Renowned BJJ coach Melqui Galvao is leading a campaign to bring the ADCC World Championship back to Brazil for 2026 – challenging the event’s recent run of hosting in the United States.
Galvao’s push comes on the back of Brazil’s continued dominance at the highest level of grappling.
At ADCC 2024, Brazilian athletes won 7 out of 10 titles and secured 18 out of 30 total medals, once again reinforcing the country’s position as the sport’s global powerhouse.
The success is also personal for Galvao.
His son, Mica Galvao, currently reigns as champion in the under 77kg division, while his student Diogo Reis holds the title at under 66kg.
With two champions from his own team alone, Galvao has even more reason to advocate for the event to return to Brazilian soil.
Brazil’s dominance at ADCC is nothing new.
Historically, the majority of champions have come from the country, with ADCC 2022 standing out as the rare exception where non-Brazilian athletes claimed most of the titles.
ADCC has previously held its world championship in Brazil, with São Paulo hosting the event in both 2003 and 2015.
At the time, the tournament followed a more global rotation, with past editions also taking place in countries such as Finland, England, and China.
In recent years, however, ADCC has shifted toward a more centralized approach.
Since 2019, every edition has been held in the United States, with Las Vegas hosting both the 2022 and 2024 championships.
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