as the pinnacle of professional grappling competitions. The opportunity to compete for such significant financial rewards is a game-changer for athletes, many of whom have faced financial challenges despite their high levels of skill and dedication.

Athletes can qualify to compete in the ADCC Worlds through the following ways:

• Returning as a champion from the previous ADCC Worlds.
• Winning one of the ADCC Trials.
• Receiving an invitation to compete from the organization.

Here is the official ADCC list of every person who qualified or has been invited, as well as the returning champions for the upcoming ADCC World Championship 2024, which will take place in August 2024 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

MALE -66 kg (Out of 16)

• Diogo Reis – ADCC 2022 Champion
• Owen Jones – Europe Trial 1 winner
• Dorian Olivarez – USA Trial 1 winner
• Ethan Thomas – Asia Trial 1 winner
• Gairbeg Ibragimov – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Kennedy Maciel – Brazil Trial 1 winner
• Fabricio Andrey – Brazil Trial 2 winner
• Deandre Corbe – USA Trial 2 winner
• Huaiqing Xu – Asia Trial 2 winner
• Ethan Crelinsten – Invited
• Kauã Gabriel – Invited
• Ashley Williams – Invited
• Josh Cisneros – Invited
• Keith Krikorian – Invited
• Gabriel Sousa – Invited
• Diego Pato – Invited

MALE -77 kg (Out of 16)

• Kade Ruotolo – ADCC 2022 Champion
• Elijah Dorsey – USA Trial 1 winner
• Kenta Iwamoto – Asia Trial 1 winner
• Tommy Langaker – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Luiz Paulo Medeiros – Brazil Trial 1 winner
• Alexandre Jesus – Brazil Trial 2 winner
• Levi Jones-Leary – Asia Trial 2 winner
• JT Torres – Invited
• Mica Galvao – Invited
• Dante Leon – Invited
• PJ Barch – Invited
• Jonnatas Gracie – Invited
• Oliver Taza – Invited
• Andy Varela – Invited
• Mateusz Szczeciński – Invited

MALE -88 kg (Out of 16)

• Giancarlo Bodoni – ADCC 2022 Champion
• Santeri Lilius – Europe Trial 1 winner
• Jacob Couch – USA Trial 1 winner
• Izaak Michell – Asia Trial 1 winner
• Taylor Pearman – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Charles Negromonte – Brazil Trial 1 winner
• Pedro Marinho – Brazil Trial 2 winner
• Lucas Kanard – Asia Trial 2 winner
• Tye Ruotolo – Invited
• Gabriel Almeida – Invited
• Jacob Rodriguez – Invited
• Elder Cruz – Invited

MALE -99 kg (Out of 16)

• Kaynan Duarte – ADCC 2022 Champion
• Luke Griffith – Europe Trial 1 winner
• Paul Ardila – USA Trial 1 winner
• Declan Moody – Asia Trial 1 winner
• Marcin Maciulewicz – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Cassio Felipe Costa – Brazil Trial 1 winner
• Henrique Ceconi – Brazil Trial 2 winner
• Michael Pixley – USA Trial 2 winner
• Daniel Schuardt – Asia Trial 2 winner
• Mason Fowler – Invited
• Roberto Abreu “Cyborg” – Invited
• Roberto Jimenez – Invited
• Rafael Lovato – Invited
• Eli Braz – Invited
• Nicholas Meregali – Invited
• Alex Grandy – Invited

MALE +99 kg (Out of 16)

• Heikki Jussila – Europe Trial 1 winner
• Daniel Manasoiu – USA Trial 1 winner
• Josh Saunders – Asia Trial 1 winner
• Mark Macqueen – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Jose Inacio Dos Santos – Brazil Trial 1 winner
• Mike Perez – USA Trial 2 winner
• Mansur Makhmakhanov – Asia Trial 2 winner
• Victor Hugo – Invited
• Gutemberg Pereira – Invited

FEMALE -55 kg (Out of 8)

• Margot Ciccarelli – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Anna Rodrigues – Brazil Trial 2 winner
• Jasmine Rocha – USA Trial 2 winner
• Adele Fornarino – Asia Trial 2 winner
• Mackenzie Dern – Invited
• Mayssa Bastos – Invited

FEMALE -65 kg (Out of 8)

• AuréLie Le Vern – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Ana Carolina Vieira – Brazil Trial 2 winner
• Helena Crevar – USA Trial 2 winner
• Sula-Mae Loewenthal – Asia Trial 2 winner
• Brianna Ste-Marie – Invited
• Bia Mesquita – Invited
• Amanda Leve – Invited
• Morgan Black – Invited

FEMALE +65 kg (Out of 8)

• Amy Campo – ADCC 2022 Champion (+60kg)
• Nia Blackman – Europe Trial 2 winner
• Maria Ruffatto – Brazil Trial 2 winner
• Elizabeth Mitrovic – USA Trial 2 winner
• Nikki Lloyd-Griffiths – Asia Trial 2 winner
• Nathiely De Jesus – Invited

SUPERFIGHTS

• Gordon Ryan – Current ADCC Superfight Champion
  • VS. Yuri Simoes – ADCC 2022 Absolute class winner
  • VS. Felipe Pena – ADCC 2017 Absolute class winner