A growing movement of female grapplers is calling for reform in the ADCC qualification system, arguing that women face an unfairly limited path to the sport’s biggest stage.

A petition – launched by European standout Injana Goodman – is now circulating to demand change ahead of ADCC 2026.

Goodman, who recently captured gold in the under 65kg division at the 2025 ADCC European, Middle-Eastern & African Trials, explained how the system cost her a chance at Worlds:

If I were a man, I would be going to ADCC Worlds right now.
I won the first European trials on the 6th of September – but because I am a woman, the first trials don’t count for me.

That means I won’t be going to ADCC Worlds.
Women only get one chance to qualify, in early 2026, while men get two.

And while men have five weight classes, women only have three. This is not fair.

She went on to emphasize that the disparity affects not just athletes, but the sport as a whole:

This disparity is a clear example of inequality.
Women in BJJ train and compete just as hard as men, but we are not given the same fair chance to earn our place on the world stage.

This unfair system not only harms individual careers – it limits the visibility, growth, and professionalism of BJJ as a sport.
It also undermines ADCC as an organisation by preventing the best talent from being showcased on its biggest stage.

Although ADCC added a third women’s weight class and an absolute division last year, Goodman and others argue that the progress doesn’t go nearly far enough.

She pointed to other organizations as proof that women’s matches do draw audiences:

Some argue that there aren’t enough women at this level, or that women’s matches don’t attract the same audience.
This is simply not true.

The growth of women’s divisions across IBJJF, ONE Championship, CJI, and UFC shows that fans are eager to watch world-class female athletes.
Representation creates interest: when women are given platforms, viewership grows, role models are created, and the sport as a whole benefits.

By holding women back, ADCC isn’t reflecting demand – it’s suppressing it.

The petition outlines two clear goals:

• For 2026: expand women’s divisions at ADCC Worlds to 16 competitors, equal to the men, by inviting winners from both Trials events.

• For 2028 and beyond: achieve full parity with five women’s weight classes matching the men’s structure.

 

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